Page 78 - The Truth of the Life of This World

Our Lord! Make of us Muslims, bowing to Your (Will), and of our progeny a
people Muslim, bowing to Your (will); and show us our place for the cele-
bration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for You are the Oft-
Returning, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Baqarah: 128)
In the expression of the verse, having children, if intended to seek
Allah's favour, is a way of worshipping Allah. However, when the real
intention is something other than attaining the blessing of Allah, then a
person may suffer grave consequences both in this world and the next.
Believers acknowledge their children as individuals entrusted to them by
Allah. Therefore, they do not take a personal pride in their children's
appearance, success or intelligence, knowing that Allah granted those traits
to that child. Such pride is simply an act of going astray.
Such an approach has detrimental consequences in the hereafter. On
the day of judgement, one would be more than willing to pay one's sons,
spouse and other immediate family members as ransom for eternal salva-
tion. One's desire to avoid the awful punishment makes one immediately