Our Beloved Nabi (SAW) states:
عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال :أَلَ كُلُّكُ م رَاعٍ، وَكُلُّكُ م مَ سئُو ل عَ ن رَعِيَّتِ ه
‘Behold, indeed all of you are shepherds and all of you will be asked regarding his herd’
Allah SWT States in the Quraan Shareef Surah Tahreem Verse 6
ياأيها الذين آمنو قو انفسكم و اهليكم ناز ا
‘Oh believers save yourselves and your family from the fire’
• Just as a person can be killed by a sword or by violence, in terms of our children’s deen and spiritual heights {roohani} , they are also being killed by putting them into a non Deeni environment.
• Just as the disbelievers of Makkah would kill and bury their daughters alive out of shame, in the same way we are sending our children into such environments that they become heedless of the remembrance of Allah.
• An example can be given that we buy our children a bicycle with no brakes. The child then rides this bicycle and comes across a ditch now he has no control even though he wants to press the brakes to stop he cannot as the bicycle was provided to him with no brakes. Due to no control and no brakes he falls into the ditch. Who is responsible for him falling in the ditch, it is the guardian that has provided him with bicycle. Similarly we are sending our children to non deeni environments that their minds and hearts are becoming polluted, They cannot control themselves, they have not learnt how to press the brakes when in a polluted atmosphere. To such an extent that that when the Parents presents the way of Islam to them, they reject and do not follow them e.g. Salah, Quraan Tilawat Etc due to their minds being polluted and their way of thinking has now changed.
• From the birth of a child, sharia has taught us how to do Tarbiyyah of the child. The Adhaan read in the ear so the greatness of Allah is instilled into the child. Due to negligence in their Tarbiyyah, the greatness of Allah diminishes.
• It is good to see that parents bring their children to the Masjid as young as 7 years but the original time to bring your child is when they reach the age of puberty and beyond. Those parents who bring their children at the age of 12, 15+ to the masjid for Salah, are successful parents. Because they brought them at a young age they have instilled the love of the masjid and Salah in them. Whichever parents fails to bring their children at a young age, their children will refuse to come at an older age.
• Before, the environment of the house was such, that the mother would hold the child and read Quraan. The child would only see and hear pious and good actions so the child would follow suit. Both the Mother & Father would be pious and this would have a positive effect on their Tarbiyyah (upbringing).
• There is no 3rd or 4th person who is going to worry about the Childs Aakirah (hereafter), it is the parents duty.
• Oh parents save your children from such evil environments, soon the real fire will come ( jahannum) the least we must do, is create a pure, sin-free environment at home for our children to grow up in.
• A big duty for this falls upon the mothers. The main responsibility of upbringing of the child is the mother. why? because sharia mentions that Allah has given the mother the forbearance and love to bare the stubbornness of a child. The father will bare it once, then the second time his temper will flare.
Take a look at Imam Bukahri, some people quote Bukhari a lot without even knowing his full name, his name is Muhammad ibn Ismail Bukhari. His mother did his upbringing he was born blind his mother was such a pious lady that she cried and supplicate to Allah that Oh Allah! my intention is to put my child in the service of religion but if has no eyesight it will be limited on what heights he can achieve and through her Duas Allah restored the eyes of Imam bukhari.
imam bukhari has spread the knowledge of hadith all around the world, whose hands were behind him? It was the hands of the mother.
• imam Muhammad ibn Ismael Bukhari had an effect on millions and he was effected by the upbringing and supplications of his mother.
• This western culture and the love for world has made us forget this major responsibility of upbringing of our children in the Islamic way. This is why the children nowadays are left neither successfully in the world and nor the Aakirah (hereafter).
In previous times there was such upbringing of children that Wali of Allah (friends of Allah) were born in the mothers lap.
• The aspirations of the non Muslims and the Muslims regarding the future of their children are different. The non Muslims wishes their child to have a good stable life, with no worries. The hope of the Muslim is that their children’s Aakirah is safe and secure and they spend this life in Allahs pleasure whether they are live in comfort or in difficulty.
• There was such a time when the mothers tongue would be busy with zikr and remembrance of Allah whilst breastfeeding the child, Allah’s greatness and obedience to Allah used to be taught to the child. Gradually importance on the upbringing of our children is diminishing. if you go to the see the Muslims today where most of the youngsters are in love with the world to such an extent that you can not distinguish between the non Muslim and the Muslim, our condition might also become like this!
• The lifestyle of our youngsters is always changing, every few months there is a new fashion. An example can be given of a person who drives a car who was riding a bicycle previously do you think he will now downgrade back to a bicycle once he has tasted driving a car? He will be in great difficulty if he now downgraded to riding a bicycle. Similarly if we don’t control the lavish lifestyle of our children and allow them to have whatever their heart desires, then they become like those people who get the wage on Friday and the pocket is empty on Saturday.
May Allah grant everyone pious children and the ability to act upon what has been advised.
Moulana Suleman Bodiyat Saheb
Ameen
