Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 158
! ! 158 Parents Make t heir Children Cowards Un less parents realize that it is far better for their child to face death while acting bravely and courageously, a s opposed to them living an idle life, these children will never de velop real bravery and courage. Unfortunately , a large problem remains that the parents themselves make their children lazy and cowardly. If it is nearing dark ness, they tell their childre n not to go outside. If the task is too difficult, they discourage them from even attempting it. They want their child to be like a delicate flower [Touch - me - not , i. e. , Mimosa Pudica plant ]. In this way, the child is rendered useless. In fact, p arents should purposely send their children into the dark to instill bravery and courage it in them in every way. Raising Children to b e Swimmers Children who do not know how to swim should not approach water unaccompanied. Instead, those who know how to swim should accompany them and teach them swimming. This is a crucial skill. Therefore, it is necessary to teach them and urge them to follow in the footsteps of their elders. It is said about Haz rat Is h ma e l Shaheed ra , that he once heard of a Sikh , who was so great a swimmer that no Muslim could beat him. Upon hearing this, Haz rat Is h ma e l ra learn ed to swim and eventually surpassed the Sikh. Likewise, a true Muslim should aspire to be the best in everything, provided it is righteous. It is not to say that a Muslim should surpass a robber or thie f r ather it is meant in terms of improving oneself in physical exercises , such as wrestling, riding, swimming, etc. Therefore, inculcate bravery and strength in Ahmadi children. The English are watchful of this, to the point that if someone breaks a bone w hile playing football or other sports , they do not stop play ing. Rather, they will take the injured player off the field and will continue play ing because stopping the game will impact the rest of the players negatively and instill fear in their hearts. It is due to this training that th is small European nation rules t he world. On the other hand, if someone suffers a minor injury while playing with in our society , we seek to stop the game. Swimming is a very good skill , but the water in this pond is so unsanitary that it is d etrimental to their health. This should be kept in mind an d swimming should be taught where the