Causes of the Weakness of Islamic Upbringing for Children and the Duty of Scholars
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Your Eminence the Shaykh, it is observed that true Islamic upbringing for children has been lost, except what Allah wills? What is the secret behind this? And among the evidence for the loss of this upbringing is the state of contemporary youth: neglecting religion, committing sins, traveling abroad, imitating the disbelievers, abandoning prayer, associating with drivers and servants, and frequenting video arcades, football, and other amusements. This is common among our sons, whether common people or the elite, even the sons of scholars. What is the comment on this? And what is the duty of scholars in this religious aspect? May Allah preserve you, and peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh:
The causes of the calamity that has occurred are those you mentioned in the question.
The questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
The existence of media outlets, the existence of video, the existence of mixing with wicked people, the corruption of the market, the existence of travel abroad, and the existence of evil in some media outlets—these are all factors that have caused hardship. They are all factors that have affected the youth and non-youth, even affecting the elderly and old women, and non-youth, and affecting everyone. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
The questioner:
Yes, by Allah.
The Shaykh:
This is like a disease; usually, whoever mixes with it gets infected. So these are general calamities that have spread in homes and everywhere. The young and the old, the male and the female, the girl in her chamber, and the old man on his bed, everyone hears them.
The questioner:
There is no power and no strength.
The Shaykh:
The one who is protected is the one whom Allah protects, and the one who is preserved is the one whom Allah preserves. So the obligatory thing is caution, and the obligatory thing is the struggle of scholars and prominent people to establish this evil and remove it, and not to remain silent about it. So upon the scholar, and upon everyone who has the slightest word that is thought to be heard, and upon the princes and the leaders and the notables of the land, and upon the state itself, it is upon them to cooperate in alleviating this evil and reducing this evil, so that perhaps the society will be safe from these great evils. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. Every circle has a treatment. May Allah help in applying the treatment.
The questioner:
How does one of us carry out the upbringing of his children when the society does not help him in that? And the brother mentioned television, markets, and other things.
The Shaykh:
He eats what he can.
The questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
One must exert what is possible and seek success from Allah. The state of the society is not hidden from anyone today, the state of the society in our lands and other lands. Although our lands may be much less [affected] than the neighboring countries, so how about the state of the neighboring countries? There is no power and no strength except with Allah! The point is that the calamity is great, and the evil is widespread and varied. So the believer must exert what he can in diverting the evil and reducing the evil, and the notables of the society, from scholars, princes, ministers, and the good people, must cooperate with the state in alleviating this evil and reducing it and eliminating what is possible of it.
The questioner:
Please. Mmm.
The Shaykh:
This hadith is applicable today. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith:Sahih al-Bukhari 19
The questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
Sunan an-Nasa'i 5036Sahih (Darussalam), the trials today are everywhere, even in the desert, even they have entered the people in their camps in the desert and the wilderness. The man carries it with him, and he hears every evil and every calamity. So among the causes of prevention is that one should be in a part of the land, or in a valley of the valleys, far from this evil. He has no radio or other radio, he has nothing with him except the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He learns and teaches, and he fears his Lord and upholds His right. The authentic hadith: Riyad as-Salihin 1289 Yes.
This is the view of many of the people of knowledge. This is based on the state of the world changing and the existence of evil in the cities and villages. So when evil is found in the cities and villages, it becomes for the person to exit from that to a valley of the valleys, where he worships Allah and keeps the people away from his evil. This is what this hadith indicated, that whoever does that is the best of people after the mujahideen.
Your Eminence the Shaykh, it is observed that true Islamic upbringing for children has been lost, except what Allah wills? What is the secret behind this? And among the evidence for the loss of this upbringing is the state of contemporary youth: neglecting religion, committing sins, traveling abroad, imitating the disbelievers, abandoning prayer, associating with drivers and servants, and frequenting video arcades, football, and other amusements. This is common among our sons, whether common people or the elite, even the sons of scholars. What is the comment on this? And what is the duty of scholars in this religious aspect? May Allah preserve you, and peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh:
The causes of the calamity that has occurred are those you mentioned in the question.
The questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
The existence of media outlets, the existence of video, the existence of mixing with wicked people, the corruption of the market, the existence of travel abroad, and the existence of evil in some media outlets—these are all factors that have caused hardship. They are all factors that have affected the youth and non-youth, even affecting the elderly and old women, and non-youth, and affecting everyone. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
The questioner:
Yes, by Allah.
The Shaykh:
This is like a disease; usually, whoever mixes with it gets infected. So these are general calamities that have spread in homes and everywhere. The young and the old, the male and the female, the girl in her chamber, and the old man on his bed, everyone hears them.
The questioner:
There is no power and no strength.
The Shaykh:
The one who is protected is the one whom Allah protects, and the one who is preserved is the one whom Allah preserves. So the obligatory thing is caution, and the obligatory thing is the struggle of scholars and prominent people to establish this evil and remove it, and not to remain silent about it. So upon the scholar, and upon everyone who has the slightest word that is thought to be heard, and upon the princes and the leaders and the notables of the land, and upon the state itself, it is upon them to cooperate in alleviating this evil and reducing this evil, so that perhaps the society will be safe from these great evils. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. Every circle has a treatment. May Allah help in applying the treatment.
The questioner:
How does one of us carry out the upbringing of his children when the society does not help him in that? And the brother mentioned television, markets, and other things.
The Shaykh:
He eats what he can.
The questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
One must exert what is possible and seek success from Allah. The state of the society is not hidden from anyone today, the state of the society in our lands and other lands. Although our lands may be much less [affected] than the neighboring countries, so how about the state of the neighboring countries? There is no power and no strength except with Allah! The point is that the calamity is great, and the evil is widespread and varied. So the believer must exert what he can in diverting the evil and reducing the evil, and the notables of the society, from scholars, princes, ministers, and the good people, must cooperate with the state in alleviating this evil and reducing it and eliminating what is possible of it.
The questioner:
Please. Mmm.
The Shaykh:
This hadith is applicable today. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith:
A time will soon come when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep which he will take on the top of mountains and the places of rainfall (valleys) so as to flee with his religion from afflictions.
يوشك أن يكون خير مال المسلم غنم يتبع بها شعف الجبال، ومواقع القطر، يفر بدينه من الفتنةThe questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
fleeing with his religion from the tribulations
يفر بدينه من الفتنthe Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said, "Who is the best among men?" He (ﷺ) replied, "A believer who strives in the way of Allah with his wealth and life." The man asked again, "Who is next to him (in excellence)?" He (ﷺ) said, "Next to him is a man who is engaged in worshipping his Rubb in a mountain valley, leaving the people
رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لما سئل أي الناس أفضل؟ قال مؤمن مجاهد في سبيل الله قيل ثم أي؟ قال مؤمن في شعب من الشعاب يعبد الله ويدع الناسThis is the view of many of the people of knowledge. This is based on the state of the world changing and the existence of evil in the cities and villages. So when evil is found in the cities and villages, it becomes for the person to exit from that to a valley of the valleys, where he worships Allah and keeps the people away from his evil. This is what this hadith indicated, that whoever does that is the best of people after the mujahideen.
Source
ندوات الجامع الكبير مع الأسئلة - 54 — archive.org (1:17:45)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.