TV is Worse than TB

TB may seem to be a deadly disease, yet the TV is much more deadly. TB may bring an end to our earthly life alone, whereas the TV definitely destroys our life of the Hereafter as well. We have understood the danger of TB, thus we take the necessary steps to protect ourselves. However, we have turned a blind eye to the harms of the TV and thus we have embraced it into our lives. The TV is a combination of the sins of photography, music, immorality and a host of other evils. We cannot allow the TV to take over our family time and free time. Let us encourage our family and friends and strive to free ourselves from the shackles of the TV, thus securing for ourselves the mercy and love of Allah Ta‘ala.

Beard in the Family

Every woman has a strength and influence. She has been blessed with the best opportunity to mould the life of her father, brother, husband and son. Let us take up the challenge and bring alive the beautiful full grown beard of our beloved Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) on the faces of the men in our family. Our true sincere love for them will drive us to save them from the sin of shaving and trimming the beard to less than a fist length. If we think about it, the beard is the only visible good deed our menfolk will take with them into the grave. At least on the Day of Judgment, they can say to Allah Ta‘ala: “O Allah! We have managed to bring to you the resemblance of the face of your beloved Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). O Allah, accept us and forgive us because of this.” Imagine what love and respect we will earn in the court of Allah Ta‘ala and in the eyes of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) for bringing alive the beautiful sunnah beard in our family.

Keep our Maktabs Alive

The cry in the hearts of the concerned parents in Palestine is for the recommencement of the maktab system. The system of the Muslim schools has failed in preserving the spirit of Islam in the Palestinian children. Such emphasis has been placed on secular subjects that in the entire week a child is only given one to three hours in which all the Islamic subjects have to be covered. The natural consequence of this is that we have children who can barely recite the Quraan and they lack the basic teachings of Islam. We in South Africa have been blessed with an efficient maktab system run by the ‘Ulama. It is now up to us to appreciate what we have by sending our children to the maktab. Even if our children are attending a Muslim school, send them to the maktab madrasah as well. The maktab has its own beauty and benefit for the child. Let not its simplicity deceive us and deprive our children. After all when the child enters the higher grades we are all too eager to send them for extra tuition despite the lessons having being already taught in school. May Allah Ta‘ala guide us and bless us with the correct understanding.

Holiday Timetable

Year in and year out, most parents are faced with the same challenge of getting their children back into the working mood after the long summer holidays. Getting them to start once again early in the morning becomes a mission. The reason for this situation is the complete freedom we allow our children during their holidays. The simple solution is to draw up a timetable for them.

We should ensure that their five daily salaah are performed on time. The fajr salaah will maintain in them the habit of waking up early. Daily, a set time should be stipulated for the recitation of the Quraan majeed. With time, salaah and the Quraan majeed will become part of our children’s lives. Through salaah they will speak to Allah Ta‘ala and through the Quraan majeed Allah Ta‘ala will speak to them. This is a relationship which our children will enjoy and we as parents will also enjoy its fruits. Our children will grow up with the beautiful lesson that there is no holiday from the commands of Allah Ta‘ala. The real holiday will be forever in Jannah.

Coolness of our Eyes

Every mother’s desire is to have such children who will be the coolness of her eyes tomorrow. The child’s contact with Allah Ta‘ala will determine the child’s level of obedience to his or her parents. An easy way to develop the child’s contact with Allah Ta‘ala is by establishing salaah in the child’s life. From the age of seven the child should be encouraged to be punctual on the five daily salaah. This punctuality will be established when the importance of salaah has entered the child’s heart. To impress on the child’s mind the importance of salaah, we can use the forty short ahaadeeth on the virtues of salaah which is found in the Fazaail e A’maal, a book dealing with the virtues of good deeds. Our child should be taught and explained one hadeeth at a time. Thereafter the child should relate to us the very same hadeeth in his or her own words. Ask the child to try and memorize the hadeeth and convey it to others as well. By this constant repetition of the blessed words of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), insha-Allah, the child will become convinced of the importance of salaah.