Responsible

Parenthood
1. What is parenthood?

2. What are the characteristics

of a responsible parent?

3. Give verses from the Quran

and from the Ahadeeth
regarding parenthood in Islam.
Parenthood is an historic journey
that brings in challenge and
reward in ones life. At the start
of a journey every parent is
expected to know two essential
things. Where is his destination
and how is he going to reach
there? Confusion or lack of
planning in this process will end
up with tragic consequences.
The importance of nurturing
children, i.e., positive
parenting, cannot be over
emphasized. The plants in
the nursery and the children
at the home and school
nursery have striking
similarities. The culmination
of a plant is a healthy tree
with flowers and fruits.
Parental care here does not
simply mean providing children
with good food, dress and
shelter. It includes proper
education and the inculcation
of good behaviour and attitude
toward human beings and
other creation.
Islam wants all human beings
to grow up as emissaries of
Allah on earth.
Islam is a divine
responsibility. Parental duty
is at the heart of Muslim
life.

In fact, every one in a

Muslim family is jointly
responsible according to his
role in the house.
Here comes the enormous
responsibility of the Muslim
parents in the western society.
They have the twin tasks or
mission, which they need to take
on board. Or else, they will face
the severe consequences in
future.
On the one hand, they have to
quickly improve their
adaptability in the new
environment of the West
without compromising the basic
Islamic principles, and on the
other, they have to undertake
great burdens of raising their
children in the prophetic model.
The goal of Islam is to
create a world where man
is liberated from the
clutches of Jahiliyah. That
includes the liberation of
mind before anything.
Islam challenges human
mind and intellect to
come clean with
objectivity so that it can
think fresh.
Islams assertive character
encourages Muslims to take a
pro-active role in the intellectual
and social enterprise. It urges
Muslims to participate, interact,
engage and influence in societys
common good. It has an ultimate
target of leading humanity
toward full submission of Allah.
O You who believe!
Guard yourselves and
your households
against a Fire.[66:6]
If Allah guides anybody to
Islam through your effort,
it will be better for you
more than red camels
(i.e. better than any
amount of wealth).
Bukhari and Muslim
Teach your children
prayers at 7 and beat them
at 10 and keep them apart
in their beds. (Ahmad)
And those who pray our
Lord grant unto us wives
and offspring who will be
the comfort of our eyes
and give us the grace to
lead the righteous.
(25:74)
When one dies his
good deeds come to
an end but three
things will go on
benefiting him. They
are: an on-going
charity, useful
knowledge and pious
"Seek God in caring for
her, for if you do: you are
given the rewards of hajj,
umra and jihad. " (Anas)
On a similar occasion, a man
consulted the prophet on going
to jihad.
The prophet, knowing that the
man's old mother was alive
said: "Then stick to her, for
heaven is at her feet." (Nissa
'i)
SHUKRAN