Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 25
25 CHAPTER 2 PRE - BIRTH AND INFANC Y ‘ My Lord, grant me from Thyself pure offspring; surely, Thou art the Hearer of prayer. ’ 2. 1 INTRODUCTION The Holy Qur ’ an states that this prayer was offered by Zachariah (as) who, amazed at the piety of Mary (as), asked Allah to bestow on him such a pious child even though he had reached old age. The prayer aptly expresses the desire of every married couple about to start a family, as having pious children is one of the main purposes of marriage in Islam. In fact, it is the most notable landmark in the life of a married couple. The birth of a child, especially the first child, is a major turning point in a marriage; a couple becomes a family and the ‘ husband and wife ’ team becomes the ‘ mother and father ’ team. It is the start of a journey which lasts a lifetime and, just like any other journey, should be embarked on with thoughtful preparation and of course, sincere prayers. This chapter provides some guidance for the very early training of a child, from before birth to infancy. ISLAMIC GUIDANCE Salat and Holy Qur ’ an Just as any decision in life has to be initiated with prayer, the desire to have children has to be preceded by prayer. There is no better prayer than the prayer of Abraham (as) who prayed to his Lord: