Do Not Neglect Your Children

First Sermon: All praise is due to Allah, the Most Generous Giver and the Best Guide. Exalted is He, who has blessed us with the gift of children. We testify that there is no deity but Allah, and we testify that our Master and Prophet Muhammad is His Messenger. May Allah’s peace, blessings, and grace be upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance. O servants of Allah: I advise you, as well as myself, to be mindful and fearful of Allah, the Most Gracious, who describes the attributes of His servants in His words: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ ‌وَاجْعَلْنَا ‌لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا﴾ And those who say, 'Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for those who are mindful and fearful of Allah.' [Qurʾān 25: 74]. O believers: There is a dangerous affliction, a reprehensible habit, and a disgraceful behavior that subtly enters the individual, weakening his determination, and subtly enters the family, undermining its foundations. Indeed, it is negligence, and what do you know of negligence? It is carelessness in performing duties, laziness in fulfilling obligations, failure to uphold covenants and trusts, and within it, an act of disobedience to the Lord of all creatures, Who states in His clear verses: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا ‌الْأَمَانَاتِ ‌إِلَى ‌أَهْلِهَا﴾ Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due. [Qurʾān 4: 58]. We seek refuge in Allah from negligence, for it corrupts everything it enters and tarnishes every matter it touches. It is said, “Negligence of one hour ruins the effort of an entire year.” Among the gravest and most harmful forms of negligence is when parents neglect their children. Do they not know that their children are a trust on their shoulders? Scholars have said: “A child is a trust placed in the care of his parents. If the child is taught goodness and accustomed to it, he will grow up upon it, be blessed in this world and the Hereafter, and his parents will share in his reward. But if the child is taught evil or neglected, he will become miserable, and the parents will bear the burden of that sin.” O those who care for their children: One of the most severe forms of parental neglect is failing to teach their children their religion (dīn). As a result, sons and daughters grow up heedless of worshiping their Lord, unaware of their Creator's watchfulness over them, and indifferent to their prayers. Did not our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, say: ﴿وَأْمُرْ ‌أَهْلَكَ ‌بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا﴾ And enjoin prayer upon your family [and] be steadfast therein. [Qurʾān 20: 132] Our Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: «‌عَلِّمُوا ‌أَوْلَادَكُمُ ‌الصَّلَاةَ» Teach your children to pray. How can it be otherwise? Prayer refines their behavior, purifies their souls, and elevates their morals. A father must not neglect teaching his child how to pray, alerting him when the time for prayer comes, teaching him the rules of purification for it, the proper way to perform it, and taking him with him to establish it. He should never tire of reminding him until he is confident of his dedication to it, for in this lies his success in this world and the Hereafter. ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The most important matter to me is prayer. Whoever maintains it preserves his religion, and whoever neglects it is even more neglectful of other obligations. O believers: How astonishing it is that parents neglect to follow up on their children's academic progress and fulfillment of their school duties, and are not keen on teaching them the Book of their Lord, and the language of their ancestors, which sharpens their intellect and refines their speech, enabling them to speak with a clear Arabic tongue, that is, ﴿‌بِلِسَانٍ ‌عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ﴾ [Qurʾān 26:195], to use the Qurʾānic expression. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, may Allah preserve him, said: Our Arabic language is a pinnacle of beauty and elegance, a pinnacle of vastness and inclusiveness, and a pinnacle in the capacity to encompass civilization and progress. One of the forms of neglecting children, O servants of Allah, is failing to encourage them to make the most of their time and take advantage of the best years of their lives, by allowing them to spend long hours in front of electronic devices without control or supervision. The eventual result is that their ability to connect diminishes, their personalities deteriorate, their involvement with their families lessens, and they become more antagonistic in society. They may also be exposed to content that is inappropriate for their age, which corrupts their morals and angers their Lord. Protect your children from the dangers of these devices, teach them how to use them wisely, and involve them in activities that develop their minds and strengthen their bodies. Today's neglect results in tomorrow's loss. One form of neglecting children is not guiding them in choosing their friends. Choosing a friend is a decision that the child should be made together with his family, not something the child does on their own. Get to know your children's friends, and do not leave them vulnerable to bad companions who fill their minds with misinformation and destructive ideas, leading them toward addiction, destruction, and regret. The Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: «الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ؛ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَنْ يُخَالِلُ» A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends. Fear Allah, O parents, concerning your sons and daughters. Do not neglect to instill noble values in their hearts, raise them with the morals of their religion and society, love for their leadership, loyalty to their country, and responsibility towards their homes. O Allah, help us care for our children, protect us from neglecting them, and guide us to obey You and those You have commanded us to obey, as You said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾ O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. [Qurʾān 4: 59]. I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord, and Cherisher. Second Sermon All praise is due to Allah, the One who deserves true praise. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, His servant and Messenger, and upon his family, companions, and those who follow his guidance after him. As to what follows, O people: One of the greatest harms to the mental health and well-being of our children is emotional neglect. Children are in dire need of parents who show them affection, provide them with kindness, and instill in them a sense of peace and security, following the example of our Master and Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), who would draw al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn close to himself and say: « اللَّهُمَّ ‌إِنِّي أُحِبُّهُمَا فَأَحِبَّهُمَا» O Allah, I love them, so love them. How many children have lost their self-confidence, fallen into a whirlpool of psychological disorders and social issues, and began seeking attention outside their homes due to the neglect of their parents and their disregard for their feelings, as well as failing to appreciate their accomplishments or address the problems they face. So pay attention to the feelings of your children, give them your love, allocate a significant amount of your time to them, and dedicate a meaningful portion of your care to them. Avoid entrusting the entire responsibility for them to domestic workers, as this diminishes their connection with their parents, and results in them acquiring foreign habits, with the blame falling on the parents. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: «كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ إِثْمًا أَنْ ‌يُضَيِّعَ ‌مَنْ ‌يَعُولُ» It is sufficient sin for a person to neglect those under his care. O father, bear your responsibility. Be a companion to your son and be the best role model for him in your choices, noble character, responsibility to your family, and good management of your wealth and conduct. Do not neglect your son, leaving him to grow up disconnected from the values of manliness and confronting the hardships of life. Instead, guide him so he stands by you supporting you and becoming a pillar for you, his family, and his country. O mother, do not neglect your daughter. Be her companion and friend. Embrace her with love and kindness, instill in her the values of modesty and respect, teach her proper conduct and bearing responsibility, and prepare her to be a caring sister, a loving wife, and a compassionate mother. No member of society should neglect their responsibility toward our sons and daughters. This is a shared and collective responsibility among us – with its religious, national, and legal repercussions – carried by the family, the school, the mosque, and society, all are accountable for it. Our Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: «كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ، وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ» Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock. O Allah, send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions, and followers. Be pleased with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthman, and ʿAlī, and all the noble companions. O Allah, make us of those who have faith in You, worship You, turn to You in repentance. O Allah, make us attentive to the needs of our children and dutiful to our parents and have mercy on them as they raised us when we were young, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, among us are parents who are taking care of their children, devoted to their children’s prayers, and concerned with their upbringing and education. Grant them, O Lord, their children’s obedience and kindness towards them in this world, and raise their ranks in Paradise, fulfilling Your Messenger’s words: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيَرْفَعُ الدَّرَجَةَ لِلْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، فَيَقُولُ: يَا رَبِّ، أَنَّى لِي هَذِهِ؟ فَيَقُولُ: ‌بِاسْتِغْفَارِ ‌وَلَدِكَ ‌لَكَ» Indeed, Allah will elevate the rank of His righteous servant in Paradise. The servant will ask, 'O Lord, how did I earn this?' Allah will reply, 'By your child seeking forgiveness for you.' O Allah, bestow continuous and sustained stability onto our country, confer complete health upon us, expand our provisions, and bless us in our spouses and offspring. O Allah, grant success to the President of the State, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, his deputies, his brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and his loyal Crown Prince, in what You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and the founding leaders, and admit them by Your grace into the vastness of Your Paradise. Include the martyrs of our homeland in Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, those who are alive and those who have passed away. O Allah, send us rain and do not make us among those who despair. O Allah, shower us with rain, O Allah, shower us with rain, O Allah, shower us with rain. ﴿‌رَبَّنَا ‌آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ﴾ “Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Qurʾān 2:201) Servants of Allah: Remember Allah, the Great and Glorious, and He will remember you, and thank Him for His blessings and He will increase you (in blessings). Establish the prayer.