294 Chapter Thirteen
faces unpleasant experiences in his newly built or purchased house, he
might attribute the misfortunes to the lack of barekat in his house or if one
manages to buy a number of items he needs with his barely sufficient
income, he might reason that the income is blessed. Therefore, the quote
communicates the idea that couples who do not want to have children
might not anticipate a promising future in their lives due to the lack of
barekat ‘blessing’ which assumedly only comes into existence with the
births of children. Rather than being an encouraging slogan, the quote
seems to function as a religious warning. The mechanism of persuasion
used in the billboard has a high potential to take effect as it draws upon a
concept which spreads through the life of majority of Iranians.
Figure 5. An Iranian couple with their three children.
The other poster (figure 6) depicts a happy family with three children,
and grandparents. At the top of the poster, the statement reads: ‘More
Children, A Happier Life’ along with a quote from the prophet in both
Arabic and Persian: “Cherish your children and raise them appropriately
so your sins are forgiven.” The poster highlights the contribution of
children to creating a warm, happy atmosphere in family. The presence of
grandparents is also seen both as an additional source of happiness and the
result of adopting a proper lifestyle, namely, by getting married at a young
age, which is recommended by Islam. The prophet’s quote, on the other
hand, underscores the significance of attending to child rearing in Islamic
instructions and its positive, afterlife outcomes for parents. Pictorial
representation of happiness and the prophet’s statement may respond to
the complaints and/or concerns of some couples about having a large