Fri, 29th Mar, 2024 / 19 Ramadan 1445
الجمعة ٢٩ , مارس , ٢٠٢٤ / 19 رَمَضَان 1445
Fri, 29th Mar, 2024 /
19 Ramadan, 1445
الجمعة ٢٩ , مارس , ٢٠٢٤ / 19 رَمَضَان , 1445

We start with the name of Allah.  We praise Allah and thank Him for the blessings of Islam.  We humbly ask Allah to raise the rank of our Prophet Muhammad, his kind Al and Companions and to protect his nation from that which he fears for it.  We ask Allah to grant us the proper intention, the Comprehension, and the reward in the Hereafter.  

Dear brothers in Islam, I enjoin myself and you to fear Allah and follow the path of His honourable Book and remain steadfast to it. For this temporary world shall perish, and its pleasures shall end. The winner is the one who is drawn away from Hellfire and admitted to Paradise. Our Lord commanded us to protect ourselves and our kin from Hellfire.

He, the Glorified, revealed in Surat at-Tahrim Ayah 6, which means: [O you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a fire, the fuel of which will be people and stones. In charge of this fire are strong Angels who do not disobey Allah and carry out all they are ordered to do].

This temporary world is the abode of deeds and the Hereafter is the abode of recompense. Therefore, blessed is the one who works for the Hereafter by protecting oneself and those for whom one is responsible from the harshness of the Day of Judgement. As such, by protecting your kin and offspring, you would also be protecting yourself. Allah does not benefit from the good deeds of the obedient servants or the belief of the believers. Likewise, He is not harmed by the sins of the sinners or by the disbelief of the non-believers. For Allah is not in need of anything.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said what means: << A believer will benefit after one’s death from the supplications one’s righteous descendant makes for him.>> Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.  Unfortunately, it has become the habit of many fathers and mothers in our time not to care about which school their children attend, or the community they become involved in or the group of teens and peers they mingled with. They neither care nor ask their children about these matters. In fact, it does not even occur to them to remind them to do good deeds or warn them against sins.

The former grand mufti of Beirut, Ash-Shaykh Mustafa Naja, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The children, prior to pubescence, would be upon al-fitrah (i.e. ready to accept and follow the truth) and their heart would be void of distractions. Hence, whatever you occupy them with, it would become deep-rooted in them. They would no more have space to accept anything else. Such as a vessel, if it is filled with something, there would be no more space for something else.” Therefore, we are in dire need of seriously thinking about which teacher to choose for our children.

Brothers in faith! When someone asks for your daughter’s hand, wouldn’t you investigate and inquire about this person?  You may even request of others to do so on your behalf. Likewise, it is worthier for each one of us to seriously consider which teacher and educator shall we accept for our children to imitate. Ash-Shaykh Mustafa Naja, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The child is like a mirror from which you see the reflection of the image of their teacher and educator.” Hence, if this teacher, whether male or female, were among those who incline to misconduct, you will see some students inclining to do the same. On the other hand, if the schoolteacher inclines towards exhibiting Islamic manners and religious modesty, you will see your child reflecting the same image. Undoubtedly, No one amongst us would wish for his children to be a display of immorality, nor to be members of indecent groups, nor to be useless and hopeless or despicable members of society.

When interpreting the aforementioned verse on how to protect one’s self and family from Hellfire, our master ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah accept his deeds, said: “Acquire the Religious Knowledge and teach it to your family”. Therefore, how great is it to have a school that teaches beneficial non-religious sciences, authentic religious studies and good manners!

Brothers in faith! If you want to protect your children, then you should know with whom you can entrust your children. You will be questioned on the Day of Judgement whether you have fulfilled what Allah made obligatory on you regarding your children or not.

Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: << As the Shepherd is responsible for his flock, you are also responsible for those whom you are obligated to take care of >>.

In the end, we ask Allah to forgive our shortcomings and help us raise our children as they should be Islamically raised. Ameen

 

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