Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 66
66 There is no better way to cement children ’ s relationship (and one ’ s own) with Huzoor (aba) than to have a personal Mulaqat (audience) with him, or even to attend an event graced by Huzoor ’ s (aba) presence. Being in the company of the Khalifa has a profound effect on children. Keeping framed photographs of the Promised Messiah (as) and his Khulafa in the house is also a way to remind children what it means to be an Ahmadi Muslim and the recipient of the blessings of Khilafat. Sharing stories with children of relationships with the present and past Khulafa is an excellent way of imbibing the love of the Khalifa in their hearts. Parents can relate to them incidents of how their requests for prayers were demonstrated in their lives. Children love to hear stories, so keep these stories alive. Nasiratul-Ahmadiyya and Atfalul-Ahmadiyya Once children turn seven years old, they automatically become members of Nasiratul-Ahmadiyya (girls) and Atfalul-Ahmadiyya (boys) and should be attending the Nasirat and Atfal meetings on a regular basis. Parents have the responsibility to talk to their children about the importance of these meetings. It has to be emphasized unequivocally to children that their classes at the mosque hold the same importance, if not more, than their school classes and cannot be missed. This habit has to be developed at a young age. If parents are regular in attending their meetings, the children will also follow and not argue about attending the Nasirat/Atfal classes. Unfortunately, many parents place a higher priority on their children ’ s extracurricular activities over the religious classes. A s a result, children may be unable to attend these classes and miss out on forming an early connection with the Jama ’ at. While it is essential that children should be allowed to pursue their specific interests, they also need to understand and realize that faith must hold a higher status than worldly matters. It is a good idea for parents to have a relationship with the Nasirat and Atfal secretaries , just as they do with