Part 10

VASES ADE BOLING K 4 MSNA CSS vaeaayd aga Jie 3. To jealously guard the limits set down by Allah.

And to deter any attempt of transgression against the boundaries of Allah. To feel angry when any of the rites of Islam are dishonoured. To feel pain and anguish because of the condition of this religion among the people of innovation, To strive with heart, tongue and hand as much as possible to uplift Allah’s law and establish His religion on earth.

4. To recognize the honour of being a friend of Allah and to strive earnestly to attain that friendship. Allah

describes His friends thus: ‘O, verily, they who are close to God — no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve: They who have attained to faith and have always been conscious of Him.’ (10:62)

And: ‘Behold, your only helper shall be God, and His Apostle, and those who have attained to faith — those that are constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and bow down [before God]: for, all who ally themselves with God and His Apostle and those who have attained to faith - behold, it is they, the partisans of God, who shall be victorious!’ (5:55~6).

BsKavsiospsarssesienssd sae, S To enjoin the right and forbid the wrong and make every valuable sacrifice toward this end. It is the pivot of Islam, its fortification and shield by which it is protected. ‘That there might grow out of you a community [of people] who invite unto all that is good, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong: and it is they, they who shal] attain to a happy state!’ (3:104).

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This feature is increased in brilliance during the month of Ramadan. The truthful fasters expend their energies in giving advice and calling the servants of Allah. As a result, they gain a great reward from their Lord Most High.

6. To sit with the righteous, love them and enjoy the pleasure of their company. Of the friends of Allah, to listen to their conversations and long to meet and visit them; to say prayers for them and protect their honour; to mention their good qualities and benefit as much as possible from them. For Allah says: ‘All believers are but brethren’

‘And hold fast, all together, unto the bond with God, and do not draw apart from one another’ (3:103).

7. To draw closer to Allah with voluntary acts of worship in order to gain the pleasure of Allah. This can be done through righteous acts like, prayers, fasting, charity, pilgrimage (greater and lesser), recitation, remembrance and other similar acts. Allah says: ‘[And,] verily, they would vie with one another in doing good works, and would call unto Us in yearning and awe; and they were always humble before Us’ (21:90).

ate ye renege bee ee kD Sr ENE Cage pp ING Sipe He also says in a hadith Qudsi: ‘My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary works so that I shall love him.’

8. To prefer the eternity of the Hereafter to the transience of this world. And, to prepare for the inevitable departure from this world and meeting with Allah Almighty. Prepare for what is inevitable, as death is destined for the servants. Will you be pleased to be the companion of a people who have provisions and you have none?

9. Sincere repentance and abandonment of disobedience and infractions. Avoid the frivolous and playful from among the people of deviance and immorality. Sitting in their company always causes outbursts of anger, deadly poisoning and persistent disease. Allah says: ‘On that day, [erstwhile] friends will be foes unto one another — [all] save the Godconscious’ (43:67).

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In this same regard Prophet Muhammad # said: ‘People will be raised on the Day of Judgement with those that they love.”

10. To aspire to martyrdom in the way of Allab and look forward to that day when the soul will be presented solely for the sake of Allah; when the self, wealth and sons would all be sold without seeking from this great sale any profitable arrangement.

‘Behold, God has bought of the believers their lives and their possessions, promising them Paradise in return, [and so] they fight in God’s cause, and slay, and are slain’ (9:111).

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O Allah! Increase us in love for you, in desire for what is with You and in resort to You in repentance. Surely You have power over all things.

How do we train our children during Ramadan and at other times?

In Ramadan, truthful training becomes manifest. So too does wise guidance in supervising the children. For they are a trust and a charge. The righteous forebears used to train their children to fast and help them to become accustomed to standing in prayer at night. O you who fast and desire that your young ones should succeed with you, here are some matters that would help you to make good the training of your children.

First: Be, O father, an example in your character, behaviour and in your life. Remember that your children look upon you as a father, teacher, guide and model. Allah Almighty says concerning the Prophet Zakariya: ‘ And so We responded unto him, and bestowed upon him the gift of John, having made his wife fit to bear him a child: [and,] verily, these [three] would vie with one another in doing good works, and would call unto Us in yearning and awe; and they were always humble before Us’ (21:90).

Pea See a SE sae hy ree Soe to Bore ce ian Second: Whatever children see or hear at home has a tremendous impact upon their lives and future. The presence of faith, the Quran and Prophetic traditions in the home, together with much remembrance and enjoining of Allah’s commands and avoidance of His prohibitions, all will help in making the child upright and steadfast. The introduction of amusements, enticements, instruments of fun and negligence of Allah’s law, all render your child ineffectual, playful and marginal.

Third: Bond the child to Allah’s book through memorization and recitation according to its rules of intonation. This is the period of memorization and reception. If the child loses this golden opportunity by wasting it aimlessly in television and relaxation, he will certainly regret it immensely in the future. He will deeply regret the wasting of those precious hours.

Fourth: The companionships of your child during his early years and youth are extremely important. They should be prevented from associating with the vile, corrupt and debased people. They are more harmful to your children than scabies. They can do more damage than any enemy. Only Allah, the God besides whom there is none, knows how many good children these miscreant characters corrupted; how many times has the company they keep affected children. The Prophet & said: ‘A person is in the religion of his close companion. So each one should look to whom he takes as a close friend.’

Don’t ask about a person, but ask about his close friends,

because every friend follows his companion.

Fifth: Nurture the child to seek success and maturity. Create in his heart a love for sublime aspirations. Ignite hatred for all that is indecent. The Prophet Muhammad # said: “Verily Allah loves the most noble of affairs and He despises the most trivial of them.’ Do not incline the child or leave him to imitate women and the decadent. For this will become his greatest regret and disgrace.

Sixth: Observe the child in his dress and appearance, That he should observe the mores of the Muhammadan way completely and not imitate the enemies of Allah. The Prophet & pointed out: ‘Whoever imitates a people, he is from among them.’ Accordingly, Muslim men should avoid the wearing of gold and silk, or dragging their garments on the ground. They should shun instability and despair in their conversations as well as excessive laughter, merriment, fickleness, haste, feeble-mindedness, time-wasting and other such faults and defects.

Seventh: Exalt the affairs of Allah and all that relates to His religion in the heart of the child. The parent should also sanctify Allah’s names, qualities and actions. He should recognize Him as free of all defects and display this to his child, instilling in him the greatness of Allah, His Quran, and noble Messenger &&.

Eighth: Encourage the child to seek useful knowledge. The parent should help him to be serious and sincere in this undertaking. And, likewise, to sacrifice, preserve and repeat it. Make the child feel that the fruits of ripe knowledge and its alluring results are good enough reason to rise upon from slumber and negligence.

Ninth: To pray for him to be successful in every prayer and desire from Allah, that He should reform and guide him by the hand. To implore in the early hours of the morning and at the times when prayers are granted that Allah should write faith in his heart and help him with his angels. Allah Almighty says: ‘And those who pray: “O Our Sustainer! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a joy to our eyes, and cause us to be foremost among those who are conscious of Thee!”’ (25:74).

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Tenth: Show kindness and mercy to children. Bestow upon them gentle emotions by playing with them, kissing them and entering into their hearts’ happiness. Do not be harsh and dispassionate with them. Neither should you hurt or embarrass them in front of people. Every Muslim should treat his children the way the Prophet Muhammad & did. For those who show mercy Allah will show mercy upon them.

O Allah! Bless us wherever we are. Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a joy to our eyes, and cause us to be foremost among those who are conscious of Thee.

‘The occurrence of waste during Ramadan

Waste is one of the sins and wrong-doing that the deviant nations have fallen into. Allah Almighty has forbidden and condemned it. ‘And do not waste [God’s bounties]: verily, He does not love the wasteful!’ (6:141).

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Waste is a custom of people who do not revere Allah. They do not respect His bounties. In spite of His warning: ‘But do not squander [thy substance] senselessly. Behold, the squanderers are, indeed, of the ilk of the satans — in as much as Satan has indeed proved most ungrateful to his Sustainer’ (17:26~7).