Quranic Foundations And Structure Of Muslim Society
(2) DUTIES TOWARDS ONE’S OFFSPRING
A. Social and Spiritual Status of the Child:
(1) The Holy Qur’an teaches that the child is a respectable being:
(a) because of his humanity, concerning which it has been said:
“Verily We have honored the Children of Adam …” (17:70).
(b) because of his sinlessness, as it has been said:
“Assuredly We have created man in the goodliest constitution (i.e., pure and individually perfect).” (95:4).
“… Every soul draws the mead of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burden can bear the burden of another …” (6:164).
Thus the child is born sinless, without inheriting the sins of his ancestors. And it is classed as innocent up to the age of discretion, as it has been said:
“On no soul does Allah place a responsibility but to the extent of its ability …” (2:286).
And its categorization as innocent makes it logically immune from receiving those punishments which are meant for adults in respect of commission of wrongs.
(2) In its condemnation of infanticide, the Holy Qur’an teaches that the child is a ‘gift from God’—a ‘trust’* of God placed in the care of the child’s elders, and should, therefore, be treated with love, understanding and extreme care:
Lost are those who besottedly have murdered their children without knowledge, and forbidden (to themselves) that which Allah bestowed upon them (as gift), inventing a lie against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and heeded no guidance.” (6:140).
* A Muslim holds everything—his life, property, position, children, etc—as trust from God. (9:111)
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B. Duties:
(1) Duties of Omission:
Infanticide had been practised by different communities of the world, including the pagan Arabs, the Hindus, the Greeks and the Romans, in the pre-Qur’anic era of human history. When the Holy Qur’an came, it voiced its condemnation of that evil and inhuman practice in strong terms and forbade it totally, as we have seen in verse 6:140 quoted above, and as we find in the following:
(a) Killing of offspring for fear of poverty—before their birth: in the form of abortion, or after their birth: in the form of murder—forbidden:
“Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin.” (17:31). (also in 6:151)
(b) Killing of daughters for extra fear of dishonor specially condemned:
“When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth of) a female (child), his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on (sufferance and) contempt, or bury it in the dust! Ah! What an evil (choice) they decide on!” (16:58-59).
“When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned (by God on the Day of Judgment)—for what crime she was killed!” (81:8-9).
(c) Infanticide with ‘religious’ motives condemned:
“Even so, in the eyes of most of the Pagans, their ‘partners’ made alluring the slaughter of their children, to lead them to their own destruction, and cause confusion in their religion. If Allah had willed, they would not have done so: But leave alone them and their inventions.” (6:137).
(2) Duties of Commission
Condemning contempt for one’s children, forbidding their treatment as a burden, and teaching respect and love for them, the Holy Qur’an refers to their upbringing by their parents,—a function which all parents, including the animal parents, perform basically and naturally under the urge of the parental instinct, but wherein the outlook requires to be refined and enlightened in the interest of human well-being. In this connection:
(a) The Holy Qur’an commands the safeguarding of the interest of the child, in the most delicate period of his life, in respect of suckling him, which is specially jeopardized in case the parents are unfortunately separated from each other through divorce:
“The mothers shall give suck to their offspring for two whole years, if the father desires to complete the term. But he shall bear the cost of their food and clothing on equitable terms …” (2:233).
(b) Then it refers to the unselfish upbringing of the child by the parents up to the time of his maturity* as a virtue, in the following prayer which Muslim children are taught to make for their parents:
“… and say: ‘My Lord bestow on them your Mercy even as they (tenderly) cherished me (when I was) young.” (17:24).
This verse refers to the fact that the parents have to look after the needs of the child until he is mature. It has been mentioned as a universal fact which occurs in a natural course,—namely, everyone whose outlook in respect of his children is rational and not perverted and whose circumstances do not force him to act against the true dictates of human nature,** is bound to do it. However, although natural, it should be treated as a specific duty in the light of the general command of “doing good to all” and “taking special care of those who are related to one in blood” (16:90), in the interest of the moral health of human society.
* The obligation of maintenance of the offspring up to the age of maturity is borne out by the law laid down for transferring to the orphans living in one’s charge the administration of their properties. (See 4:6).
** In case of adverse circumstances the Qur’anic social philosophy makes it the duty of the state to look after the proper upbringing and development of the child, as we shall see later.
(c) The Holy Qur’an teaches prayers which are highly instructive in guiding us to the parents’ duties towards their children. The prayers are:
“… and be You good unto me in my progeny (O Lord !) (i.e., cause my progeny to be good and accomplished in every way) …” (46:15).
“… Our Lord! Grant unto us the comfort of our eyes from our wives and our offspring, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous.” (25:74).
Now, for the offspring to be “comfort of one’s eyes” it is necessary that they should be good in every way; and they would not be normally so unless the parents exert to their full for building up their children in all aspects of their lives and to the highest stature possible.
We know that mere yearning expressed in prayer and left at that means nothing more than sheer idiocy and insult to God. Hence this verse refers to the duty of doing everything in the power of the parents to bring up their children healthy and strong physically, intellectually, morally, spiritually and economically. Of course, that would mean sacrifice for the parents. But, according to the Holy Qur’an, self-sacrifice is an essential quality of Muslim character (59:9), and it becomes a duty in the case of one’s children.
(d) Finally, the Holy Qur’an lays down the command:
“O you who believe ! protect yourselves and your wives and children from a (spiritual) Fire whose fuel (unlike the fuel of physical fire) is human beings (who lead wrong lives) and stones (which have been worshipped as false deities by ancient communities) over which are (appointed) Angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded.” (66:6).
In order to understand the implications of the above command truly and comprehensively, it is necessary to grasp deeply the constitution of the human personality and the dynamics of human activity. The fact is that the different aspects of the human personality are interrelated and, according to the Qur’anic concept of tawhid, they form an organic unity,—their inter-relationship and inter-dependence being expressible as follows:
Sound mind resides in a sound body.
Sound morality is possible only for a person of sound mind.
Sound spirituality is attainable only by a person of sound morals.
Sound economic pursuit requires at least the soundness of body and mind both.
Thus, saving one’s children from the fire of Hell necessitates not only giving them formal teaching of certain religious beliefs and practices—which, if not integrated with other aspects of life, amounts for all practical purposes to a defective attempt—but taking all those steps which will make them good in every way, as taught by the Holy Qur’an and expounded in the present dissertation, in respect of human life, namely : physically, intellectually, morally, spiritually and economically : the comprehensive program and the manner in which the Holy Prophet (Peace be on him) built up the despicable pagan Arabs into a community of righteous and progressive super-humans.*
* Indeed, the Holy Prophet (Peace be on him) built up his followers in a most comprehensive way, as would be evident even from a perusal of the present dissertation. The same comprehensiveness should grace the program of the parents for their children.
This means that the verse quoted above envisages the following rights of the child and their fulfillment:
1. establishment of an atmosphere of love and understanding for the child’s proper growth;
2. protection against all evils: neglect, cruelty and exploitation;
3. provision of adequate nutrition, proper housing, recreation, and medical service;
4. provision of opportunities and facilities for the child’s balanced development in freedom and dignity, according to the Qur’anic code of life;
5. provision of the best available formal education, in keeping with the child’s aptitude and capabilities;
6. provision of comprehensive moral education and training;
7. Above all, and running through every phase of the child’s life, there should be the provision of spiritual education and training—of as high an order as possible—for making him truly God-fearing: which is the most basic and the highest virtue that a Muslim should possess.
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to be continued . . . . .
Quranic Foundation & Structure Of Muslim Society In The End Times
