THIS WAS DELIVERED BY SHAYKH AKRAM NADWI
IN A CONFERENCE AT THE AZHAR UNIVERSITY, CAIRO.
DEPT OF ISLAMIC PSYCHOLOGY EDUCATION.
- The purpose of marriage is to have children and then educate them to worship Allah SWT.
- When a child is born, a mother and father are also born.
- The personal development of the parents is just as important as that of the child. This point is often overlooked.
- Modern education seeks to incorporate people into the economy - to make money. Islamic education seeks to train people to become 'good' individuals, in terms of their character etc. 'Good' meaning to prepare for the Hereafter.
- Your children, before they are your children, they are the slaves of Allah. His rights over them precede your rights.
- Your duty is to teach them and provide them guidance - not to make them pious. You will be questioned whether you taught them right or not.
- Parents need to realise they too are slaves of Allah. His rights over them precede their rights. Don't become enslaved to them such that you forget Him.
- Children see and hear with their eyes. If you want them to hear, make them see. Parents should be role models.
- Education is primarily given by the family environment. Today, we suffer from the problem of 'disorientation' where children, and in many cases parents also, are getting there ideals from elsewhere (e.g. TV etc). Everyone is on a different wavelength and so family 'unit' is broken.
- The home should be given precedence over all other environments and used as the measuring-stick by which other things are judged.
- A person can learn from the natural environment. The entire universe is a means to the Remembrance of Allah.
- Piety doesn't depend upon 'space'. Abu Bakr became as-Siddiq in a space (i.e. Makkah) where there was much hostility against Islam and Muslims. On the other hand, those who lived in an 'Islamic state' did not reach his level. Space can be good at times, but can also make a person lazy since there are no challenges. Thank Allah for the 'space', for every new 'condition' is a test, and gives you oppurtunity to improve yourself.
- Islam and Iman can never be defeated.
- Teach your children how to remain pure, but also teach them how to purify themselves, through repentance when they slip.
- The law of this universe is that if you want to achieve something, it requires labour. Instil a sense of 'will' within your children, so they act willingly.
- Focus must be given to child's physical growth, as well as their mental growth. Teach them how to read the Qur'an, how to cook, how to clean the house, how to wash clothes etc.
- Develop 'thinking' in your child. Otherwise they will do things in order to fulfil their desires. Today, in the guise of 'freedom' we are being directed to become more bestial.
- Teach them to always think about the consequences prior to acting.
- 4 key qualities need to be developed in your child:
1) Taharah: purity of the mind, body and heart.
2) Ikhbat: worship of Allah with utmost humility. Teach them the hadith , the love for the Salat, taqwa and zuhd - teach them they weren't created to be attached to this world.
3) Samahah: a personality which comprises bravery, genorosity, patience, tolerance and controlling of desires. Life is not meant to be just about comfort; it requires struggle and striving.
4) 'Adalah: be just to them and teach them to be just to others.
Nevertheless we should stand up and tie our belt to motivate them accordingly by the Islamic injunctions and skills.
Thank you May Allah SWT forgive our shortcomings and make us the inhabitants of jannatul firdaussi Amin
Source: WhatsApp message.