Friday Lessons

Luqman the wise and his ten advices to his son

by: Shaykh Zafar ul Hasan
Translated by: Nisaar Nadiadwala
LUQMAN THE WISE AND HIS TEN ADVICES TO HIS SON

“Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offsprings, comfort to our eyes and make us a leader ( an example) for the righteous.” (Surah Furqan, verse 74)

     If you study Surah Furqan from verse 63, we have eleven verses which identify the characteristics of the good people and what makes their ranks reach very high in Paradise. The purpose of these verses is to encourage the readers of Qur’an to develop the same characters in them. Our today’s note will be focused on the lessons derived from Surah Furqan verse no. 74. It is a regular supplication pleaded by good charactered people: Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offsprings, comfort to our eyes and make us a leader ( an example) for the righteous.

   The above verse is a desire to have wives and children who are modest, decent, obedient and humble. People get a lot of serenity and comfort when they see their children. It is a characteristic of the pious that they bring up their children in a cordial way teaching them morals and ethics and along with it keep supplicating to Allah to guide their children to good.

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

If you study the last part of the above verse, “Make us a leader of the pious,” it indicates that one must not only suffice his good qualities in him but pass it on to the next generation and lead others too towards good.  

 Every Prophet desired good for themselves and their offsprings

The previous Prophets (Peace be upon them all) used to make a supplication, “Our Lord, make me an establisher of prayers and also from my descendants too.”

 Having descendants is a Blessing from Allah

Allah announces in the 72th verse of Surah Nahl, “Allah has made for you from yourselves, mates and has made for you from your mates sons and grandchildren and has provided you from the good things. Then in falsehood will they believe and reject the favours of Allah?” Thus one has to be grateful to Allah for being given children and grandchildren.

 The first step to being grateful is to facilitate good upbringing of children in such a way that they prove to be beneficial for the parents, relatives, neighbours, country and humanity in general. Allah has already guided us with a methodology of good upbringing of children. Just merely choosing a good school is not enough but there are two things to be taken utmost care in the upbringing of the children.

 Give enough time to your children

Most of us waste away our precious time with friends, entertainments, loitering and remaining busy with profession which should have rather been given to children.  Bringing up children under one’s own observation is a real way to groom them into good citizen. Such activities should not be considered as time waste.