The Obligations of Parents Toward Their Children in Commanding Them to Pray
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Question:
May Allah reward you with good and do you well. Our sister says: Some of the children, may Allah guide them, are negligent regarding some of the obligatory prayers and do not respond to their parents' advice, even though they are of legal age, claiming exhaustion from work and studies, or the advice comes from only one parent while the other is negligent in this regard. Is there a sin on the parents in both cases?
Answer:
First, the Muslim must prioritize performing the obligatory acts over everything, especially over worldly affairs and worldly works. How can they claim exhaustion and much work for the world while abandoning what Allah has made obligatory upon them, namely the five prayers, which are the second pillar of the pillars of Islam? It is obligatory that prayer takes precedence in the Muslim's works and has priority in the Muslim's works, and that he prioritizes the works of the Hereafter over the works of this world, because he is in need of that, and this world is merely a mount for the Hereafter and a farm for the Hereafter. So how can he be occupied with the world and waste the Hereafter?
So it is obligatory for these people to repent to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and to perform what Allah has made obligatory upon them, and not to be occupied with worldly matters and consume themselves in them, and to leave the five prayers, or delay them from their times on the pretext of work and exhaustion, for this is not a legal excuse before Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Then it is upon the parents to advise these children, because Allah has charged the parents with the responsibility of the children. He said, peace and blessings be upon him: He said, Glorified and Exalted is He: [Taha 20:132], and He said, Glorified and Exalted is He, in the clear text of His Book: [At-Tahrim 66:6]. He said, in describing His Prophet Isma'il, peace be upon him: [Maryam 19:54]. [Maryam 19:55] It is obligatory for the parents to command the children to pray, compel them to do so, and discipline them for leaving it, because they are under their responsibility and care. He said, peace and blessings be upon him: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 212 The father and the mother are equal in this. And so on. All of them are accountable regarding the children and their upbringing in religion and the preservation of prayer. Yes.
May Allah reward you with good and do you well. Our sister says: Some of the children, may Allah guide them, are negligent regarding some of the obligatory prayers and do not respond to their parents' advice, even though they are of legal age, claiming exhaustion from work and studies, or the advice comes from only one parent while the other is negligent in this regard. Is there a sin on the parents in both cases?
Answer:
First, the Muslim must prioritize performing the obligatory acts over everything, especially over worldly affairs and worldly works. How can they claim exhaustion and much work for the world while abandoning what Allah has made obligatory upon them, namely the five prayers, which are the second pillar of the pillars of Islam? It is obligatory that prayer takes precedence in the Muslim's works and has priority in the Muslim's works, and that he prioritizes the works of the Hereafter over the works of this world, because he is in need of that, and this world is merely a mount for the Hereafter and a farm for the Hereafter. So how can he be occupied with the world and waste the Hereafter?
So it is obligatory for these people to repent to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and to perform what Allah has made obligatory upon them, and not to be occupied with worldly matters and consume themselves in them, and to leave the five prayers, or delay them from their times on the pretext of work and exhaustion, for this is not a legal excuse before Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Then it is upon the parents to advise these children, because Allah has charged the parents with the responsibility of the children. He said, peace and blessings be upon him:
Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, compel them to do so when they are ten years old, and separate them in their beds [for sleeping].
مروا أولادكم بالصلاة لسبع، وجبوهم عليها لعشر، وفرقوا بينهم في المضاجع،And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein.
وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَاO you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَAnd mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet.
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صَادِقَ الْوَعْدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولًا نَّبِيًّاAnd he used to enjoin on his people prayer and zakah and was to his Lord pleasing.
وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِ مَرْضِيًّاAll of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock
كلكم راع وكلكم مسؤول عن رعيته
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، واجب الآباء تجاه أبنائهم في أمرهم بالصلاة – الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.