There are many instances in the Quran that show how being concerned about their children is being dutiful as a father. Many verses of the Qur’an throw light on the importance of the father in a child’s life. Let us check out a few of them.
When prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was on his deathbed, he called his sons Ismail, Is’haq and grandson Yaqub to tell them
وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَآ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعۡقُوبُ يَٰبَنِيَّ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصۡطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ
And this (submission to Allah, Islam) was enjoined by Ibrahim (Abraham) upon his sons and by Ya'qub (Jacob), (saying), "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you the (True) religion, then die not except in the Faith of Islam (as Muslims - Islamic Monotheism)."
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:132)
When death approached Ya'qūb, he too collected his sons and instructed them:
أَمۡ كُنتُمۡ شُهَدَآءَ إِذۡ حَضَرَ يَعۡقُوبَ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ إِذۡ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِيۖ قَالُواْ نَعۡبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسۡحَٰقَ إِلَٰهٗا وَٰحِدٗا وَنَحۡنُ لَهُۥ مُسۡلِمُونَ
Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya'qub (Jacob)? When he said unto his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We shall worship your Ilah (God - Allah), the Ilah (God) of your fathers, Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), One Ilah (God), and to Him we submit (in Islam)."
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:133)
When the flood was rising, Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) called out to his son, who stood apart,
وَهِيَ تَجۡرِي بِهِمۡ فِي مَوۡجٖ كَٱلۡجِبَالِ وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ ٱبۡنَهُۥ وَكَانَ فِي مَعۡزِلٖ يَٰبُنَيَّ ٱرۡكَب مَّعَنَا وَلَا تَكُن مَّعَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
So it (the ship) sailed with them amidst the waves like mountains, and Nuh (Noah) called out to his son, who had separated himself (apart), "O my son! Embark with us and be not with the disbelievers."
(Surah Hud 11:42)
The 10 pieces of advice that Luqman gave to his son, are preserved by Allah in the Qur’an as a reminder of the importance of a father in a child’s life.
This advice includes avoiding shirk and good manners along with commanding people to do good and stopping them from evil (Surah Luqman:13 - 19)
This is proof that since ancient times, fathers were duty-bound to their children’s spiritual and moral grooming. Many scholars from Salaf were students in the halaqa of their own fathers or accompanied their fathers in good work. Even after leaving Ismail (Peace be upon him) in the valley of Makkah, Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) made a point to visit him regularly, inquired about his family and took him along when he built Kabah as per the instruction of Allah.
The supplication of a father for his sons never goes unanswered, testifies a Sahih Hadith.
It was narrated in a sahih report that our Prophet ﷺ said: “There are three prayers that are not rejected: the prayer of a father for his child, the prayer of the fasting person and the prayer of the traveller.”
Narrated by al-Bayhaqi; see Sahih al-Jami’, 2032; al-Sahihah, 1797
Therefore when the sons of Yaqub regretted their wrongdoing with their brother Yusuf, their affectionate and religiously upright father made supplication for their forgiveness during Tahajjud (Tafseer Ibn Kathir Surah Yusuf: 97/98). Fathers who realize the virtue of their fatherhood will never let down their children or supplicate badly for them.
In readily a father has double duty at times, when they go out to earn and work tirelessly to provide provision for their family and when they return home they are concentrating on the upbringing of their children. The pious fathers pray regularly for their children as per Qur’anic instructions:
رَبِّ ٱجۡعَلۡنِي مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِيۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلۡ دُعَآءِ
"O my Lord! Make me one who performs As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and (also) from my offspring, our Lord! And accept my invocation.
(Surah Ibrahim 14:40)
The above verses of Qur’an guide us toward a healthy way to establish a father-child relationship. Today, when many fathers are chilling with friends or TV shows the importance of a father in the home becomes an essential chapter of family life. So if you are a concerned father, when at home do not be like a piece of furniture but be a living human feeling worried about your children and that is what will be questioned on the day of Qiyamah.
There are many hadith which signifies the importance of father in childs life:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ، سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " الْوَالِدُ أَوْسَطُ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَأَضِعْ ذَلِكَ الْبَابَ أَوِ احْفَظْهُ "
Abu Darda' heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say that: "The father is the middle door of Paradise (i.e. the best way to Paradise), so it is up to you whether you take advantage of it or not."
(Ibn Majah: 3663)
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي مَالاً وَوَلَدًا وَإِنَّ أَبِي يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَجْتَاحَ مَالِي فَقَالَ " أَنْتَ وَمَالُكَ لأَبِيكَ "
It was narrated from Jabir bin 'Abdullah that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah , I have wealth and a son, and my father wants to take all my wealth." He said: "You and your wealth belong to your father.
(Ibn Majah: 2291)
Therefore it is not essential that only a mother has to be at home to groom children but the importance of a father at home cannot be denied as well.
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