The Quranic Essence of Parenting

Quranic examples of parent-child relationships shed light on many issues that plight Muslim families all over the world today, says Nouman Ali Khan. While the story of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), whose father built idols that he destroyed, reminds us that imaan is not only influenced by the environment in which we are raised, that of Nuh (AS) and his son teaches us that even if you are a Prophet, you may end up with a child who refuses to accept Allah’s message. Although we have a responsibility towards our children, we have no control over the results. Allah has endowed all human beings with the ability to think for themselves which means that once your child reaches adulthood, he/she will have to make their own choices. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) famously told his daughter Fahemah that she should fear Allah because she will have to stand before Him at her own merits, for even he cannot intervene on her behalf. Risking our spiritual and emotional relationship with our children can be avoided if we take a cue from Luqman (AS) who waited for the right circumstances to lecture his son about religion. And to sons and daughters, beware because the crimes you commit against your parents will only lead to perpetual loss and agony both in this life and the next.