LEAVING A CHILD orphaned is one of the great fears that most parents have. It stems from the inherent desire to protect one’s children.
Death is a given. But when children are older and standing on their own two feet, we feel that we have fulfilled our responsibility to them and the thought of passing on is less traumatic.
This fear of not being there for them is heightened by the fact that we live in a world where the Islamic system is not there to protect our children. Secular capitalism has created a dog-eat-dog world and unleashed a tough and uncaring state of affairs.
In this ever-materialistic world, the key focus for our children can thus easily become those material things.
I knew a doctor, who despite having a six-figure salary from his day job, continued to do extra hours in the evenings and weekends. He explained that he had three young sons and was worried about their futures. So he had three houses for which he had to work long hours in order to pay off the mortgages. All those hours spent seeking to secure his children’s material prosperity, but I suspect his children would prefer to see their father now, than have those houses when he was dead.
This materialistic attitude reminded me of Abu Bakr (ra) when the Muslims were asked to contribute to the Tabuk expedition. Umar al Khattab (ra) brought half his wealth to the war chest. Abu Bakr (ra) however brought all his wealth. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, ‘O Abu Bakr, what will you keep for your family?’ He replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger are enough for them.’
People turn to amassing fortunes for their children. In reality, so many of those children then fight and bicker over their inheritances.
People turn to life insurance to support their children. We rely on everything but in Whom we really need to rely on? On Allah- the One who is Ever Living, the Ever Powerful, the Protector of the believers!
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ
‘Indeed, Allah is the All-provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong.’ (adh-Dhariyat 58)
Allah ﷻ reassures us:
نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ
‘We shall provide for them as well as for you.’ (al-Isra 31)
Is it not the case that the rizq of all is fixed- that the rizq for me and my children is fixed? I don’t have to worry about their rizq.
This brings me to an ayah from surah Kahf.
وَأَمَّا ٱلْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَـٰمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُۥ كَنزٌ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَـٰلِحًا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبْلُغَآ أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. (al-Kahf 82)
It is from the story of Khidr when Musa (as) travelled with him. In this incident, the two arrived at a town and they were ill-treated by its people. On the way out, Khidr noticed a broken wall and proceeded to rebuild it. Musa (as) was surprised- why would he rebuild a wall for no pay for a people who had just abused him? Later Khidr explained that the wall belonged to two orphan boys. Under the wall lay some treasure and if he hadn’t rebuilt it then someone else would have chanced upon it. The orphan’s father had been a righteous man and Allah wanted the orphans to reach maturity and then extract their treasure as a mercy from Allah.
It is a profound point.
If you want to provide for your children after you are gone, then concentrate on being righteous. Not a secular righteousness where we pray and fast. Rather a sincere striving to be a true muttaqi in all life’s dealings and struggles.
The greatest gift we can give them is not houses and wealth but an understanding of the deen so that they can live their lives in the right way in whatever circumstances they find themselves in.
The material things are temporary- here today and gone tomorrow. They will experience times of hardship and they will experience ease. But if we build taqwa in them then they can deal with those situations in a way that pleases Allah. And Allah willing, they will be a light for us in the akhirah through their dua and sadaqah and good deeds and Allah willing, we will be reunited with them forever in His ﷻ Jannah.
But it has to start with us. We can’t give what we don’t have? So let’s live by Islam and be a true role model for our children. Let’s leave a legacy of taqwa and tawaqqul and Allah ﷻ will never fail us or them. Indeed, Allah never fails in His Promise.
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