Umar ibn Wasil al-Basri that Sahl al-Tustari said: “My uncle once told me:
`Remember Allah Who created you.’ I said: `How should I remember him?’ He replied: `Say
in your heart, whenever you are alone at night, three times, without
moving your tongue: Allah is with me; Allah is looking at me; Allah is
watching me.”
This became his lifelong devotion. He memorized the Qur’an by the age of seven…
Providing
children with Islamic education and raising them up as good practicing
Muslims are essential duties of parenthood. Rightfully fulfilling these
duties will lead to the Pleasure of Allah and good for the parents and
the child in this life and the Hereafter. However, ignoring these duties
would lead to the destruction of the child’s Hereafter and the Wrath of
Allah will befall the parents for not protecting their child from the
traps of Shaytan and allowing him to choose the path of destruction.
Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Each
of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The
leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock, a man is the
shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock; a woman is the
shepherd in the house of her husband and is responsible for her flock,
the servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible
for it. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim]
Allah says in the Qur’aan: “O you who believe! Save yourselves and your family from a fire whose Fuel are men and stones.” [Soorah at-Tahreem (66): 6].
One
of the ways of protecting your children from the Fire is to let him
memorize the Words of Allah. Uqbah bin Aamer narrated: The Prophet
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “If the Qur’aan is gathered in
Hide skin (scholars says: i.e. referring to the one who memorizes the
Holy Qur’aan and acts upon it), Allah will not burn him with the Fire.” [Authentic Hadith]
“Teaching
the children the Qur’aan is a fundamental from the fundamentals of
Islam. By it the child will grow upon the Fitrah (natural Islamic
monotheism) and the lights of wisdom will rush to their hearts before
the desires are able to settle in them and darken them with the
cloudiness of disobedience and misguidance,” said al-Haafidh as-Suyootee.
This
is because the child from the early age will be protected from the
temptations of the world and whispers of the Shaytan, he will live and
grow up among the gathering of Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) where
tranquility and the mercy of Allah of descends, and as a result Allah
will preserve his Fitrah (natural inclination of Islamic Monotheism)
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“No
people gather in a house of the houses of Allah (i.e. masjids) reciting
the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that the
tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are
with Him (the lofty gathering of Angels).” [Saheeh Muslim]
Your
child will be given a position in Paradise according to the number of
verses he memorizes from the Book of Allah, it will be said to him on
the Day of Judgment as the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Read,
ascend and recite with slow, rhythmic chanting just as you used to
recite in the worldly life. For verily, your position (in Paradise) will
be at the place of the last verse that you recite.” [Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhee]
Every
time your child goes to the Masjid to learn the Qur’aan he will have
the reward of a perfect Hajj. Abu Umamah Al Bahili narrated: The Prophet
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Whoever
goes to the Masjid in the morning having no intention except to learn
something good or teach it he will have the reward like the person who
performs Hajj.” [Authentic Hadith]
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said to Abu Dharr (radhi allahu anhu),
“O
Abu Dharr! That you set out in the morning and learn one verse from the
Book of Allah is better for you than if you prayed one hundred Raka’ahs
(units of prayer).” [Ibn Majah]
The Qur’aan will intercede for your child on the Day of Judgment, Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Recite the Qur’aan for verily it will come on the Day of Judgment as an intercessor for those who recited it.” [Saheeh Muslim]
Your
child will be given to wear garments and a crown of honor on the Day of
Judgment. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“The
Qur’aan will come on the Day of Judgment and say, ‘Oh Lord! Adorn him.’
So the person will be made to wear the crown of honor. Then it (the
Qur’aan) will say, ‘Oh Lord! Increase him.’ So the person will be made
to wear the garment of honor. Then it will say, ‘Oh Lord! Be pleased
with him.’ So Allah will be pleased with him. Then it will be said,
‘Recite and ascend.’ And the person will receive an extra good deeds for
every verse (that he recites of the Qur’aan).” [(Saheeh) at-Tirmidhee]
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Whoever
recites the Qur’aan, learns it and acts upon it will be given a crown
of light to wear on the Day of Judgment and its light will be like the
light of the sun.” [(Saheeh) al-Hakim]
So,
why not encourage our children to memorize the Qur’aan and make them
one of the best individuals of this Ummah. Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) said: “The best of you are those who learn the Qur’aan and teach it.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee]
Allah,
the Exalted, has also promised abundant rewards for those parents who
guide their children to memorize the Qur’aan. The Prophet (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Whoever
recites the Qur’aan, learns it and acts according to it will be given a
crown of light to wear on the Day of Judgment whose light will be like
the sun. His parents will be clothed in two garments that did not exist
in this worldly life. So they will say, ‘What has caused us to be
clothed (in these garments)?’ It will be said, ‘Your child taking hold
of (i.e. memorizing) the Qur’aan has caused this.’” [Al-Hakim graded it authentic]
When
the parents leave a righteous child behind them, the child will be a
source of reward and blessing for them after their death, for Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“When
a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end, except for three cases;
the charity of continuous blessings, beneficial knowledge which he
leaves behind and a righteous child who prays for him.” [Saheeh Muslim]
The
parents will also receive equal amount of reward that the child
receives by memorizing or reciting the Qur’aan, for the parents guide
him to this good act and instill in his heart the love for Islam, and
the love for the Book of Allah.
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Whoever
guides to something good is like the one who does it.” [Saheeh Muslim]
and: “Whoever invites to guidance will receive the reward like the
rewards of those who follow him and that will not diminish anything from
their rewards…” [Saheeh Muslim]
The
parents should also send those children who are intelligent and bright
to learn the Qur’aan and Islamic education. It should not be that only
those children who when are unsuccessful in worldly studies are sent to
Madrasas for religious studies. The parents should realize the
importance of Islamic education for their children and raising
well-educated Muslims who would in the future work for the Cause of
Islam.
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“The
example of guidance and knowledge with which, Allah has sent me is like
abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil,
absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance.
(And) another portion of it was hard and held the rainwater and Allah
benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, making
their animals drink from it and for irrigation of the land for
cultivation. (And) a portion of it was barren which could neither hold
the water nor bring forth vegetation (then that land gave no benefits).
The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah’s religion
and gets benefit (from the knowledge), which Allah has revealed through
me (the Prophet) and learns and then teaches others. The last example is
that of a person who does not care for it and does not take Allah’s
guidance revealed through me (He is like that barren land.)” [Saheeh al-Bukharee v.1 no.79]
Those
parents who give the excuse that their child is weak or does not have
good memory or ‘he is not gifted’, should know that Allah has said in
the Qur’aan:
“And indeed we have made the Qur’aan easy to remember.” [Soorah al-Qamar (54): 17] and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “Whoever
treads on a path in search of Islamic knowledge, Allah will ease the
way to Paradise for him. The Angels will lower their wings, pleased with
this seeker of knowledge, and everyone in the heavens and on earth will
ask forgiveness for the knowledgeable person, even the fish in the
deepest of waters will ask for his forgiveness.” [(Saheeh) Abu Dawood]
It
is not mandatory for your child to memorize the complete Qur’aan. If he
is not able to memorize the complete Qur’aan then know that only
attending daily circle for memorization will suffice your child for it
will accustom him to frequent the places of worship rather than visiting
evil gatherings. Your child will find good companions which will
protect him from deviating and adopting evil habits and practices. Allah
says:
“And
keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord, morning and
afternoon, seeking His Face and let not your eyes overlook them,
desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him
whose hearts We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows
his own lust and whose affairs (deeds) have been lost.” [Soorah al-Kahf (18): 28]
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