He says: I know that the father and mother have a great role in building a happy family, and it is upon them to refine and discipline their children and teach them morals.
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The questioner : He says: I know that the father and mother have a great role in building a happy family, and it is upon them to refine and discipline their children and teach them noble and praiseworthy morals. But I do not find that in my society; the guardians do not teach their children about matters of religion and what must be done for this world and the Hereafter. Rather, they leave them to their own desires, and that is a great sin. Advise us, may Allah increase you in admonition?
The Shaykh : We do not find any admonition greater than the admonition of the Qur'an, as Allah the Exalted said:[Yunus 10:57] And He the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:174] So the admonition of the Qur'an is the greatest admonition by which the believer is admonished. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says in the Qur'an regarding this matter you asked about, which is the responsibility of parents toward their children. He, Glorified and Exalted is He, says: [At-Tahrim 66:6] So Allah directed the address to the believers by the name of faith, which indicates that the implication of their faith is that they should fulfill this great responsibility, and that their failure to fulfill it is a deficiency in their faith. Thus, directing the address by the description of faith entails, along with that, encouragement and incentive to do what one is directed to do. For this reason, it is reported from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "When you hear Allah say: [Al-Baqarah 2:104] then lend it your ear, for either you are commanded to do good, or you are forbidden from doing evil." Then Allah the Exalted clarifies that this address directed to the believers entails or includes a great responsibility, which is to protect themselves and their families from the Fire. The meaning of that is that the responsibility for the family is like the responsibility for the self in this matter. And Allah clarified the greatness of this Fire in His saying: [At-Tahrim 66:6] So just as you have a responsibility for yourself, you have a responsibility for your children, and you must fulfill it, and you will be questioned about it on the Day of Resurrection, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then, the harm of neglecting children does not stop at the house whose people neglected them, but it spreads like poison in bodies to the entire society, because your children will interact with the children of others. If they are at a level of bad morals, they will infect others with that, and the corruption of society will happen gradually until fathers hand over to history in the future corrupt generations.
So my advice to you, O questioner, and to others who listen to this, is that a person should fear his Lord in himself and in his family, so that he leaves behind him righteous offspring who benefit him after his death, as it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 38 Yes.
The Shaykh : We do not find any admonition greater than the admonition of the Qur'an, as Allah the Exalted said:
O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِO mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بُرْهَانٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُورًا مُبِينًاO 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 ءامَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلائِكَةٌ غِلاظٌ شِدَادٌ لا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَO you who have believed
يا أيها الذين ءامنواwhose 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.
وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلائِكَةٌ غِلاظٌ شِدَادٌ لا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَThe man is a shepherd over his family and is responsible for his flock
الرجل راعٍ في أهله ومسؤول عن رعيتهSo my advice to you, O questioner, and to others who listen to this, is that a person should fear his Lord in himself and in his family, so that he leaves behind him righteous offspring who benefit him after his death, as it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: