That was the important question the organizers of the Muslim Community Association of San Francisco Bay Area wanted to address during its third annual Da’wah Conference from July 25-27.

Each speaker discussed the topic. In his opening speech to the "Muslim Family Inc." conference, Shaikh Suhaib Webb said spending time and stressing the family as an institution will influence our community as well as society.

Our days are congested with work, school, and other obligations, that little time is spent on family. While our homes are filled with distractions such as television, Internet and video games, finding spare time to be active in our own family and communities can feel like a drag.

The conference highlighted the idea that all Muslims belong to a family – as a son, daughter, spouse or in-law – and stressed taking time from daily lives to put Islam and family back into routine.

The conference itself displayed the very importance of community and family by allowing a kid-friendly environment, babysitting rooms, as well as separate lectures for Muslim youth.

Furthermore, each day of the conference united a diverse group of families, including American-born Muslims, converts, and immigrants. Not only did the program unite Muslims from different backgrounds, it welcomed the idea of reconnecting and seeking the Muslim community and family for guidance in Islam. Each focused day of the conference concentrated on a variety of topics on marriage, kinship, parenting, generation gap, success, and youth. The diverse backgrounds of the speakers, as well as the wide range of listeners, reflected the unity the speakers were communicating.

MCA, a non-profit organization, is known for providing religious and social services to a diverse Muslim community that derives its heritage from over 40 nations and from all demographic and socio-economic classes.