The Wisdom of Raising Children

A child cannot repay the debt he owes his parents. Nor should parents raise a child so as to put him in debt and then have him repay it. There are several divine wisdoms in being a parent. Wisdom 1. That life on earth may continue. Wisdom 2. That love and compassion may not die. Wisdom 3. That obedience to God and love for Him may endure. By raising children who know God and worship Him, parents fulfill their servitude. Just as it is wrong for a child to see his parents as free providers who feed him and give him drink, so it is equally wrong for parents to regard the child as a debtor, a servant, a slave. If every believing family raises a believing, Muslim child, that is enough — the goal is reached, and everything is on its proper track. But if the matter and the aim become narrower than this, misfortune and unhappiness multiply. A child is not a slave, not an idol, not an image, to be lorded over or loved to the point of worship! A child is the continuer of the lineage, the one who will keep our lamp burning when we die, that is, the one who carries on religion, morals and good deeds.