Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 435
! ! 435 This also stands true for the moral training of your children. This is a task carried out at the Jama'at level. You are eager that your child speak s the truth. You tell the m day and nigh t, “My child! Speak the truth. My child! Speak the truth , ” but how can you accomplish this on your own ? Your child goes out to play and he tell s his friend , “ O brother , do not tell my father that I did not go to school today. ” At home, you instruct him to tell the truth. Due to this conflict , at times your training prevails and at other times , his friend’s will prevail. Had the other child’s mother also taught him to only speak the truth, he would have immediately told your child that he c ould not lie , for his mother had instructed him never to do so. Therefore, the moral training of children can never succeed if not done collectively. Women should g ather together, reflect upon the shortcomings of their children, develop a plan , and then collectively pledge to work at removing these shortcomings from the ir children. It will require mutual cooperation. If every woman encourages her own child to speak the truth , then there will be no child who lie s. If there are fifteen children and one among them lies , the other fourteen will refuse to tell that lie because their mother has instructed them not to do so, therefore your child will also begin to tell the truth. Therefore, these are collective virtues , which cannot be accomplished single - handedly. The s ame holds true regard ing bravery. If our children are weak, then how will they reform themselves or the Jama'at , for that matter? What will they have to offer in service of their country or the nation? For even if the brave person is bobbed about by others as if he was a ball, he will not give up his work. Abu Dharr Ghaffari ra heard that a man from Mecca had clai med p rophethoo d. He sent his brother to inquire into it but when he returned he did not give a satisfactory report. Therefore, he went to M ecc a himself. He asked around and t he non - believers did not even allow him to contact the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. Instead , they told him that there was a person , who used enchantments to separate brother from brother and a wife from her husband. However, he quietly continued his search, roaming the streets of M ecc a. Haz rat ‘ Ali r a saw hi m on the first, second, and on the third day. He finally stopp ed him to ask why he was wandering the streets. Haz rat Abu Dharr Ghaffari ra replied, “ Perhaps even you may be unable to properly assist me, for I am