Learn To Take Care Of Your Children - 101

Allah SWT says in the Qur'an:

"Verily the religion with Allah (true, genuine and acceptable by Allah) is Islam..." (Surah Al-Imraan)

In other words, Allah has referred to Islam as the only religion acceptable by Him. This means that for anyone to attain pure success, Islam must be followed; and any other way will lead to doom and failure.

And at another place in the Qur'an, Allah SWT announces:

"Today have I perfected for you your religion and have completed my favours upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion..." (Surah Al-Maa'idah)

In the above mentioned Ayat, Allah SWT refers to Islam as a perfect and complete religion which Allah SWT has chosen for us. That is to say, a religion which is complete in all aspects of life.

Since Islam is as mentioned by Allah Ta'ala, it is the bounded duty of every Muslim to ensure the upbringing of his children in the perfect and uncompromising fashion of Islam. How can we even have flavour and appetite for Western ideals when even those of the West today has become disillusioned and disenchanted by their own mess.

So hence, the choice is entirely ours - either we rear children who will be a credit to their Deen, comfort to their families and a boon to society: or by slavishly adhering to the rubbish passed of as "modern" and "fashionable", we will reap untold heartbreak when these children, after reaching adolescence, prove rebellious and disobedient to both, their families and society at large.

If we are desirous of children imbued with true Islamic spirit, then we must mould our lives strictly in accordance with the teachings of our beloved Rasulullah SAW so that from the very beginning of conception, our children will be blessed with the Nur and true spirit of Islam.


AN ADVICE TO THE THE EXPECTANT MOTHER

It is irrefutable that the mother's proper nourishment has a telling effect on the health of the yet-to-be-born child. In the like manner the spiritual nourishment of the mother is no less important. If the mother is desirous of an obedient, pious and spiritually healthy child - and which Muslim parent isn't??? - she has no choice but to think and act in a manner which will manifest the luminous spirit of Islaam. She will have to spend, much time offering her devotions to Allah by performing Solat, making Zikr, reciting the Holy Qur'an and fill her time with Ibadah.

This will have a two-fold result:

(i) The mother will remain spiritually and mentally healthy; and at the same time -
(ii) The child will be inheriting piety, good manners and many other angelic qualities;

Insha-Allah.

It is no wonder then that these angelic qualities are often manifested in the infancy of many great personalities. It is said of many pious people of the past - that they were born with certain portions of the Holy Qur'an already imprinted in their memory. Others even refused to drink the milk of their mother during the holy month of Ramadhan.

Below infact is an authentic incident mentioned in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim to substantiate that the acts of virtue of parents certainly have positive effects on their progenies for generations to come:

Abu Talhah RA, a companion of Rasulullah SAW, had a son who had fallen gravely ill. During that period the father had to leave home for a number of days on an important errand, leaving the child to the care of the mother. Whilst away, the sickness caused the death of the child. The mother beseeched the people not to inform her husband even when he returned. When he returned his very first enquiry was about his son. She answered that he (their son) is presently in a more comfortable state than that which he had been in (meaning that death had rendered him peace and comfort). By this answer the husband understood that he had recuperated. She then offered him his supper which he ate with relish. The good wife then even adorned herself as best she could which filled him with passionate feelings. When she saw that her husbands needs had been tended to, then only did she disclose to him the death of their son.

This stark news proved a severe blow to him. He was annoyed and overcome with intense grief, that she had not disclosed to him the child's fate earlierl. At daybreak he approached Rasulullah SAW and related to him what had transpired during the night. Rasulullah SAW intently asked him whether they had copulated. When he answered in the affirmative, he blessed them by saying: "O Allah, grant them blessings for what had transpired during the night."

Many months later, a male issue was born of them whose Tahneek (the act of placing sweet substances e.g. dates into the mouth of a newborn baby) was done by Rasulullah SAW. He (SAW) named him - "Abdullah".

When Abdullah RA grew up and married, Allah Ta'ala blessed him with nine children, all of whom became Huffaz (memorisers) of the Holy Qur'an and learned Ulama of their time. This overwhelming attainment can only be attributed to the acts of virtue of the grandmother of these Ulama. It becomes apparent from the above incident that acts of virtue of parents not only have a telling effect on their children but also on their progenies for generations to come.