Our Children Our Future

Our beloved Prophet (ﷺ; peace be upon him) said, “Fear Allah and treat your children [small or grown] fairly (with equal justice)”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Narrated Umm Khalid: I (the daughter of Khalid ibn Said) went to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ; peace be upon him) with my father and I was wearing a yellow shirt. Allah’s Messenger said, “Sanah, Sanah!” (`Abdullah, the narrator, said that sanah meant “good” in the Ethiopian language). I then started playing with the seal of prophethood (between the Prophet’s shoulders) and my father rebuked me harshly for that. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ; peace be upon him) said, “Leave her”. The Prophet (ﷺ; peace be upon him), then, invoked Allah to grant her a long life thrice. [Bukhari]

In another narration we see the Prophet’s tolerance towards children. Narrated `A’ishah: The Prophet (ﷺ; peace be upon him) took a child in his lap… and then the child urinated on him, so he asked for water and poured it over the place of the urine. [Bukhari]

All of the above examples of the words and actions of our Prophet (ﷺ; peace be upon him), the best of humanity, demonstrate the level of patience and equity with which we have to treat our children. These are only a very few of the plethora of narrations within the hadith collections of how he would make time for them, treat them with kindness and love, as well as make dua for them. They are a blessing bestowed upon us by Allah (Subhana wa ta’aala; the Most Glorified the Most High). In the earliest years, the soul is most vulnerable. Our great duty as parents and elders in general, is to nurture it and preserve it from harm. As through our treatment we are moulding personalities amongst the future of our Ummah.

In other words, the knowledge which one memorises when one is young will be so strong in one's memory, that it is as if it had been etched on a stone. We should put great emphasis on educating our children on the deen (religion) appropriately from a very early age in accordance with the recommendation in this inspiring quote. As what is learned and memorised in childhood stays with one for life and I am sure we can all testify to that from our own experiences.