Message to parents
The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and children
Shahzayb Madani
Respected parents, how a child’s health and upbringing should be taken care of, how the manners of life should be instilled within them, how their hearts should be illuminated with the light of knowledge and imbued with the fragrance of action; all of this was taught to us by the most beloved and compassionate Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم through his words and actions. Let us listen to four accounts in this regard from his blessed life with the intention of implementing them in our own lives:
1. He would include them in eating, in fact, he would train them also
The son of Umm-ul-Mu’mineen Umm-e-Salamah رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا, Sayyiduna Umar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, states: ‘I came to the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and there was some food present before him. He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘Son, come closer, recite بِسْمِ الله and eat with your right hand.’ (At-Taudee’ li-Sharh-il-Jami'-is-Sahih, vol. 26, p. 72, Taht-al-Hadees 5376)
In another narration, it states that: ‘Whilst we were eating, my hand kept moving around the entire plate of food, so the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Eat from in front of you.’ He then states: ‘After that, I would always eat from in front of myself.’ (Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 521, Hadees 5376)
2. He would make them compete and would give them prizes also
Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Haaris رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه narrates that the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would make the sons of his paternal uncle, Sayyiduna Abbas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, line up in a row and say, ‘Whoever runs and reaches me first will receive a prize.’ Then, all three of them would attempt to outstrip each other and when they would reach the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, they would cling on to his blessed chest and back. The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would also embrace them and show them affection. (Musnad, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, vol. 1, p. 459, Hadees 1836)
3. He would show affection and make Du’as
Sayyiduna Saa`ib Bin Yazeed رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ is from the noble companions. The hair of the middle part of his head were all black, whereas the rest of his hair on the head and all of his beard was white. Upon being asked, he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said: ‘In my childhood, whilst I was playing with the other children, the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم passed by me and asked me my name. I told him my name, so the merciful Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم passed his blessed hand over my head and made Du’a for me, ‘بَارَکَ اللهُ فِیْکَ’, meaning, May Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) bless you. The hairs of the area that were touched by the blessed hand of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم did not turn white. And by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, this part will never turn white and will always remain like this. (Mu’jam Kabeer, vol. 7, p. 160, Hadees 6693)
4. He would not scold, in fact, he would not even become upset
The servant of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyiduna Anas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ states: ‘I served the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم for nine years and remained with him while he travelled and while he did not travel. But, the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم never scolded me, and never said upon any work of mine that, ‘Why did you do it this way?’ ‘You should have done it that way’, etc. (Musnad Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal, vol. 4, pp. 201-203, Ahadees 11974-11988)
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