How does a father teach his children tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?
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The questioner : How does a father teach his children tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. He teaches them tawhid (the oneness of Allah) just as he teaches them other matters of the religion. The best thing in this regard is the book "The Three Fundamental Principles" by Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab. If they memorize it by heart and its meaning is explained to them in a way suitable for their understanding and intellect, this will be a great good, because it is based on questions and answers and uses clear, easy language without complexity. Then he shows them the signs of Allah so that they can apply what is mentioned in this small book. He says about the sun: Who brought it? The moon? The stars? The night? The day? He says to them: Who brought the sun? Allah. The moon? Allah. The night? Allah. The day? Allah. All of them were brought by Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so that he waters the tree of fitrah (the innate natural disposition) with this, because a person is by nature created with the tawhid (the oneness of Allah) of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1385.
He also teaches them wudu' (the ablution for prayer) by showing them how to perform it in practice. He says, "Wudu' is done like this," and performs it in front of them. He does the same with salah (the ritual prayer), seeking help from Allah the Exalted and asking Him (Mighty and Majestic) to guide them. He should avoid in front of them any speech that contradicts good morals or any forbidden action. He should not habituate them to lying, betrayal, or lowly morals, even if he is afflicted with such a habit. For example, if he is afflicted with smoking, he should not smoke in front of them, because they will become accustomed to it and it will seem easy to them.
Let it be known that every head of a household is responsible for his family, as He (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:[At-Tahrim 66:6]. And our protection of them from the Fire will only be achieved if we habituate them to righteous deeds and leave off evil deeds. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) emphasized this in his saying: .
Let the father know that their righteousness is a benefit for him in this world and the Hereafter. Indeed, the people closest to their fathers and mothers are the righteous children, both male and female, andRiyad as-Salihin 949. I ask Allah the Exalted to help us all with the trust and responsibility He has placed upon us.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, O honorable Shaykh. This questioner, we reviewed one of his questions in a previous session, and this question remains for him. He asks and says:
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. He teaches them tawhid (the oneness of Allah) just as he teaches them other matters of the religion. The best thing in this regard is the book "The Three Fundamental Principles" by Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab. If they memorize it by heart and its meaning is explained to them in a way suitable for their understanding and intellect, this will be a great good, because it is based on questions and answers and uses clear, easy language without complexity. Then he shows them the signs of Allah so that they can apply what is mentioned in this small book. He says about the sun: Who brought it? The moon? The stars? The night? The day? He says to them: Who brought the sun? Allah. The moon? Allah. The night? Allah. The day? Allah. All of them were brought by Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so that he waters the tree of fitrah (the innate natural disposition) with this, because a person is by nature created with the tawhid (the oneness of Allah) of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism
كل مولود يولد على الفطرة، فأبواه يهوّدانه أو ينصّرانه أو يمجّسانهHe also teaches them wudu' (the ablution for prayer) by showing them how to perform it in practice. He says, "Wudu' is done like this," and performs it in front of them. He does the same with salah (the ritual prayer), seeking help from Allah the Exalted and asking Him (Mighty and Majestic) to guide them. He should avoid in front of them any speech that contradicts good morals or any forbidden action. He should not habituate them to lying, betrayal, or lowly morals, even if he is afflicted with such a habit. For example, if he is afflicted with smoking, he should not smoke in front of them, because they will become accustomed to it and it will seem easy to them.
Let it be known that every head of a household is responsible for his family, as He (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًاA man is a shepherd over his family and is responsible for his flock.
الرجل راع في أهله ومسؤول عن رعيتهLet the father know that their righteousness is a benefit for him in this world and the Hereafter. Indeed, the people closest to their fathers and mothers are the righteous children, both male and female, and
When a man dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: A continuous charity, knowledge by which people derive benefit, pious son who prays for him.
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث: صدقة جارية، أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو لهThe questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, O honorable Shaykh. This questioner, we reviewed one of his questions in a previous session, and this question remains for him. He asks and says: