What kinds of children are investments? what should parents focus on?

So what kind of children make a good future?

Allah says in Surah Maryam:

Mention too, in the Qur
an, the story of Ishmael. He was true to his promise, a messenger and a prophet. He commanded his household to pray and give Zakat(obligatory alms), and his Lord was well pleased with him.
(Surah 19:54-55)

Allah talks about Ismail (Peace be upon him). When we hear Ismail (Peace be upon him), the first thing that comes to our minds is the father Ibrahim (Peace be upon him). He is Ibrahim's son.

Allah tells us what was so great about Ismail: He commanded his household to pray and give Zakat (obligatory alms)

Zakat is a duty for the head of the household but the ayah tells us that he told his family to give zakat. That means when his sons got older and were in a position to give Zakat, he made sure that they are responsible enough that they still give Zakat.

This means that he had a relationship with his children that lasted until they were adults. You don't tell your 5 year old to give Zakat.

So he had a relationship with his kids when they got older , such that he could tell them to pray and he could tell them to give Zakat.

Now we know why he is a successful example of an investment. He is the investment made by Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and he is able to pass down the teachings of Islam to his children.

That is what means him successful..

So what do we learn from that?

Point 10: A parent should focus on what they can give a child that will make that child an awesome parent.

This means that as your child is growing up, you do not look at him as a child but as a future parent. Long term thinking.

Also Allah gives us another example of a good child:

[We said], ‘John, hold on to the Scripture firmly.’ While he was still a boy, We granted him wisdom, tenderness from Us, and purity. He was devout, kind to his parents, not domineering or rebellious. (Surah 19:12-14)

This is an interesting example because we know that Zakariah(peace be upon him) had Yahya (john) at an old age, so there was this generational gap between father and son. We know how that plays out in the modern world but we are told here that he was good to both parents.

Point 11: Parents have to focus on the values they can instill in their children to make them want to be good to us on their own for the sake of Allah.

JazakaLlahu khairan for your lovely write-up... May Allah make it beneficial to you and us...

Salore4real: JazakaLlahu khairan for your lovely write-up... May Allah make it beneficial to you and us...

Wa iyyakum

What happens if we do our job right: A promise from Allah

If we do our job right, not only will we have good children. Allah has promised that He will give our next generation authority in the land. He will give Islam to them and they can live by Islam in the land.

Allah says in surah an-nur:

God has made a promise to those among you who believe and do good deeds: He will make them successors to the land, as He did those who came before them; He will empower the religion He has chosen for them; He will grant them security to replace their fear. ‘They will worship Me and not join anything with Me.’ Those who are defiant after that will be the rebels.– (Surah 24:55)

The word used here is also used when you leave children behind. Allah says that he promises those who truly had faith and did good things that their next generation will be successors in the land.

He is going to establish the religion for then, He is going to replace their state of fear with peace and security.

So if we do our jobs collectively as muslim parents, a generation will be raised whom Allah would give Islam too and they will not leave in a state of fear.

But this is if we are good parents and concern ourselves with good deeds ourselves.

In this ayah, Allah did not highlight parenting as much as he highlighted personal responsibility. 'you who believe and do good deeds' is about you not about your children.

Have faith and do good deeds first, then Allah will give them great children.

For a lot of Muslim parents, they are very concerned about the betterment of their children but they do not want to change themselves. They drop their children off at Sunday (arabic) school and think they have done what they need to do to teach Islam to the children.

The parents have to change..

If a child saw his parents rushing through the salat(prayer), why is he going to care about prayer?
If a child sees his parents yelling and screaming, why is he going to care about respect??
If the father does not respect the mother, why should the child respect the mother or women?
If the mother does not respect the father, why should the child respect the father?
If the father lies on the phone constantly, why should the child care about the truth?
If the mother backbites all the times, Why should the child not backbite?

If we do not change ourselves, we have no right to expect that our children will be better. They will be worse. Y[b]ou are your kid's role models[/b], not a sheik or an Imam. When things go bad that you want the imam or the elder to talk to the child but you failed first.

You have the choice to be a good example for your child. You have to change yourself for the sake of your children so that they can say the testimony of faith and live by it. You have to do that.

This ayah is important because it talks about the promise of the future when you change yourself.

Point 12: Be an example to your children, change yourself. As a community, we need to work on ourselves first and the promise of Allah will be fulfilled. Personal responsibility

Nice! Am following you keep it coming pls

jazallah aikhran... Nice one bro. May Allah make it easy for us to lives totally by His guidance.

Please forgive, Internet has been intermittent in the last few days. This would be fixed in sha Allah.

@tbaba, jaza'aka llah khaeran kasheera. "O believers, let not your wealth nor your children distract you from remembrance of Allah. Those who do so, they are the losers. (63:9) may the Almighty aid us with proper understanding of islam.