YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad)
The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey.
Family is a fundamental unit of the society. If there are better families, there is a better society. How can we make this a reality?
In a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammed has said, ‘The best among you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family.’
Families are fundamental units of society, collectively shaping its fabric. If families are in good order, society will follow suit. Conversely, if families sink into a low moral state, society cannot prosper. Every person is born into a family, where he experiences his first lessons about home, family, and society. Therefore, to improve society, we must improve the quality of family members.
What are the responsibilities of parents?
Regarding the upbringing of children, there is a Hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik: “Treat your children well and teach them good manners.” (Sunan Ibn Majah,) This Hadith emphasizes treating children well and instilling good manners in them. In this Hadith, good manners encompass training in life management. It implies teaching children how to live in the world so that they become an asset rather than a liability to their families and society. Training children to lead a principled life is the best gift parents can give them.
Parents should help children make modesty their guiding principle, rejecting attitudes of pride and superiority. They should hold themselves accountable rather than try to hold others responsible, thus channeling their time and energy into productive endeavors. Parents should teach their children that they alone will bear the consequence of their mistakes. No one else will pay the price of their errors. Complaining about others is a futile use of their time. Embracing positive thinking while guarding against negative thoughts is crucial. The most important thing is that parents must instill duty-consciousness rather than right- consciousness in their children.
How can we cultivate religious environment at home?
One way of cultivating a religious environment at home is to read out portions of the Quran, Hadith books and other religious books at home. Merely reciting is not enough. It is very important to cultivate a conducive religious atmosphere at home. The same atmosphere described in the scriptures should prevail before and after reading the book. Creating a genuinely religious home requires sincerity. Conversations should revolve around reading the Quran, reflections on it should be shared, suggestions as to how to apply the principles in our lives in our lives discussed, prioritizing it over worldly and materialistic matters.
Please shed some light on the upbringing of girls.
Regarding the upbringing of girls, there is a Hadith: “Whoever has three daughters, and he is patient with them, gives them a good upbringing, treats them well, he becomes deserving of Paradise.” (Sunan Abu Dawud)
It is common for some individuals to devalue daughters when there are no sons in their household. However, this Hadith refutes such a mindset. Whether a father has sons or daughters, he is responsible for providing them with the best education, instilling in them a strong work ethic and skills to build a prosperous future for themselves. Many fathers prioritize material comforts for their children, striving to accumulate wealth for them.
However, this approach is flawed. The greatest gift a father can give his children is education and good manners, not material things. Education, correct upbringing of girls especially is of utmost importance, as they make up half the population and are responsible for raising the other half.
What is the greatest guarantee for children’s progress?
The greatest guarantee for children’s progress lies in cultivating a realistic approach and a positive spirit of action within them. Parents must make their children aware of the realities of life. They must make their children realize that it is better to live in this world as giver members of the society. For if you offer something of value to the world, it will be compelled to provide you with work opportunities. Parents, through their actions, must show their children that actual progress is achieved through diligence and hard work; progress bestowed by others is not genuine progress.
The most valuable legacy parents can bestow upon their children is education, training to trust their hard work, avoid conflicts, be content with their rightful share, embrace realism instead of indulging in fantasies, and understand that moral inheritance surpasses material wealth.
There is a verse of the Quran which states that our family is a trial for us. How should we understand this?
In a Hadith, the Prophet of Islam has said, ‘Woe to the one who leaves his family in a good state and presents before his Lord in a bad state.’ (Musnad al-Shihab) In another Hadith it is said: “A person will be brought on the Day of Judgement, and it will be said to him: ‘Your family consumed your good deeds.’” (Takhrij al-Hadith al-Kashshaf) This indicates that on the Day of Judgement, individuals will be confronted with the reality that their familial obligations consumed their righteous deeds.
God has given man families and has set some duties to be done to them. But it so happens that man becomes so obsessed with his family, their wellbeing, that he dedicates all his time, wealth and resources to them. Where he was supposed to make God his supreme concern and involve himself in tasks such as that please his Creator, he is excessively attached to his children. Where he should have given his time, energy and wealth in the cause of God, he focuses his energy on amassing more wealth to pass onto the next generation. Such a person will find himself empty handed with God. And as per a Hadith, it equates to sacrificing one’s Hereafter to build the world of others.
Positive leaders give the right direction
to their people so that they set about
struggling for what is right, rather than
just register complaint after complaint.
