Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 35
Chapter 2: Pre-Birth and Infancy 35 shows that a parent ’ s responsiveness to an infant ’ s signals can affect the child ’ s social and cognitive development. Importance of Early Tarbiyat This is also the time when a mother can begin Tarbiyat by fostering love for Allah in her child, and to do this, she herself must have a deep love for Allah Almighty. In his July 27, 1991 address to Lajna Ima ’ illah, Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih IV (rh) said: “ Today, I am addressing you only in reference to the fact that if you have already become mothers, then even today God has given you the capacity that you should try to color your surroundings and your environment with His love. If you have not become mothers yet, then bring about those virtuous changes in yourself today, so when you do become mothers, you are already someone who loves God. Sing the lullaby of God ’ s love to these young boys and girls at this early period of their lives when they are being nourished in your laps, playing in your arms, and growing on your milk or by drinking milk from your hands. Talk to them about love of God, and then all of the subsequent stages will become easier. And the reality is what I have related at the end. The attempt of mothers for their children to get involved in the love of God at a later stage, when they had been neglectful at the beginning, is a very difficult task; so difficult that sometimes mothers almost die with grief, but cannot do anything. So, start your work when it is easier. And this job starts when the child is born. ” 2. 10 The process of absorbing environmental influences, which began before birth, becomes stronger and even more important after the baby is born. Thus, the mother ’ s recitation of the Holy Qur ’ an during pregnancy should continue after the baby is born. In addition to