Islamic Teachings on Ideal Family Life — Page 48
~ 48 ~ have an insight for developing a relationship with God, and seek guidance from Him throughout the rest of their lives. It will ensure their success in all fields of life in due course. Ḥ a ḍ rat Mirz ā Ghul ā m A ḥ mad, t he Promised Messiah, peace be on him, says, “People have great desire to have children and children are bestowed on them. But it is never observed that they strive for making them good, pious, and obedient servants of God. Neither do they ever pray for them, nor keep in view different grades of upbringing [that is, they do not act according to the requirements of time]. My personal condition [in this regard] is that there is no Ṣ al ā t of mine in which I do not implore for my friends/followers, children, and wife. There are several parents who put their children in bad habits. When they start acquiring evil in the beginning, they do not warn them. The result is that, day by day, they become daring and bold in the evil ways. A story is told that a boy was being hanged for his criminal deeds. At this last moment, he expressed his desire to see his mother. When his mother came, he went close to her and said, “I want to suck your tongue. ” When she stretched her tongue out, he bit it. When questioned, he replied, “My this very mother is the cause of my plight today. If she had checked me on time I would have not come to this end. ” Suffice it to say that people do desire to have children but not that they be servants of faith rather that they be their heir in the world. When children are born, no attention is paid to their upbringing, neither their perceptions are straightened out nor their morals are corrected. ” (Malf ūẓā t, Vol. 2, Pages 372-373)