Friday, 11th April 2025 - 13th Shawwal 1446

O Muslims, no concern is greater than the concern of raising children.

Raising children is not merely the responsibility of a family or a school; it is the mission of an entire nation.

Agriculture provides food, industry creates tools, trade brings in resources — but raising children builds the individual, the homeland, the community and the forces behind all of that.

Parenting is a science to be learned, a practice to be acquired, and a commitment to be applied.
Parenting nurtures abilities but does not create them; it develops talents but does not produce them from nothing. And as the saying goes: “He who is raised on something grows old with it.”

Dear brothers, what I have said is about the impact of upbringing. And its field of application is our children.

Our children are the comfort of our eyes, the joy of our hearts, the adornment of our lives, the delight of our companionship, the fruits of our souls, and the support of our backs. They are the builders of tomorrow — its men and women. Fear Allah concerning them.

What a tremendous responsibility and great task it is, O fathers and mothers! The concern of parenting is above all other concerns. Only those who are mindful are shielded from sin.

Instill in your kids the belief in the Oneness of God “Tawheed”, so their hearts remain firm, their souls find peace, their chests are filled with light, their tongues engage in remembrance, and their actions are guided by it.

Raise them upon piety, fear of God, and awareness of His watchful gaze, so that they seek only Him, and fear only their own sins. Teach them to rely upon Allah, to hold firmly to His Book, to follow the Sunnah of His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, to seek help through patience and prayer, and to remember Allah abundantly.

Let obedience to Allah be their outer garment, and fear of Him their inner identity. Let sincerity be their provision and truthfulness their shield. Whoever is shy before Allah will be elevated to the highest ranks and noble positions.

Teach them that Allah has decreed: No one obeys Him without being honored, and no one disobeys Him without being humiliated.
Honor is tied to obeying Allah; disgrace is tied to disobeying Him.

O Muslims, in Surah Al-Isra, Surah An-Nur, Surah Al-Furqan, and Surah Luqman, there are divine instructions and behavioral etiquettes that reflect the value Islam places on the foundations, tools, and methods of proper upbringing.

O fathers… instill in them a love for reading and the pursuit of knowledge. Knowledge is a companion in solitude, a guide in confusion, and the best companion in life.
The greatest thing to teach them is the Book of Allah — in reading, memorizing, and listening — at home, in school, and in all areas of life. The more the child reads from the Qur'an, the more tranquil and happier he becomes.

O fathers and mothers, preserve their tongues with the language of the Qur’an so that their language remains intact, and their expression becomes beautiful.

Raise them upon virtue and noble character. For with virtues, vices are driven away.

• The beauty of the mind is in its thought.
• The beauty of the tongue is in silence.
• The beauty of speech is in saying the truth.

Avoiding virtue is a terrible companion.

Dear brothers, among the greatest and most effective methods of upbringing is education through example.
Children need role models, not critics. Sit with them, befriend them, speak to them, make time for them. If you do not find time for them, they will not find a place for you in their hearts.

Giving them your time is better than giving them your money. Investing in them is better than investing for them.

Be role models in wise reasoning, pure speech, honesty, and noble manners.

Umar ibn Utbah once said to his son's teacher:
“Let the first reform you do for my son be the reform of yourself. For their eyes are fixed upon yours — what you do well, they will see as good; and what you neglect, they will see as bad.”

O parents. Listen to them, and they will be devoted to you. Love them, praise them, encourage them, and play with them.

O parents … beware that social media and virtual platforms may take over the minds of your sons and daughters.
Raise their awareness — not every picture is to be believed, not every tweet is to be trusted, not every piece of information should be accepted.

These platforms often carry flaws and traps. Do not let them be channels for gossip, falsehood, or slander that spreads far and wide — sins recorded with a mere touch that was not expected.

Guide them to use these platforms as checkpoints that stop harm and prevent it.

O Brothers… one of the greatest objectives in raising children is building a strong personality, instilling pride in values, confidence in oneself, and distancing from blind imitation and harmful trends.

Warn them against chasing after shallow influences, whether in dress, food, or behavior.
 

Plant in them the idea that falsehood remains false even if everyone follows it, and truth remains truth even if no one follows it.

Teach them that the banner of truth stands even if no one raises it, and the banner of falsehood falls even if everyone tries to lift it.

A person is measured by their manners, not by their clothes; measured by their religion and character, not by their lineage or tribe.

Encourage them to be diligent, to manage their time wisely, to fill their free time, to take responsibility, and to make decisions by themselves.
Whoever oversleeps will not achieve their goals. Those who sleep much are overtaken by others.
Loving comfort leads to regret. Aspirations are only achieved through hard work.
Guidance is reached through striving:
“And those who strive for Our sake – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Qur’an 29:69)

May Allah preserve you — one of the signs of proper upbringing is less conflict, fairness, avoiding fault-finding, excusing mistakes, being patient, speaking kindly, and showing a pleasant face.

Among the worst forms of abuse in parenting are constant blame, raising one’s voice, and comparing children to others.

What unites parenting methods and guarantees results is harmony between the parents — consistency, peace, love, gentleness, encouragement, trust, tolerance, and forgiveness — this, by Allah’s will, produces righteous children, sound in belief, noble in behavior, constructive and balanced members of society.