Giving children Islamic education.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Dear
brother assalamu alaikum
Now a
days we are busy giving education to our kid to make them doctors &
engineers & because of heavy education load they dont have time for
Islamic studies & practices , are we as parents are not accountable for
giving them worldly life. Where as in Quran is clearly mentiond that Allah
created Human being just for his ibaadat.
I am
father of two daughters & i m thinking to give them only islamic education
i want them to be Hafiz & scholars of islam , but one thing worries me that
in todays age if they are not highly educated then ther will be problem in nere
future for good proposals as now a days families are looking for educated girls
. i want to know that are marriages ( couples) are decided at the time of
childs birth . if so i dont need to worry. I know that everything is decided by
Allah , But still your answer will make my decission more strong to give thaem
only & only islamic knowledge. I want my kids to be good muslim rather than
good doctors aor engineers. Pls reply at the earliest.
My
question is that my intention is to make my kids a very good muslim &
i am trying my level best to give them islamic education & avoiding worldly
education as now a days it is all misleading & taking person away from
Aakhiraa. my qustion is after all my good intention if my kids are misleaded
some where am i still accountable for their sins & worldly attractions.
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Answer:
Giving children
Islamic education
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 218 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik
Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘The
seeking of ‘ilm’ (knowledge) is obligatory for every Muslim.’
The Arabic word and term ‘ilm’ implies both, religious as
well as worldly knowledge, and the seeking of both are obligatory upon the
believers.
Obligatory deeds in Islamic Jurisprudence are divided into
two categories:
For example, the offering of the five obligatory prayers,
fulfilling one’s duty to one’s parents, the fasting of Ramadan, the offering of
Friday Jumuah or mid-day prayers for the men, etc. are what is known as
‘fard-ayn’….these deeds are absolutely obligatory on each and every muslim, and
they must do so themselves.
The offering of funeral prayers, ‘jihaad’ in the Cause of
Allah, etc. are also ‘fard’ or obligatory…but they are what is known in Islamic
Jurisprudence as ‘Fard-Kifaayah’…..if some believers fulfill this obligation,
it would suffice for the whole believing Ummah; but if none of the believers
fulfill this obligation, the whole believing Ummah will share in the sin.
The scholars and jurists in Islam are absolutely unanimous
in their opinion that the seeking of basic Islamic Knowledge is ‘fard-ayn’ and
absolutely obligatory on each and every believer; and the seeking of worldly
knowledge and sciences is ‘fard-kifaayah’….it is not obligatory on every
believer to seek worldly knowledge, if some amongst the believers seek this
knowledge, it would suffice for the believing Ummah.
Your
Question: ….I want my kids to be good muslim rather than good doctors aor
engineers.
Respected brother in Islam, one need not forgo worldly
knowledge to be a good muslim…..it is definitely possible for one to be highly
educated in this world and also be a very good muslim!
Your Question:
….i want to know that are marriages ( couples) are decided at the time of
childs birth.
Respected brother, what we recognize as ‘destiny’ or
‘fate’ is no more than the Perfect and Absolute Knowledge of Allah Subhanah
which He has recorded with Him before anything came into existence. He Alone has the Perfect and Absolute
Knowledge of the past, present and the future; and that Perfect and Absolute
Knowledge of His is what is called ‘destiny’ or ‘fate’ or ‘Qadr’.
Thus, in a sense marriage is indeed destiny, for Allah
Subhanah, in His Absolute and Perfect Knowledge, Knows which of his slave will
marry whom in which particular age.
Because Allah’s Knowledge is Absolutely Perfect, He
‘Knows’ who will pair with whom in which time, age, and place, etc.; but it
would not be an accurate statement to say that Allah Subhanah forces or compels
one to marry a particular person; for whom one chooses to marry is an act or
deed one chooser for themselves, and thus one will be accountable for the
choice one makes.
The Majestic Creator has bestowed two things upon man (and
Jinns) which He has not bestowed upon any amongst His creation; and thus
involved him in a test:
Whoever, with the bestowed intelligence recognizes his
Lord and Creator, and of his own free
will chooses to follow the path approved by Him will be shown Allah’s Mercy and
Grace. And Whoever denies his Lord and
Creator, and of his own free will chooses to follow any other path than the
approved path of the Lord, he will deserve the Wrath and Anger of the
All-Mighty Lord.
Because the All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord has involved man in a test for a
short period of one life, He has allowed
man for this limited period, to choose his path and do deeds as one
pleases. It is indeed true that Allah
Subhanah knows exactly what each individual will do at every stage of his life,
but that is because He has Perfect and Absolute Knowledge of everything of the
past, present and future.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.474 Narrated by Ali ibn Abi Taalib
While the Prophet (saws) was in a funeral
procession, he (saws) picked up something and started scraping the ground with
it, and said, "There is none among you but has his place written for him
either in the Hell Fire or in
To fulfill the requirements of the ‘test’, man is
permitted to use his intelligence and do deeds as he sees best for himself; and
for this test of one transitory life, there is absolutely no compulsion upon
him. The ‘fate’ or ‘predetermined will’
is no more than the Perfect and Absolute Knowledge of Allah Subhanah, whereby
He Knows Perfectly well what each individual will do at every stage of his
life. If man was compelled to do deeds
according to ‘fate’ or the ‘pre-determined will’, then it would not constitute
a fair ‘test’, for man could then not be held accountable for his deeds!
When one is seeking a suitable partner in marriage, the
guidance given by Islam is that one should use his intelligence and power of
reasoning, and seek to marry a partner best suitable to him/her for the life of
this world and the Hereafter.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.27 Narrated by Abu Huraira
The Prophet (saws) said, "A woman is married
for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her
religion. So you should marry the religious woman, (otherwise) you will be a
loser."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3090 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, 'When someone
with whose religion and character you are satisfied asks your daughter in
marriage, accede to his request. If you do not do so, there will be temptation
on Earth and extensive corruption.'
Thus, although Allah Subhanah Knows exactly who will marry
whom in His Perfect and Absolute Knowledge of everything in existence; man is
under no compulsion. He has to use his
intelligence and power of reasoning and choose the partner that is most
suitable for him for his life in this world and the Hereafter. Had the choice of partners been
pre-determined like one’s parents, relatives, place of birth, place of death,
etc., the Messenger of Allah (saws) would not have guided the believers to
overlook the transient and short-lived aspects of wealth, and beauty, and lineage
when seeking a partner in marriage; and choose a righteous religious woman if
he indeed wanted to be successful in his marriage!
Whenever something is pre-determined, like one’s looks,
one’s parents and relatives, one’s place and time of birth or death, etc.; one
has absolutely no choice in these matters, and thus neither has Allah and His
Messenger (saws) given any guidance regarding the choices one should take to
obtain maximum height, color, or looks, or to be born in a particular age, or
household, or time, etc. Where one has
no choice, one is neither guided towards a choice, nor is one held accountable
for it.
But whenever one has been given an option or choice….what
to believe in, whom to obey, what to eat, what is lawful, what is unlawful, whom
to marry, etc….then not only has Allah and His Messenger (saws) given guidance
on every aspect of that particular matter, but one will be held responsible for
the choice one makes in the Court of Allah Subhanah.
Thus in effect, whom one chooses to marry is not from
pre-determined fate or destiny, nor are ‘marriages-made-in-heaven’, nor is
anyone compelled by Allah to marry…….this is a decision and choice each person
makes for himself, and because it is a choice and an option, Allah and His
Messenger (saws) have guided the believers on every aspect of marriage.
Your
Question: ……my qustion is after all my good intention if my kids are misleaded
some where am i still accountable for their sins & worldly attractions.
If the parents have done the necessary striving in guiding
their off-spring to the Truth of Islam, strove to instill the fear of Allah and
the Last Day into them, etc….and if after reaching adulthood, their off-spring
are misled by the trials of the world and choose not to fear Allah….the parents
will be absolutely blameless for the choice made by their off-spring.
But if the believing parents neglect their duty towards
their off-spring and do not do the necessary striving to guide their children
towards the Truth of Islam and instill the fear of Allah and the Last Day into
them….indeed they would be held responsible and severely accountable for their
negligence in the Presence of their Lord on that Inevitable Day of Judgment.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
