Alhamdulilah, Who made child rearing a amana for parents and turned it into a sadaqa which must be given continually, but whose reward does not cease to come even after death.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, a witness by which we will enter the garden. And I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger, the seal of the Prophets and Messengers.
Servants of Allah, have taqwah of the Almighty and worship Him in secret and in public, and constantly give thanks, and He will give you even more, but if you are ungrateful... It is true that His chastisement is intense.
Know that Allah Almighty has entrusted many things to you. amanas. And he commanded you to comply with them. He said in his book: "O ye who believe! Do not betray Allah and His Messenger nor betray what has been entrusted to you after what you know."
In addition, most of the amana is to raise children. We mentioned in the last khutba which dealt with the issue of divorce and separation and that it is the children who pay the price for discord, conflict and separation.
Thankfulness for the blessing of offspring and parenthood is realised through the good upbringing of children.
It has come down to us through Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Allah will ask every shepherd about his flock, whether he has taken care of it, or wasted it, and he will be asked about his family".
And you should know that between parents and children there are mutual rights. It has been said: "as you treat others, so shall you be treated". So how do you seek obedience and benevolence when you are negligent in the upbringing of your children? Allah Almighty said in the Qur'an: "My Lord, have mercy on them, as I was brought up as a child".. Education begins at home and by the actions of the parents; you, father, educate and you, mother, educate; you both educate with every act or word you do. If it is good, it is in your favour, and if it is bad, it will be against yourselves.
The first school and the first principle of education is what happens between both parents, whether it is good or bad. The child is influenced from the beginning by what he or she sees at home, so improve your words and actions, because your actions and inaction will be passed on to your children. The rights of children are the duties of parents. The rights of parents are the duties of their children. So do as you see fit, but, as you treat, so shall you be treated. The rights of children are the foundation, and the rights of parents are the building. A building without a foundation collapses. A foundation without the building is ruins.
Servants of Allah, education and teaching are two interrelated things and one cannot be achieved without the other. Education is the cultivation of good manners and virtues emanating from our iman. Teaching is storing knowledge in the mind. Education without teaching is precariousness and loss. Learning without education is dissolution and tyranny. Allah Almighty said: "And have taqwa of Allah, and Allah will teach you". So the taqwah of Allah must come before the pursuit of knowledge. For knowledge without taqwah is a waste of effort and a waste that brings little benefit.
Each category of education should be applied in its proper place: physical education (a healthy mind in a healthy body) and mental and spiritual education. But there are those who pay attention to some aspects and ignore others. Parents should not neglect the paramount importance of the magnet and spiritual education, because it is the shield that protects children's behaviour from perversion and deviations from the straight path. Many parents have failed to guide their children correctly with regard to Din, and try to supplement it with the training offered in classes in mosques, or in circles of knowledge. But how can we expect this to help if our children do not attend mosques? The number of children who attend classes can be counted on the fingers of one hand, so where will this child learn the basics of the Din, the Aqida or the Qur'an? This is a bitter truth. We are negligent in the upbringing of our children, and we have been distracted by Dunia and her pleasures from the task of educating our children. Said one of the sages: "He who grazes sheep in a land of lions... And he falls asleep, the lion takes over his flock". So what can we expect from sheep that are herded by wolves?
Your servants, the blessing of children is incomparable, but they need special treatment: nurture, guidance, monitoring and utmost care. Parents often complain about their children's disobedience, but everyone forgets that the rights of children precede the rights of parents. Disobedience to parents has become widespread in our time, but it is linked to neglect in education. And say: "My Lord, have mercy on them, as they brought me up when I was a child.. The Qur'an does not say: "As I was born when I was a child". Who has the responsibility for education and guidance? It is everyone's responsibility: The responsibility is that of the father, the mother, the society, the mosque, the yamahof the imam and the teacher. Each according to his profession and position. Whoever fails to do so will be accountable to Allah. Children have a fitra innate that gives them the ability to change, to be influenced and shaped. Said the Prophet ﷺ: "All children are born in a state of fitra". What does it mean that a child has fitra? It means that Allah created him predisposed to accept the truth. Ibn al-Qayyim said, "He made his nature ready to accept Islam". Then the Prophet ﷺ says: "Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or an idol worshipper". The matter is in the hands of the parents; either they preserve the fitra, or they alter it with bad upbringing and bad habits.
Allahumah, grant to every person who has a right over us that which is due to him, protect our children from miseducation, awaken their intuition, enlighten their intellect, protect them from the devils among men and among the jinn, from evil companions and from all evil, keep them in Din in a beautiful way, improve their character and make them righteous, learned, pious, and walis yours. Help us, ya RabbiRaise them up, protect them from pandemics, from poisons and drugs, and change the state of the deviant. Have mercy on our weak brothers who are still being bombarded day and night and defeat the unjust and aggressors wherever they are.
Allahumah, delegate our affairs to the best among us, and do not leave us in the hands of the wicked and deliver us from Your punishment and Your wrath. Amin.
