Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 217
217 dencies of a child result from the thoughts which fill the minds of the parents at the time of their union. The effect of these thoughts on the mind of the child is, in most cases, very slight and may often be overcome by environment and training, but Islam has prescribed a means of turning even such influences into instruments of good. The husband and wife are taught to offer a prayer when they are together, which means, 'Secure us, O Lord, and our issue against evil thoughts, evil prompt- ings and evil companions. ' Apart from its efficacy as a prayer, the invocation starts a current of pure thoughts in the minds of the parents, even if they are not ordinar- ily responsive to them. Not merely the act of praying but the words of this particular prayer, as well as the concern which most people feel for the welfare of their issue, and the natural desire of all parents that their children should lead pure lives, combine to produce this effect. When, therefore, parents offer a prayer for the purity of their children, their own minds are bound to be affected by it and to incline towards purity and virtue; and as the child is likely to inherit the thoughts enter- tained by his parents at the moment, he will be saved from the influences of all such evil thoughts which his parents may have entertained prior to this prayer. The Holy Prophet sa says : 'Children whose parents offer this prayer at the time of their coming together are saved from the touch of Satan,' meaning, that they are saved from the evil influences which they were liable to inherit from their parents.