IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
THIRD SERMON FOR THE MONTH OF RABI’UL-AWWAL, DATED 24/3/1446 AH (27/9/2024 CE)
TOPIC: THE OBLIGATION OF TRAINING CHILDREN
THE FIRST SERMON
All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him as He deserves to be praised, and we ask Him for more of His bounty, for He knows the secrets and the most hidden, the open and the whispered. He created and perfected, determined and guided. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and what lies between them, and what is beneath the soil. He will reward those who have done wrong for their deeds and reward those who have done good with goodness. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone with no partner. He remembers those who remember Him and is pleased with those who thank Him. He is the best protector and the best helper.
I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, His chosen one and beloved, the best of His creation. He conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, advised the nation, removed the distress, and left his Ummah on a clear and pure path, its night like its day, and none deviates from it except the doomed. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, his pure and blessed family, his noble and righteous companions who are the trustworthy of his mission and the leaders of his banners, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
The best advice one can give themselves is the fear of Allah, the Almighty. So fear Allah, O Muslims! Fear Allah as He deserves to be feared, hold firmly to the strong bond, and beware of sins, even the minor ones. Strive for the Paradise whose width is that of the heavens and the earth, where no one will suffer thirst or heat, hunger or nakedness. And whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him and provide for him from where he does not expect. Indeed, the outcome belongs to piety.
Dear Servants of Allah, a person usually grows old in the same way they were raised. If a child is raised on religion and noble values from a young age, they will bring joy in old age.
O servants of Allah, you have a great responsibility and a tremendous trust on your necks. You will be questioned about it on the Day of Judgment, for Allah will ask every guardian about their charge: Did they preserve or neglect it?
Upon you are your children, who are like a piece of your hearts or a drop of your blood. These tender young ones are the delight of the eyes and the joy of the heart, your planting, from which you hope to reap the fruits sooner or later. So, fear Allah concerning them, fear Allah regarding their pure hearts, which were born as pure as a precious gem, free from any markings or images. They were born, as stated in the hadith, on the innate nature (fitrah), meaning they have a natural inclination toward Islam and are fully prepared to accept it, unless they are turned away from it.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Every child is born upon the fitrah (natural disposition), but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian.”
Dear Servants of Allah, raising and educating children is a great matter of significant importance and immense consequence in our religious, social, and moral lives. They are the awaited strength of the community, and the pillars upon which it will be built. The true advancement and elevation of the nation depend solely on them.
And today, they face a great danger and a massive invasion hidden behind certain cultures, aiming to destroy their beliefs, corrupt their morals, and strip away the spirit of dignity, honor, and chastity from their hearts. There is no power or strength except with Allah. Their problem today is truly the root of all problems. Losing wealth and lives is easier and less painful than losing the spiritual essence of our children and their beliefs on the path of our predecessors. We must strive to protect them with the shield of religion and instill in their hearts, first and foremost, respect for Islam, a love for its teachings, and adherence to its manners in word, deed, and belief.
Parents and reformers must take this seriously. The upbringing, education, and supervision of children should only be entrusted to those who are known for their sound beliefs, integrity, and adherence to the teachings and pillars of Islam. You are nothing but your children, and the upbringing of the young depends on morals, and morals are shaped by proper Islamic upbringing.
So, fear Allah, O servants of Allah, concerning the fruits of your hearts and the dearest parts of your beings. Do not neglect their Islamic upbringing, nor be lenient in this matter, lest you throw them into the fire of Hell, whose fuel is people and stones. Fear Allah concerning them, for the responsibility over them has been placed in your hands, and you have become the guardians of their affairs. Do not leave them to a caretaker, a nanny, or a teacher whose adherence to Islam you have not verified, for they were born with pure souls, ready to accept whatever good or evil is presented to them. If a child is fortunate enough to have someone who provides good upbringing, teaches them properly, nourishes them with the milk of religion, and instills in them a love for the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they will grow up with good morals, a sound spirit, firmly attached to their religion, avoiding vices, adorned with virtues, and beneficial to their nation. Otherwise, they will grow up with a corrupted soul, bad beliefs, and poor morals, devoid of Islamic spirit and prophetic teachings, becoming a burden on themselves and their community, a source of misery and harm to society.
So, fear Allah, O servants of Allah, concerning your children. Keep them away from bad companions, those with corrupt morals, and those lacking honor and dignity. Command them with what you have been commanded, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, and beat them for it when they are ten, and separate them in their beds.”
The Most Truthful of speakers, Allah, says: (وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا) “And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein” (Surah Taha: 132).
Allah also recounts from Luqman: (يَا بُنَيَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَكَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ. وَلا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلا تَمْشِ فِي الأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ)
“O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination. And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful” (Surah Luqman: 17-18).
O Allah, protect the dearest parts of our hearts (our children), show us what brings us joy in them, and make us and them among the people of the Qur’an who recite it as it should be recited.
THE SECOND SERMON
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. O Allah, to You belongs all praise for the blessing of Islam and faith. All praise is due to You for making us among the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him). I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, send peace, blessings, and salutations upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his companions.
There are some matters that a parent or educator must instill in the hearts of their children:
– Diligence in instilling the awareness that Allah is always watching and nurturing that in their hearts.
– Accustoming children to ablution and prayer so that they grow to love it.
– Parents must serve as good role models for their children.
– Accustoming the child to Islamic manners and teaching them prescribed supplications, as well as memorizing the Qur’an. The best place for a child to learn the true Islamic way is in Qur’an memorization schools.
– Be cautious of television in general, and cartoons in particular, as most children’s programs are filled with fantasy and pagan beliefs, and some revolve around love and romance. Specific beneficial programs should be selected for the child, and there should be supervision of what they watch on television and mobile devices. Replace harmful programs with Islamic, educational, and beneficial stories.
– Try to choose useful and purposeful games for the child’s age as much as possible.
– Pay attention to the child’s outward appearance; boys should be raised with a sense of manliness, and girls should be raised with modesty.
– Avoid scolding, embarrassing, or reprimanding the child in front of others, and do not strike them unless necessary for discipline. If it is necessary to hit, it should be for correction, not revenge, and should not be done in front of their peers.
– Instill self-confidence in children, encourage them, and reinforce their good actions.
– Develop the child’s talents and teach them to take responsibility and rely on themselves.
– Do not neglect the child’s questions; they should be answered in a way that suits their level of understanding.
– Children naturally love stories, so it is recommended that parents choose beneficial stories for them, such as stories of the prophets and the companions.
Dua: O Allah, make us among those who listen to good speech and follow the best of it.
O Allah, make this country safe and secure, abundant in prosperity and peace, and all other Muslim lands as well, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, feed us when we are hungry and grant us safety from fear. O Allah, rectify the youth of the Muslims and make them a source of pride for Islam and the Muslims. O Allah, do not leave in our gathering any sin except that You forgive it, nor any worry except that You relieve it, nor any debt except that You pay it, nor any sick person except that You heal them, nor any afflicted person except that You grant them relief, nor any corruption except that You rectify it, nor any misguided person except that You guide them, nor any oppressor except that You cut them off, nor any struggler in Your cause except that You grant them victory, nor any enemy except that You defeat them, nor any difficulty except that You ease it, nor any deceased except that You have mercy on them, nor any need of this world or the hereafter except that You assist us in fulfilling it and make it easy, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.