Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 119
Chapter 7: College Years and Beyond 119 knowledge is key to gaining knowledge of Allah ’ s creation. Thus , no matter the career or field of study that our children de cide to pursue, it is very important that our children are made aware of the connection between study of the Holy Qur ’ an and their secular studies. Parents should emphasize the important role of studying the Qur ’ an and the power of Salat in achieving succe ss at school. Even spending five minutes with th is Holy Book every day will yield huge benefits. The Holy Qur ’ an also says: ؕ فَذَکرۡ انۡ نَفَعَتالذکۡرّٰی “ So, go on reminding; surely, reminding is profitable. ” 7. 3 Our children are never too old to be reminded of their most important duties, i. e. offering Salat regularly and on time, no matter how busy they are, and reciting the Holy Qur ’ an daily. College years perhaps present the greatest challenge to students in maintaining their Salat. If parents have laid a good foundation in establishing Salat , then their children are likely to offer Salat regularly, whether living at home or on campus. They should also be encouraged to offer Nawafil and seek the help of Allah Almighty in achieving success in their studies. Since college is generally more flexible than grade school, children should strive to attend Jumu ’ ah on a more regular basis if there is a Jama ’ at nearby and a mosque. If the college is close to the mosque, they can offer at least one congregational Salat in a day. Ramadan By the time children attend college, they should have a complete understanding of Ramadan as fasting with all its etiquette becomes compulsory for them. In fact, it should now be a regular part of their lives. Completion of the reading of the Holy Qur ’ an should be