Will your grandchildren be Muslim?

The gift of Iman (faith) is a blessing above the blessing of life. Allah has made us from the best of creation, bestowing us with the key to success, Iman. The question we must ask ourselves, what am I doing to ensure my children, and those to come after them will be bearers of this key?

‘Ibrahim sighs as he looks out of the window, the last 3 days have been enjoyable, and just as heart-wrenching for him. His joyous grandchildren are struggling with their Qur’an recitation and yet to discover the life of the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ. Ibrahim always struggled with the thought of his children moving further away from a masjid, as the consequences of this have been seen time and again.’

Paraphrasing a hadith of the beloved Messenger ﷺ

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (May be upon him) said: Beware. every one of you is a shepherd and every one is answerable with regard to his flock. … A man is a guardian over the members of his family and shall be questioned about them (as to how he looked after their physical and moral well-being). A woman is a guardian over the household of her husband and his children and shall be questioned about them (as to how she managed the household and brought up the children) … Beware, every one of you is a guardian and every one of you shall be questioned with regard to his trust.

(Sahih Muslim 1829a)

The above hadith is evident on our responsibilities as individuals but focussing largely on our role as parents/ guardians, it is upon us to develop our children’s awareness of Allah, His messenger ﷺ, and the way of life we have been blessed with. As a parent, the onus is on us to develop and cultivate a connection between our child and our creator. This can be done from birth, through the recitation of Quran and allowing for an environment where practical modelling of Islam is shown daily. As a child grows up, an obligation on every parent is for the child to be taught the bare minimum of Islam. Often times, the method for this obligation to be completed is through the medium of a madrasah.

A madrasah will guide a child from beginner level in Arabic alphabet recognition, to fluent Qur’an recitation. Alongside developing their Qur’an experience, a madrasah will educate this same child of the beautiful way of life that is Islam, often covering an Islamic Curriculum incorporating subjects such as; Fiqh, Ahadith, Sirah, Tarikh, Aqaid, Akhlaq and Adab. By teaching the above, every child has an amazing opportunity to lead a life understanding the most important tenets of their faith. More importantly, this child will have the opportunity to share this experience and model it for their child, ultimately preserving Islam, within the family, for another generation.

Considering the responsibility that sits upon our shoulders as parents, the adornment of role-modelling must shroud our shoulders, as the preservation of faith in our children relies heavily on practical implementation of Islam.

Allah assist us in being better and understanding our role as parents, guardians, carers and guides.