The Proprietor of the Daarul-Uluumil-Islamiyya-Fi-Naijiria (DUIN) International Academy, (Islamic Sciences House of Nigeria) Kubwa, Abuja, Dr. Rafee’ Owonla AL-Ijebuwi, has urged parents to cater for their children more than they struggle to give birth to the children.
He gave the advice over the weekend at the annual 2017/2018 ‘Walimah’ banquet organized by: the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Cherryfield College, Jikwoyi, FCT chapter, titled ‘Parenting and Child Upbringing, Islamic Perspective’.
“The struggle to breed children is a continuous process. But only a few thinks beyond that. In the Islamic perspective, Muslim parents are not expected to only struggle to bear children, but they are rather also saddled to bring them up according to the dictates of their religion, so that their mutual relationship don’t stand the risk of being limited to this life alone,” AL-Ijebuwi said.
The cleric who is also the Chief Imam of al-Huda Masjid, Byazhin-Kubwa and Deputy Chief Imam, Kubwa Muslim Community, Abuja, while quoting verses of the Qur’an, said the only way for parents to continue the enjoyment of the fruit of their labour after death is, if they left behind such children who have also continued the good work they themselves had been doing as stated by Prophet Muhammad.
According to him, raising righteous children involves, duties before marriage, during conjugal or intercourse, and during pregnancy, which is a duty of not only both husband and wife.
“In a highly complex country like ours, no child should be constrained to either of the two backgrounds. But, however, just as care is being taken about the modern sciences being pumped into their intellects, attention must also be paid to the uprightness of the human resources who are in charge of child-education, as well as those they mingle with.
“Parents and guardians should know that children don’t know where their interest best lies but through you, and so, Allah will ask you how you are training them on not turning religion into mere ceremonies. Let them know what is good and what is bad, so that they will be attempting what is good and distance themselves from what is bad. Teach them commitment to fulfilling their promises and on being law-abiding citizens,” he said.
He therefore urged the upbringing of children on the template of Islam as exemplified by Prophet Muhammad and emulated by his companions.
