Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 100
100 with love and affection. The love given to them as a child is what always proves to be of use. ” 6. 2 ISLAMIC GUIDANCE Salat and Holy Qur ’ an This is the stage when children should be performing Salat conscientiously without any reminders from the parents. However, the demands of high school and heavy workload may undermine the punctuality of Salat , so parents should remain watchful and offer reminders if needed. The best way to make sure that your teenagers are offering Salat is, of course, to have regular congregational Salat at home, and to take them to the mosque for Salat as often as possible. Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II (ra) likened parents who do not instill the habit of offering Salat in congregation in their children, to parents who are murderers of their children. Therefore, while children are still living in the family home before they enter college life, it is important that parents pay attention to this important directive. If the father is not home, congregational Salat at home can be led by boys in this age group and if there are ladies only or younger children, then girls can also lead prayers. Wherever possible, high school children should be encouraged to attend Jumu ’ ah prayers at their mosque or Salat center. This is especially important for boys. It is also a good idea to review the prayers of Salat and discuss their meanings from time to time with teenagers. This will help to strengthen their understanding of the objective of Salat and their connection to Allah Almighty. At this stage, Salat should become more than just a habit, it should become their “ go-to device ” of choice for support and comfort. It is also important to demonstrate love of Allah in the home as children spend many hours in the company of people who may not be