Raising Righteous Children

The Apostle of Allah (saws) came to some children who were playing . He greeted them lovingly.
In another place he (saws) said: "Act equally between your children."

[Sunan of Abu Dawood]

Explanation: The Aadaab of Training Children : From the above two ahadith, we learn how to behave with children and bring them up Islamically.

1. Playfully do not do any act with a child which may be a danger to life or limb, e.g. in playfulness do not fling a child in the air; do not playfully hold his hand and suspend it from a window, etc.

2. Do not playfully chase a child, for perhaps he may slip and hurt himself.

3. Do not speak shameful things in the presence of children.

4. While the thawaab is considerable for training children in general, caring for and training girls are acts of greater merit and more thawaab.

5. When training children, neither be too strict (harsh) nor too lax.

6. Children should be taught not to eat things people give them. They should bring such things home and eat them in the presence of their parents if they consent.

7. Teach them to wash their hands before eating and to eat or drink with their right hands.

8. Inculcate in them the habit of eating less so that they are saved from sickness and greed.

9. Inculcate in children the habit of cleaning their teeth, especially with a Miswaak.

10. Teach them to refrain from asking any of their needs from anyone other than their seniors (parents, grand-parents etc.).

11. Teach them never to accept gifts from anyone without the consent of their elders.

12. Do not assume that they will automatically acquire manners and etiquettes when they have grown up. Inculcate good character in them front a tender age. No one learns on his own accord. By reading they will gain the knowledge of good culture, but still they will lack the essential training which was denied to them in childhood. Lack of training will result in the grown up children always behaving unculturally. Furthermore, they will, without thinking, cause difficulties and inconvenience to others.

13. Teach children to act with shame, especially when answering the call of nature. They should not reveal themselves to others.

14. When your child has wronged someone or is at fault, never act partially. Do not side with your child, especially in his presence. To do so is to corrupt his character.

15. Be watchful of your children's behaviour towards servants and the children of servants. Ensure that they do not trouble the servants or their children. On account of their inferior social rank, they may not complain, but in their hearts they will curse. Even if they do not curse, the misfortune of sin and injustice will be tasted.

16. As far as possible, endeavour that they learn under suitably qualified teachers.

17. Do not punish them while in anger. Either remove them from your presence when you are angry or go away. Later, when the anger has subsided, reflect thrice and then only mete out appropriate punishment.

18. When the need arises to punish, do not use a heavy stick nor fists. Do not kick the child nor slap it in the face. Also do not hit him on the head.

19. Teach children the full names of their parents and grandparents as well as their addresses. Now and then ask them about this so that they remember. The benefit of this is that, Allah forbid, should they get lost, they will be able to state their identity to the one who finds them. In this way they will be returned home.

20.Children who are studying should be given such nutrition which is good for the brain.

21. When the need arises for girls to leave the home precincts, do not adorn them with jewellery.

22. Emphasise to girls that they should not play with boys. The character of both boys and girls will be corrupted by such intermingling.

23. If a boy from another house comes to your home, instruct the girls to go out of sight even though the boy may be small.

24. If any children come to you for education, do not take service from them. Treat them like your own children.

25. Teach children not to face the Qiblah in the toilet nor to turn their back towards the Qiblah in the toilet. Teach them the rules of Tahaarat (purification) of cleaning themselves in the toilet.

26. Do not take children along to invitations. Many people do so. Their habits are corrupted by doing so.

27. When a child is obstinate in demanding a thing, do not fulfil his demand.

The Universality of Islam

The Glorious Qur'an states : "Oh Mankind, we have created you from a single pair of male and female,so that you should recognise each other and not despise each other."

[Al Hujrat :13]

Explanation : Islam wishes that all human beings, all civilisations and all human races should recognise each other and be introduced to each other. Islam does not believe in race, colour, caste, creed as Prophet Muhammad (saws) said in his Last Sermon during the Final Pilgrimage that there is no superiority of on Arab over a non-Arab and there is no nobility of a white-skinned person over a black person.

Islam was destined to become a world religion and to create a civilisation which stretched from one end of the globe to another. During the early Muslim caliphate, first the Arabs, then the Persians , then the Turks set about to create the classical Islamic civilisation. Later, in the 13th century, both Africa and India became great centers of Islamic civilisation and soon thereafter, Muslim kingdoms were established in the Malay-Indonesian world while Chinese Muslims flourished throughout China.

Islam has embraced in its capacious sweep different races & cultures & it should open the eyes of those who feel that following the religion punctiliously will render them at a disadvantage ,that only by following the true spirit of Islam will they prosper and gain success both in this world and the next.

None Came Forward to Aceept the Challenge

"And if you are in doubt as to that which we have revealed to Our servant, then bring a Surah the like of this, and do call your supporters other than Allah, if you are true."

[Al- Baqarah 2: 23]

Explanation : The Holy Qur'an is incomparable for its comprehensiveness even among the Sacred Books of the world; on the one hand, it brings to man the ultimate knowledge of a metaphysical order, and, on the other, provides guidance for all the spheres of human life, spiritual or physical, individual or collective.

Those who suspect the Book to have been the product of a human agency should remind themselves of the simple fact that it appeared at a time and in a place which offered no facilities for acquiring the kind of education which is necessary for composing such a book - in fact, the Arabs were in those days known as the Ummiyyun, 'the illiterates', and that the Book came through the Holy Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wasallam) who could not even read or write, and who had not tried to learn even the arts of poetry and rhetoric on which the Arabs prided themselves. This fact, in itself, is nothing short of a miracle.

In affirming that no human being could produce even a few verses comparable to its own, the Holy Qur'an did not confine the challenge merely to the richness of meaning and the quality of wisdom, but included the mode of expression as well. Now, the 'illiterates' of Arabia had no pretensions to wisdom or knowledge, but they certainly fancied themselves for their eloquence - to them, the aliens were just 'The Dumb' (Al-'Ajam).

And yet no one came forward to accept the challenge. This helplessness in a contest which should have been easy for a people so gifted with a spontaneous eloquence - does it not argue that the Holy Qur'an is not the word of man, but the Word of Allah? As a matter of fact, the most discriminating among the contemporary Arabs did admit, though in private, that the Holy Qur'an was inimitable; some of them had the honesty to say so in public and some accepted Islam, while others in spite of this admission, could not give up the ways of their forefathers.

The best book in the world, if read four or five times, begins to lose its charm even for the most fervent admirer. But the peculiar quality of the Holy Qur'an, and of it alone, is that the more one reads or recites it, the more eager one becomes to do so again and again. Even among the sacred books of the world, the Holy Qur'an is unique in this respect

A Great Month Is Coming....

`Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "The fast and the Qur'an are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: 'O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.' The Qur'an will say: 'I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.' And their intercession will be accepted."

[Ahmad]

Explanation : A great month is coming to you. A blessed month. A month in which there is one night that is better than a thousand months. A month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night.

Whoever draws nearer to Allah by performing any of the voluntary good deeds in this month shall receive the same reward as is there for performing an obligatory deed at any other time. And whoever discharges an obligatory deed in this month shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of Sabr (patience), and the reward for sabr is Heaven. It is the month of kindness and charity. It is a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased.

Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without the latter's reward being diminished at all.

We should welcome this month and embrace it with happiness and joy. We should have the truest resolve to observe the fasts and the prayers and to compete in doing righteous deeds. During this month, we should ardently repent for all of our sins and encourage each other to engage in virtuous deeds and call to what is right and forbid what is wrong. In this way, we will succeed in attaining the blessings and the great rewards of Ramadan.

The fast provides us with many benefits and is full of wisdom. It purifies and strengthens our hearts. It rids us of our baser tendencies like exuberance, arrogance, and stinginess. It reinforces our good traits like fortitude, clemency, and generosity. It supports us in our inner struggle to please Allah and attain nearness to Him.

Fasting teaches us about ourselves and our needs. It shows us how weak we are and how truly dependent we are upon our Lord. It shows us how much Allah has blessed us. We are reminded of our brethren those who are less fortunate and are inspired to treat them well. We are compelled to thank Allah and to use the blessings He has provided us in obedience to Him.

We must seize the opportunity presented to us in this blessed month and appreciate the greatness of this time by engaging in all the worship that we can. We must hasten to perform good deeds. Allah has made this month a time for worship and for competing with one another in righteousness. We must increase our prayer and our spending in charity.

We must busy ourselves with reading the Qur’ân. We must hasten to help the poor, the needy, and the orphans. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the most generous of all people and he was even more generous in Ramadan. We must follow the good example of our Prophet (peace be upon him) by redoubling our efforts in this month.

We must beseech Allah for forgiveness in this month and do all that we can to take advantage of this precious time. We must avoid committing any offence against the fast that will diminish its blessings and invoke Allah’s anger. Therefore, we must not be negligent of our prayers or stingy with our Zakâh. We must not consume interest or the property of the orphans. We must not steal, oppress anyone, or disrespect our parents. We must not spurn our kinfolk.

We must avoid backbiting, slander, lies, and falsehood. We must eschew false oaths and claims. We must not shave or trim our beards or leave our moustaches to grow. We must not listen to song and musical instruments. Women must not make a wanton display of themselves and men should not mix with them. These sins are forbidden throughout the year, but in Ramadan they are even more forbidden and more sinful.

We must fear Allah and avoid what Allah and His Messenger (saws) have prohibited us. We must be upright in our obedience in Ramadan and throughout the rest of the year. We should call one another to this and by doing so attain the success and salvation that this month promises us.

The Muslim Youth

Prophet Muhammad (saws) said that "Allah will ask people on the Day of Judgment how they utilized their youth"

[Tirmidhi]

Explanation : If the life of this world is an illusion, the period of greatest illusion occurs during youth. It is a period of high energy and great enthusiasm, coupled with an air of invincibility and perpetuity. For this reason there are special warnings for the youth and glad tidings for the person who uses this energy wisely.

The great task of Muslim youth is to bring the life-giving message of Islam to wherever they live. With love, dedication, wisdom, and insight.

The person who devoted his youth to the worship of Allah will be among the selected seven kinds of people for whom Allah will provide His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His shade. [Bukahri, Muslim]

'Generation gap' is a clever term that aims at giving scientific respectability to rudeness and rebellion. The idea is to create a wedge between generations and make it look acceptable for a young person to be indifferent to any wise counsel from one's close and well-wishing elders. Which reminds us of the special challenge faced by the youth today. While temptations have always been strong in young age, today the problem is magnified by mega efforts targeting the youth, especially the Muslim youth in the Western world, at all levels including intellectual and philosophical.

A favorite theme of these campaigns is to separate Islam from its culture. When in France, follow the French culture not the Muslim Algerian one, so the argument goes. This argument needs to be carefully deconstructed. Like all clever arguments this one also begins with a bit of truth. It is true that Islam is a universal religion and not restricted to a particular region. It is also true that many Muslim lands, during their period of decline, developed or adopted some cultural practices that were not based in Islam and need to be pruned. Certainly, not everything that has become accepted social practice in every Muslim country is Islamic. But it is a very long jump from there to conclude that everything being done in the Muslim world is un-Islamic and must be jettisoned. And it is even more bizarre to suggest that the replacement of all that with the pop-culture is just fine.

When Islam reached the lands that today form the Muslim world, it influenced the life style and cultural practices there without forcing a monoculture.

The propaganda machine presents this common core of Islamic culture as a great burden, but one only needs to look at the unfortunate millions who are left on their own in the name of freedom, to ascertain the truth.

Hence the profound advice in another famous hadith to value five things: "Youth before old age, health before sickness, wealth before poverty, free time before preoccupation, and life before death."

Love For Allah

"There are three characteristics whoever has them will taste the sweetness of faith: that Allah and His Messenger(saw) are more loved by him than everything else, that he loves or does not love a person only for Allah's sake and that he would hate to revert into disbelief just as he would hate to be thrown into fire."

[Bukhari]

Explanation : Once we place Allah and love for Him foremost in everything we do, then all of our difficulties will seem to vanish and doors of opportunity will open up for us. All this is achieved by obeying the commands of Allah, frequenting the mosque, and submitting ourselves fully to our Creator. We will only understand the true value of this in the Hereafter.

Allah is so merciful that He races towards the one who takes just one step towards Him. The Holy Quran tells us that Allah loves intensely those who believe in Him. The depth of this love is directly proportional to the amount of faith a believer has in His Lord, and is inversely proportional to how strongly a believer will feel the difficulties he faces in his life. This means that a believer will be able to tolerate more difficulty and obstacles, the greater his love for Allah, and vice versa.

All difficulties, be they physical, financial, or otherwise, become easy for the believer when he has love for Allah in his heart. Moreover, the true believer even longs to make sacrifices for Allah, and is even willing to sacrifice his biggest asset, his life, for the sake of the Lord who blessed him with this gift in the first place.

Nothing seems difficult or onerous to the one who achieves this high degree of love. Standing in prayer is no longer a burden but a source of immense pleasure. If a lover of ice cream is presented with the flavor of his choice and the person offering it says, “Please bear the burden of eating this,” this will sound ludicrous to the one on the receiving end. Far from seeing it as a burden, he loves the ice-cream and longs for any opportunity to consume it. This is the case of a lover of Allah and how he perceives the commands of his beloved Lord.

The Prophet (saws) Used to Fast in Sha'ban

Ummul Mu'mineen 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha says,"I never saw the Messenger of Allah, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha'ban."

[Sahih Muslim]

Explanation: Sha'baan is the eight month of the Islamic calendar. It falls between two sacred months, Rajab and Ramadaan. Sha’ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find some particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saws). It is reported in the authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad (saws) used to fast most of the month in Sha’ban.

Fasting in Sha'baan serves as training before Ramadaan. However, fasting the whole month of Shabaan is Makrooh (disliked) and against the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) did not fast any entire month apart from Ramadaan.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee]

But it should be kept in mind that the fasts of Sha'ban are for those persons only who are capable of keeping them without causing deficiency in the obligatory fasts of Ramadan. Therefore, if one fears that after fasting in Sha'ban, he will lose strength or freshness for the fasts of Ramadan and will not be able to fast in it with freshness, he should not fast in Sha'ban, because the fasts of Ramadan, being obligatory, are more important than the optional fasts of Sha'ban.

That is why Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself has forbidden the Muslims from fasting one or two days immediately before the commencement of Ramadan. The blessed Companion Abu Hurairah, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to have said, "Do not fast after the first half of the month of Sha'ban is gone."

According to another report Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam has said: "Do not precede the month of Ramadan with one or two fasts."

The essence of the above-quoted ahadith is that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself used to fast most of the month of Sha'ban, because he had no fear of developing weakness or weariness before the commencement of Ramadan. As for others, he ordered them not to fast after the 15th of Sha'ban for the fear that they would lose their strength and freshness before Ramadan starts, and would not be able to welcome the month of Ramadan with enthusiasm.