The Duties of Parents
| Khatib : |
Yassir Fazaga |
| Khutbah No: |
194 |
| Khutbah Date: |
04/21/06 |
أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاء فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ[i]Would any of you like to have a garden of date-palms and vines, through which running waters flow, and have all manner of fruit therein - and then be overtaken by old age, with only weak children to [look after] him-and then [see] it smitten by a fiery whirlwind and utterly scorched? In this way God makes clear His messages unto you, so that you might take thought.[/i][b][Qur’an 2:266] [/b]The month of April is Child Abuse Awareness month and people are supposed to be aware that there is a problem in our community with the abuse of children. There are about over 800,000 children in foster care because their parents cannot sufficiently take care of them. At any given day, there are kids who are psychologically, sexually, or physically abused. When we say Islam is a way of life, part of what Islam teaches is the role of the parents. Look at the Prophet Ibrahim(ra), who included his children in every duaa he made. The Prophet Zakaria prayed "Oh Allah I ask of thy mercy that you bless me with righteous offspring." We must remind ourselves to be active parents in the lives of our children. The average parent spends less than an hour a day with their children. Our children have more daily interactions with teachers than parents. Depression has become so common amongst teens and suicide is the third leading of death amongst teens. We, as parents, are so busy in the process of trying to make a living for our children, that in the process we forget to give them a life… We are so busy in buying a house, that we forget to build them a home. Parenting comes first and for this you must give your family the greatest of all gifts, your time. Children waste hours on watching television because it is never too busy to talk to them. What are you doing if you’re not taking care of your family. A story was narrated about Abdullah ibn Omar, who was a person known to be very devoted servant to Allah(swt) as he spent his entire days in fasting and entire nights in praying. News of how he spent his time reached the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and Salman Al-Farrasi, who reproached him and told him to stop spending his time in such a manner. The Prophet(saw) agreed with Salman and said "Your body has a right upon you and your family has a right upon you, make sure that you render people their rights" . Reflect upon how you are spending your days and nights. If you want to be a parent, you must take both the joys and the responsibilities. Children pay attention to not what you say but what you do. Listen to your children and watch them, as often we are so heedless of what happens in their lives. Make sure that their life interests you and that you take joy in it as this is your right and your duty. Unfortunately, family meals have lost their importance in our families. Yet, it is at meal time when behavior is modified, personality is shaped, and advice is passed down. Allah(swt) has given you the beautiful gift of children and He says "They are a gift from Allah and when Allah gives you a gift you should use it in a matter that is pleasing to Him."
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