Children deserve the right to proper

education and upbringing.

Concern for our children is part of our religion.
We have to be worried and concerned about our
future generations. This is what we learn from
Prophet Ibrahim (Alai). Even prophets like Nuh
(Alai) is worried about his son. Even prophets
had trouble with their children.
One of the most important facets of raising
children is for the parents to provide them with
the right training. According to Islamic traditions,
the best gift that parents can provide to their
children is training that can help them live as
responsible Muslim adults fulfilling the rights of
Allah and others. This, then, can lead them to
succeed in the hereafter as well. The Prophet

(Sal.) said, "A father gives his child nothing

better than a good education.".

Educating children in such a way that they can

be successful, both in this life and the hereafter,
should be the supreme responsibility of parents.
In todays world, while it is common to see
parents focus on the kind of education that can
help them toward building the right careers and
in making a living, the focus on Islamic
education rarely gets its due focus. Depriving
children of proper Islamic teachings can
prevent children from building a close
relationship with their creator Allah, which is
the cornerstone of all success in this life and
the hereafter. A good religious education
grounded in love of their Lord, and respect to
parents, can help them live a more peaceful life,
deal with lifes challenges easily and maturely,

and fulfill the rights and obligations of all around

them (including the parents themselves), leading
the children to grow up as better citizens of their
communities.
Something has changed in the world so
drastically, that it has affected not just how
governments are run, how the economy works,
how nations deal with each other.. it has also
affected what happens inside the house. Not just
the Muslim house, but every house.
Globalization and the advancement of mass
communication and on top of that the extreme
form of Consumerism, that we have become
addicted customers of products.. that mentality
has invaded into our homes.
We assume that the value of human beings is
related to these products.

What does success mean? What are you worth.

Our children are raised to think that all they are
worth are these products. Success is education.
Because it pays the most. There is no desire to
make our children saviors of the world.
Something has fundamentally changed. Our
idea of success has become money. Our idea of
education has become a career that makes a lot
of money.
To have and education means to understand
yourself, to understand the world around you
and to contribute to making the world a
better place. For this you have to study history,
sociology, political science, media, journalism
and a variety of other fields.
Our mentality has to change. If our children
do not see in us the right definition of

success, we cannot expect them to have the

right definition of success for their lives.
They have to see that coming from us, in what
we talk about all the time, in what is most
important to us..
The parents are the real counsellors of their
children. They should become their best friends.
They should be a big part of their lives.
Per Aspera Ad Astra:
Through Hardship to The Stars

Treat your children with love and mercy

The Prophet (Sal.) said: Fear Allah and treat
your children fairly (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
2447; Muslim, 1623).

Parents have the obligation to show love and

mercy to their children. This will help children to
develop normal and stable personalities and will
also make it easier for children to love and
respect their parents and elders when they grow
up. Seeing the Prophet kissing his grandson, a
person named Alaqra Ibn Habis found this
behavior strange and said, I have ten children,
but I have never kissed any of them. The
Prophet (s) replied, The one who has no
compassion will not be treated
mercifully (Bukhari and At-Tirmidhi).

Abul Laith Samarqandi (R.A) has related that a

man brought his son to Hazrat Umar (radiyallahu
anhu) and said: "My son does not obey me, he
is disobedient to me." Hearing this Hazrat Umar
(radiyallahu anhu) said: "O boy, don't you know

what rights a father has on his son?" Thereafter

he narrated the rights of a father on his children.
The boy said: "O Commander of the faithful! Do
the children too have any rights on their father?"
Hazrat Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said: "Yes! the
children too have rights on their father." "What
are those rights?" asked the boy. Hazrat Umar
(radiyallahu anhu) replied: "First of all, he should
search for a good mother for his son. He should
marry with a virtuous, religious woman, and
must not marry any woman of questionable
nature and doubtful character. The second right
is that when he begets a child, he should name
it with a good name, and the third right of the
child is that he should impart religious
knowledge to him and teach the Quraan." The
boy said: "O Commander of the faithful! my
father has not discharged any of these rights.
Firstly, the woman who is my mother is a

negress, a slave woman that he has bought for

400 dirhams. She is a neophyte Muslim slave
woman who is quite ignorant of religious
education, Islamic civil manners and morals. It is
in her laps that I have passed my infancy. She
has not given me any religious education. What
should I do? Secondly, they have not named me
with a good name. They have named me Jo'al
meaning black, ugly man. I should have been
given a good name which was my right, but my
father did not discharge his responsibility
towards me. The third is the right of religious
education, which they did not give me at all.
Now whatever decision you give, I will accept it."
Just ponder over it. A great man like Hazrat
Umar (radiyallahu anhu) at the very mention of
whose name people shudder even today said:
"O boy's father, first of all, you have been

neglectful regarding the boy's rights which you

did not discharge and now you tell me that your
son does not obey you. GET OUT! It is you who
have disobeyed first."
The second anecdote is regarding a son beating
his father. A man came to an Aalim and said:
"My son beats me and beats me very much."
"What! the son beats his father," exclaimed the
Aalim. "Yes!" replied the man, "he beats me and
beats me too much." The Aalim said: "Have you
imparted to him deeni education and have you
taught him manners?" The man said: "No." The
Aalim then asked : "Have you taught him the
Quraan?" When the man again said no, the
Aalim asked: "What does your son do?" The
man replied: "He is a cultivator". The Aalim
asked: "Do you know why your son beats you?"
The man said that he did not know. The Aalim

then said: "It seems to be that your son must be

going to the field sitting on a horse or a donkey,
an ox must be in front of him and a dog in his
rear. The son has not read the Quraan and does
not know what the Quraan is. You must have
asked him at that time as he was going to the
field to read the Quraan and therefore he beat
you. Thank Allah that your head did not break."

The biggest source of influence to them is their

parents. Respect them and open up the doors of
communication with them.
The biggest catastrophe of our children is that
they have no one to talk to.
How can you expect a child who is not sincere
and dutiful towards his own parents to be
sincere and dutiful towards his nation and
society.

The best of you is the best of you towards

his family. It is enough sin for a person to
neglect those who are under his
guardianship.
At a younger age your children crave for your
attention. When you get old you crave for their
attention.
When Allah speaks about teaching the children,
it is from the parents.

Youth groups are the life line to our Islamic

Youth. If we do not support them, then we are
losing it.
According to the measure of hardship are
heights achieved,

And he who seeks loftiness must keep vigil by

night;
As for he who wants heights without toil,
He wastes his life seeking the impossible
So seek nobility now, then sleep once (finally),
He who seeks pearls must dive into the sea.