salahdin
Junior Member
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
OH FATHER! THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU
إليك يا أبتي
The Messenger of Allah,
صلى الله عليه و سلم,
said: العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفر
The Messenger of Allah,
صلى الله عليه و سلم,
has also said: من حافظ عليها كانت له نوراً وبرهاناً ونجاة يوم القيامة،
ومن لم يحافظ عليها لم تكن له نوراً ولا برهاناً ولا نجاة يوم القيامة،
وكان يوم القيامة مع فرعون وقارون وهامان وأبي بن خلف
"whosoever keeps performing it (prayer), it will be a light, a proof and a means of survival on the Day of Resurrection. And whosoever neglects it, it will not be for him a light, a proof or a means of survival on the Day of Resurrection, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be with Pharaoh, Qârûn (Korah), Hâmân and Ubay ibn Khalaf" [Reported by Ahmad] .ومن لم يحافظ عليها لم تكن له نوراً ولا برهاناً ولا نجاة يوم القيامة،
وكان يوم القيامة مع فرعون وقارون وهامان وأبي بن خلف
Why did you not inquire about my companions?
O father I have accompanied the bad guys... and their thoughts have manipulated me... their desires have attracted me... their doubts have misled me...
I did not realize but that I have been indulged in many kinds of deadly vices and sins.
Why have you left me in their hands!
I have learned from some of them to neglect prayers...
I have kept pace with some of them in committing evil acts...
This one incites me to molestations... and that one encourages me to watch movies and series...
another one arouses my interest in vices and bad deeds...
they are all my aid to committing acts of disobedience...
they surround their victim as lions gather around their prey...
Why did you allow me to accompany them?
You have left me to be alone in the sea of life... tossed about by the waves in its bumpy courses... while you knew that I was too weak to lead my own lifeboat!
Whoever rides high waves without mastering the art of sailing... get drowned! Here I am drowning among bad companions... gulping their venom in deep silence!
O father, you are my eyes by which I see the good from the bad... particularly, during my adulthood, and beyond...
The Messenger of Allah,
صلى الله عليه و سلم,
has said: المرء على دين خليله فلينظر أحدكم من يخالل
"man follows the creed of his close friends, so you should consider whom to befriend". [Declared Hasan (good) by Al-Albnai]This is a Prophetic guidance to all those who have companions, to consider their religion and ethics before accompanying them.
If they are religiously well mannered, accompany them; but if they are not, you should leave them so that you would not be harmed by their bad ethics.
O father! There is no doubt that I am shortsighted to distinguish good friends from corrupt ones... And that I need you most in the beginning of my youth to ward off bad companions... and to follow how I am doing in life... to ask about my morals and my friends... and to direct me to the satisfactory ways of choosing the good companions.
People, my father, are like keys...
Some of them are keys for good, others are keys for evil; as the Messenger of Allah,
صلى الله عليه و سلم,
has said:إن من الناس ناساً مفاتيح للخير مغاليق للشر
"of mankind there are some people who are keys for good and locks for evil" [Narrated by Ibn Majah and considered authentic by Al-Albani]If you let me accompany people with my lack of vision... it is letting me enter evil from the widest doors...
I wish that you can see how many an innocent young man was being set up by his bad companions into smoking... even into using drugs and alcohol!
I wish you know how bad companions manipulated the minds of innocent people to commit violations and crimes.
And I wish you realize what effect bad company has on one's study, faith and character!
It is sufficient to demonstrate its tremendous harm the repugnant comparison set by the Messenger of Allah,
صلى الله عليه و سلم.
When he has said: مثل الجليس الصالح والجليس السوء كحامل المسك ونافخ الكير،
فحامل المسك إما أن يحذيك وإما أن تبتاع منه، وإما أن تجد منه ريحاً طيبة، ونافخ الكير إما أن يحرق ثيابك وإما أن تجد منه ريحاً خبيثة
"The example of a good companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith's bellows (or furnace); from the musk seller you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the blacksmith's bellows would either burn your clothes, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof." [Reported by Al-Bukhari]فحامل المسك إما أن يحذيك وإما أن تبتاع منه، وإما أن تجد منه ريحاً طيبة، ونافخ الكير إما أن يحرق ثيابك وإما أن تجد منه ريحاً خبيثة
How good a father who is not occupied by himself or his money or his luxuries to follow the conditions of his son...
Asking about his conditions with Allah...
his conditions with his study...
his conditions with his friends...
and his conditions at home, if he finds disorder in his conditions, he corrects it...
But if finds good conditions, he praises Allah and thanks Him...
He would be a good father and a loyal companion to his son...
And would become a role model that his son would imitate in ethics and behavior...
Where is my share of learning the Qur'an?
O father, how much my heart is lamenting… and my soul is hurting when I see a young man my age who knows, or almost knows the Qur'an by heart... this lamentation is not in envy of this young man... It is rather grieving over myself, that I did not find any one inciting me to participate in memorization workshops...
I did not find any one to take me to those good gatherings to be honored by reading and memorizing the Qur'an... and enjoying reading and reciting it.
Father, the Masjid was a few steps away from our house... I wished that I joined the faith workshops of memorizing Qur'an...
But – May Allah guide you – you used to go past the mosque to bring me movies... tapes of songs... to play and have fun... I did not look up to you as a helper or a motivator to stick to these workshops!
Where do you stand from the virtues of memorizing and reciting the Holy Qur'an... it is the Book of Allah which falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, it is sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise... Whoever speaks by it is honest... whoever rules by its rulings is fair...
And whoever resorts to it is protected...
The Messenger of Allah,
صلى الله عليه و سلم, has said:
إن الله يرفع بهذا الكتاب أقواماً ويضع به آخرين
"by this book (the Qur'an), Allah would exalt (to a high status) some peoples and degrade others". [Reported by Muslim]إن الله يرفع بهذا الكتاب أقواماً ويضع به آخرين
This high status - Oh, father - includes parents and children as long as they prompt for the Qur'an, teach it and work by it... Had you exerted your best effort to raise me according to the Book of Allah, you would have gained a share from this high rank.
Whoever guides to good deeds is exactly like whoever performs them... Moreover, inciting of the memorization and recitation of the Holy Qur'an makes your child a virtuous and good son, whose reputation on earth and in heaven is good, so you will be rewarded immensely because of him... You will be blessed because of him... and you will be protected because of him... his righteous invocations will reach you in your life and death.
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that the Messenger of Allah,
صلى الله عليه و سلم,
has said: مثل المؤمن الذي يقرأ القرآن مثل الأُترجة ريحها طيب وطعمها طيب،
ومثل المؤمن الذي لا يقرأ القرآن كمثل التمرة لا ريح لها وطعمها حلو
"A believer who recites the Qur'an is like a citron (citrus fruit) whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is sweet; a believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste."ومثل المؤمن الذي لا يقرأ القرآن كمثل التمرة لا ريح لها وطعمها حلو
Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, And upon his family and companions.
Dar Ibn Khuzaymah
