Raising children
The Prophet ﷺ said each of us is a shepherd, responsible for his flock. What that means for the souls under our roof.
Outline
- 1
Each of us is a shepherd
The Prophet ﷺ said: every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you will be asked about his flock (Bukhari 893). For parents this means our children's deen, their adab, their understanding of the world. Not their grades or their salary — their hearts.
- 2
Teach by living, not by lecturing
Children copy what they see. A parent who never misses Fajr raises a child who will not miss Fajr. A parent who is gentle with a phone-call from his mother raises a child who will be gentle with him in old age.
- 3
The seven-year teaching window
The Prophet ﷺ said: teach your children to pray at seven, and discipline them on it at ten (Abu Dawud 495). Seven is when the heart is most open; ten is when habits cement. Most parents wait until twelve, and find they have lost the window.
Closing line
Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a'yun — our Lord, grant us spouses and offspring who are the comfort of our eyes.
Aisha (RA) reported: the Prophet's ﷺ khutbahs were of moderate length and his prayers were short (Sahih Muslim 869). Aim for fifteen to twenty minutes. Two sections separated by a brief sitting is the Sunnah pattern.