A Legacy Best Remembered

 

Alegacy best remembered

Brothers and sisters often talk to me and one of the more prominent things on their minds is whether Allāh is angry with them. Glory be to Him, I sit, or stand, in amazement and think to myself, “Is this what you have grown up to know about your beloved Creator?” 

In the Qur’ān, aḥādīth al-Qudsī, aḥādīth al-Nabawī and words of the chosen people of Allāh, there are pages upon pages of discussion all relating to His marvelous Mercy and Compassion.  It is simply sad to note the image some of the Muslims have of their Lord today; unfathomably negative. They no longer believe they can be forgiven; that they have any salvation; they are convinced, for some strange reason, that they are forever forbidden from the Gardens of jannah. Where has this come from? Where has that confidence gone? 

I say it has vanished. Why? Well, there are many reasons but let me at least state this: in the UK, parents force their children to go nursery then schools and then finally college and university, yet there are very few who put their children on the path of Islam. Forget putting them on the path, that is like talking about an alien concept; they fail even to provide the fundamentals. It is so frustrating. Responsibility of a parenting couple is not just to put a roof over their child’s head, or place food on the table or to clothe them and bathe them. No, no, it reaches far beyond that. A word now forgotten is tarbiyyah: only way I can describe it is righteous upbringing I suppose. Where are the mothers and fathers that once moulded the Ghazāli’s, Rumi’s, ibn Arabi’s of the era? 

Gone. Literally, they have gone. Parents in Pakistan would not even dare place a capable child in the madrasah to become a credible scholar. In fact, they wait to see if one of their children turns out to be the ugly duckling or the black sheep, drop them with the maulvi and leave him to it. No wonder we have such backward scholars teaching the children, or should I say molesting them. Not to say that all of the scholars are like this, there are some true gems out there in the world, but they are rare. 

So, in this seemingly mismatched effort of expression, what one is trying to say is that instead of feeling pity upon yourself because your parents did not give you the attention you deserved as a child and did not teach you the moral lessons of life and the etiquettes of society, become the type of parent that you would have wanted them to be. If you are not married, it does not matter, start thinking about it now. Be the change you can be. Bring up your legacy as that is exactly what your children will be: your legacy. Teach them the ways of your Lord and His beloved {upon him and his family salutations and peace}. More importantly give them a hope that there is hope in hoping that He, the Almighty, is Merciful upon the hopeful. Do not just be afraid of Him, obey Him through the love you have for Him. Instill your Lord’s love in your hearts and in the hearts of your legacy. 

@hqmaasim