*Adopt generosity, knowledge, humility and modesty. Now I bid you farewell in the protection of Allah Almighty. May peace be upon you and May Allah have mercy on you.

   *Remember! Backbiting is worse than fornicating 30 times in the state of Islam.’ (Aansoon ka darya, p. 249)

2. Late Haji Zamzam Attari and the upbringing of children

The mother of the children of Muballigh-e-Dawat-e-Islami, a member of the central Majlis-e-Shura, Haji Abu Junaid Zamzam Raza Attari رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, states: ‘Haji Zamzam loved his children very much. When the daughters would come home, he would set aside all his tasks and come to meet them. At home, if he ever would be a bit firm in rectifying someone over his mistake, he would also explain alongside, ‘I am explaining to you for the sake of your own benefit and salvation in the Hereafter.’ While eating food, he would ask kids to take lead in reciting Du’as, and he would make arrangements to eat according to Sunnah.

As much as possible, he would take his sons with him to offer Salah; if he went on a Madani Qafilah, he would instruct them to offer Salah, and he would even remain in touch via SMS during a journey to make sure whether they have offered their Salah or not.

Even in the state of illness, he said to his elder son, ‘as soon as I get better,اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه  we’ll go on a Madani Qafilah.’ He explained the reason for not buying a mobile phone for his son by saying to him, ‘since Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ instructed not to buy mobile phones for children, for this reason, I will not buy a mobile for you.’ (Mahboob-e-Attar ki 122 Hikayaat, p. 13, summarised)

O devotees of the Prophet! There is advise for both, the parents and the children, in the aforementioned accounts. It is true that good parents never neglect the child’s Islamic upbringing, rather, they strive in rectifying them. If the parents themselves are regular in offering their Salah, act upon ’72 Pious deeds’, and are an embodiment of Sunnah, then they also encourage their children to adopt these pious deeds and they regularly ask them to see if they are carrying out the good deeds or not.