Everyone Is a Shepherd and Responsible for his Flock
All Praise is due to Allah, we praise Him and we seek His forgiveness and assistance. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil in ourselves and the evil of our actions. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whomever Allah lets be led astray none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no rivalry to Allah the One without any partners. And I bear witness that our Master and our Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) is His servant and messenger. Oh Allah, we ask you to send our salutations and prayers upon Your servant and messenger Muhammad, and his family and companions.
Oh Believers, fear Allah and be aware of Him. Allah says:
And have fear of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.
— [Surah Al Baqarah : Ayaah 281]
Oh Muslims, in explaining the obligatory responsibility upon every member of the Muslim community, the role of the man and the woman is mentioned as those whose responsibility that they cannot escape, whether it is for those who are under their care.
Abdullah ibn Masud (Radiallahu Anhu)
has narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam)
say Each one of you is a shepherd. And each of you will be asked about your
flock. A ruler also is a shepherd and he will be asked about his flock. And
every man is a shepherd to his family. And every woman is the custodian of her
husband?s house and his children. Thus each one of you is a shepherd and each
one will be asked about his flock.
— [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]
— [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]
Specifically, a man’s responsibility
over his household entails that he provides for the necessary needs of his
family and providing them with that which will keep them happy and successful
in this world as well as in the hereafter. Thus, not only does he provide them
that which is necessary, but he grants them that which is virtuous and prohibits
them from engaging in harmful deeds. From the greatest responsibilities which
he is entrusted with is he upholds the prayer and is consistant with it.
Allah Ta’ala says:
And enjoin As-Salat on your family,
and be patient in offering them. We ask not of you a provision; We provide for
you. And the good end is for the Muttaqun.
— [Surah Taha : Ayaah 132]
— [Surah Taha : Ayaah 132]
It is only unacceptable to anyone
with sound
reasoning that a person who ordains prayer as a means of correcting and
disciplining his children and his family that he becomes neglectful and ignores
the components that will lead them to a life of failure and misery.
Allah says:
Oh you who believe, Protect
yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones.
— [Surah Tahreem : Ayaah 6]
— [Surah Tahreem : Ayaah 6]
Allah has put over Jahannam angels
who protect it, who do not disobey Him, but rather they obey every command of
His.
Every parent ought to be alert and
pay attention to these warnings, which if they fail to take heed to they only
risk the failure of their children’s future and the threat of their children
facing a punishment in the hereafter. Some parents are negligent and leave
their children behind closed doors in their rooms not knowing what they are
doing, what web sites they are visiting, who they are chatting with in chat
rooms or on the phone, or what pictures they are looking at. This is in fact
negligence and allowing our children to be exposed to threats and being
irresponsible towards them. What is required is that parents provide a balanced
and wise approach in safeguarding and monitoring their children’s activities.
The one who falls short of fulfilling his responsibility, then he be held
responsible with Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) and indeed Allah is not
unjust with His servants. As far as his role in the community where he is
responsible for bringing up upright children who contribute positively to the
society and not become a burden in it, he needs to pay attention to raising his
children from these angles as well.
As for the woman, she has been
entrusted with the responsibilty of the care of her children and the house of
her husband. It is neccessary that she makes sure that her children are
provided with the education and an environment that is needed for children to
grow up as upright adults. A mother ought to not cover up and overlook her
child?s mistakes and weaknesses, thinking that her actions are beneficial to
them. Rather, she is only contributing to their destruction and misguidance.
Sometimes parents, especially the mother, resorts to protecting their children
from accountability and even if their children fall into something that is
clearly wrong and shameful. They fail to see that this action can become
monstrous later in their life. Similarly, raising children in a good
environment and granting them the neccesary education increases the chances of
them becoming productive adults. These children will also in turn supplicate
for their parents.
If a parent does raise their
children to the best of their ability and spend from their wealth on them, and
the children still fall into the path misguidance, then indeed the parents are
free. Surely Allah does not hold one accountable for that which we are not able
deliver upon. We find great comfort in the story of Nuuh (Alayhi Salaam) when
he had warned his people of a great flooding that would befall them, and his
son replied by saying that
I will betake myself for refuge to a
mountain that shall protect me from the water.?
— [Surah Huud : Ayaah 43]
— [Surah Huud : Ayaah 43]
But Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta?ala) sent
down the rain, and the flooding overwhelmed them and his son was drowned.
Oh you Believe, do not try to deceive
Allah and His Messenger and let them down on the trust that has been bestowed
upon you. Oh Muslims, strive to live up to your responsibilities as it has been
ordained by Allah and in the Sunnah. With this we conclude, and I seek the forgiveness of
Allah for myself and for all the Muslims. Indeed Allah is the most Forgiving,
most Merciful!
All praise is due to Allah, whose
bounties and blessings cannot be counted. I bear witness that there is no rival
to Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) is his
servant and messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His servant
and messenger, and the family of his servant and messenger and all those who
follow his footsteps until the day of Judgement.
Oh servants of Allah, it has been
narrated by Abu Hurayrah (Radiallahu Anhu) that Allah?s Messenger
(Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) talked about Friday and said:
There is an hour on Friday and if a
Muslim gets it while offering Salat (prayer) and asks something from Allah Ta’alaa,
then Allah will definitely meet his demand.
— [Sahih Bukahri and Muslim]
— [Sahih Bukahri and Muslim]
So brothers and sisters, let us take
the opportunity to seek out this hour and supplicate in it. During this time
supplicate to Allah that which is good for us in this world and that which is
good for our children.
Oh brothers, for those of you who
are in Saudi Arabia, the King has requested for all of you to
partake in the prayer for rainfall on Monday. And we ask Allah (Subhanahu Wa
Ta?ala) bring down rain and quench the thirst and provide us with this resource
which is benefical for our lives. With this we conclude and send our
salutations upon the Nabi (Salallahu alayhi Wasallam). Indeed Allah has said:
Allah and His angels send Salat on
the Prophet. O you who believe! Send your Salat on him, and greet him with the
Islamic way of greeting.
— [Surah Ahzaab : Ayaah 56]
— [Surah Ahzaab : Ayaah 56]
Oh Allah, confer your peace and
blessings on our Prophet Muhammad, and be pleased with his four rightly guided
khulafa, Abu Bakr, ?Umar, Uthmaan, and ?Ali and those who have followed their
footsteps and upon us along with them out of your Mercy. Indeed you are the
Most Merciful.
Oh Allah we ask You to bring honor
and victory to Islam and the Muslimeen.
Oh Allah we ask You to rectify our
leadership and show them the path of righteousness.
Oh Allah we ask of You to give
prominence to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah Ameen!
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