Muslim Parents And The Firdaus' Legacy

Before the birth of a child, the parents should have positive ambition of what they want him or her to become in life, and the deen should be prioritized. One of the reasons why we have a failed institutions and society is that we lack focus and great ambitions for the future generations. The best generations of Nigerians have come and gone. The future of the country is cloudy because we have refused to plan. We don't even have ambitions for ourselves, talk less of the unborn generations. We don't plan at all, we do things haphazardly, yet we want good results. It can't happen.

Although, the qadar of Allaah has dried and the Pen has been lifted. This doesn't mean we should not strive. We must strive since we don't know our destiny. The journey towards the purpose for which a man is created would be easy for him. If one is created or destined to be great, he still needs to work hard to get to the greatness. And if someone is created to be otherwise, he still need to strive. The only thing is that he would not get more than what is written for him. Just as the people of hell would not be able to blame their disasters on qadar, we cannot also blame our misfortune in this country on destiny. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was once asked why we should still strive despite the fact that our statuses (paradise or hell) are already known and perfected by Allaah, he replied:

((...اعملوا، فكل ميسر لما خلق له))

..Work (strive), the purpose for which someone is created would be easy for him [Bukhari and Muslim]

Just look at it very well, the whites would have the ambition to train their unborn generations to become this and that. They know that it is not possible to achieve 100% success in those ambitions. But due to the fact that they nurse the positive ambitions and they strive hard to achieve them with great optimism, they are able to achieve significant percentage of success. For instances, parents in the developed world would have the ambition that some of their children would become globally recognized inventors in scientific and technological breakthroughs. They would groom their children in different sport areas and they would monitor their developments very closely and achieve successes in them. They train their younger generations on good governance and prepare them for leadership challenges.

This doesn't mean we should force our children to go for courses they are not willing to do or capable of doing. This is meant to motivate us to have good and positive ambitions for our younger generations and generations yet unborn. Draw your own plan for them, by the Mercy of Allaah, they can attain significant success. If plan A is not working, plan B, C, D could work. I know a man who nursed the ambition of having four (4) of his children study medicine, and by the Mercy of Allaah, the plan is on course. Two of them have graduated to become full fledged medical practitioners, and two others are currently in the medical school. So, don't say it wouldn't work, try it first, pray and have hope in Allaah. But make sure, as they strive to do well in their chosen fields, they should create ample time for religious knowledge and understanding. This would help them a lot. Teach them not to compromise their deen for anything. No matter the height of their successes in life, without consciousness of the Sunnah, there is problem.

The situation of many Muslim homes is so bad to the extent that it is parents/guardians who tell their children and wards not to affiliate themselves with the Muslims. Some parents even hide the Muslim names of their children. Some parents instruct their children not to move close to the MSSN in their various schools. They don't want them to learn the Sunnah. They don't want their girls to start wearing hijab. They want them to be liberal in thought, appearance and everything. Hijab is a contraband in many Muslim homes. They tell them, as long as they pray, its okay. Some parents don't even care if their children pray at home, talk less of while they are school. Even if some of their children pray too much, they begin to say, "aseju yi ma n po oo" (this is too much oo).  This kind of parents want their children to socialize. They want them to mix with children of influential people. Some parents buy sexy dresses for their children. They want their girls to dress hot, exposing sensitive parts of them to the public. This is not a good way of life. Parents must endeavour to train their children in line with the Quran and Sunnah (Q66:6).

My brethren, when are we going to start dreaming of producing children who would memorize the Book of Allaah and books of hadiths? When are starting to dream that our female children become scholars of the deen, calling to the path of Allaah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم within the scope of shari'ah? When would we begin to have the ambition of grooming our children in a way to assist the cause of the Muslim Ummah and our immediate society at large through innovations in science and technology? This has been the secret behind the greatest economies of the world. Let's not deceive ourselves, until we begin to invent and produce new things locally for consumption and exports, we would keep flying on a spot. We need more and more of female medical personnel (especially gynecologists) now than ever before. Until we begin to teach younger generations how to hate corruption, ethnocentrism, and incitement of hatred and violence in the name of religion, we may not find a way forward. Instead of creating great visions, what we are after is having children and boasting with them here and there without any monumental contribution to the development of the religion and the society at large. We are really misplacing our priorities in this part of the world. Our education system has failed us woefully. The Muslim homes must begin to think of how to develop the society through the instrumentality of the shari'ah.

In many Muslims homes today children are left with DSTV and the internet without any proper check. Parents just drop their children and wards in schools without knowing the kind of kids they move with. Some parents only take their children abroad without knowing the kind of people they relate with. This is a dangerous way to training children. Even if your own children don't have virus in them, they may contact it through children from nonchalant homes. Many children are addicted to music, games football, several other forms of immorality (including gayism, lesbianism) and their parents think they are only having fun. The children would love those they hear and watch on daily basis. If you leave your children in the hands of musicians, fashionistas and movies stars, they would be taught evils, and Allaah would question you on it. But if the children are trained to love the Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, they would want to know more about them and imitate them. Imām Mālik رحمه الله said:

The Salaf used to teach their children to love Abū Bakr and ʿUmar like they used to teach them a sūrah of the Qurān. If you leave your children in the hands [Al-Lālakāʾī, Sharḥ ʾUsūl ʾIʿtiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah 2325.]

Our salaf used to prepare their children right from their tender age on how they would be useful to the religion and the society at large. Children who are trained to love the Sunnah would always do well in their religious lives and chosen careers. Go and look at schools and places of work, children and young people who are conscious of Sunnah and taoheed are the best ambassadors of Islaam. They do not engage in cultism, examination malpractices and other social vices. They strive to defend their honour and the honour of their deen wherever they find themselves. This is a great achievement for us, we thank Allaah for it.
The Firdaus's example is still fresh in our minds, her legacy would live forever. What it means is that for every woman who is now permitted to attend the Call to the Bar covering, she would be drawing rewards till eternity. Let every Muslim woman take heed from this. Every Muslim woman should strive to wear the proper hijab. Don't just celebrate the Firdaus's achievement, uphold what Firdaus stood for by wearing your full hijab from today.

Every Muslim parents should train their children to know taoheed, Sunnah and stand by them always, no matter the obstacles against them. Lets not celebrate Firdaus's hijab Law School achievement in vain. In it, there is a great reminder for us. Let us make the use of full hijab (even niqab) by ladies who are under our care mandatory, as enshrined in the Qur'an and Sunnah (Q24:31, Q33:33, and Q33:39). After all, you don't need government approval on that. In that case, you are the sole administrator and the Body of Bencher of your household. Allaah will question you!.

Please print and distribute to other people free of charge