These days the behavior of young children seems to be the source of many problems in the society and it is quite common to blame young people for their misbehavior. It is even more common for parents to forget that no child is born with a certain behavior and that it is the duty of the parents to raise their children and instill good morals in them. In Islam, our children are entitled to various rights. The most important rights of parents towards children are to be brought up, raised and educated properly. The education that kids receive is the foundation of their future behavior and the foundation of society. It is the obligation of the parents to provide their kids with sufficient, sound and adequate religious, ethical and moral guidance and to set a good example before them in order to help them live a successful life. “Whoever does righteous deeds – whether male or female – while he is a true believer, verily, to him We will give a good life and we shall pay them a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do.” (An-Nahl, 97) Kids need to understand the meaning of values, the difference between right and wrong, true and false, and also their duties in Islam and it is the obligation of parents to teach them. If we fail to do this, it means we did not fulfill our Islamic duties. “O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones!” (66:6) We need to enable our kids to save themselves from hellfire by teaching them all the necessary values and beliefs “Then there succeeded a generation after them that inherited the Book. But they chose for themselves the goods of this lowly life, saying: ‘Our sins will be forgiven.' And if the offers of the lowly life of sin were presented to them again, they would seize it. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them and that they would not say anything about Allah but the truth? And they even studied what was in it. And the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who fear him. Do you not then understand?” (Al-A'raaf, 169) Such parents are careless about the time their children spend with no benefit, the friends they associate with, the places they go to and so on. Such parents do not care, are totally indifferent about where their children go, when they come back, causing the children to grow up without any sense of responsibility and without caring supervision. Such parents neglect even to instruct, direct or guide their children to the proper way of life, behavior or even right attitudes towards others. “Then there succeeded a generation after them that neglected the prayer and followed their desires. So they will be thrown in hellfire.” (Maryam,59) Yet, you may find these parents are so careful about guarding their wealth. They exert every possible effort to lead a very successful life in terms of materialistic gains, although all this wealth is not actually theirs. No one will take wealth to the grave. “And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial and that surely, with Allah is a mighty reward.” (Al-Anfaal,28) “But whosoever turns away from My reminder, verily, for him is a life of hardship and We shall raise him blind on the day of Resurrection.” (Taha, 124) So, the next time you hear somebody complaining about their young ones please remind him/her that our children are just a reflection of our society and of our own behavior and the way we raise our kids will determine how our society will function in the future. __
