Page 79 - The Truth of the Life of This World

forsake beloved ones. Yet on the day of judgement there will be no hope
of escaping eternal punishment by such an act.
For the people of an ignorant society, children become the source of
many problems not only in the hereafter but also in this world. From birth
onwards, rearing a child entails burdensome responsibilities for parents. It
is an especially difficult experience for the pregnant mother. First, the day
she receives the news of a baby, she has to change her life-style entirely.
She has to reorder her priorities. In this respect the needs of the baby in

her womb always come first; her eating habits, the way she sleeps, in brief,
her whole personal life changes entirely. Towards the end of the period of
pregnancy, doing daily work and most simple bodily movements become
impossible for the mother. Yet, the major difficulties start after birth. The
mother spends all her time taking care of the baby. The baby usually
leaves its mother very little time for her personal needs and tasks.
Therefore, the mother looks forward to the time when her baby grows old
enough to take care of its own needs. In the meantime, the mother does
not recognise how quickly the years pass. If done for the good pleasure of
Allah, such a long time can be considered as a way of worship. Yet for the
members of an ignorant society, these years are nothing more than point-
less trouble.
Parents in an ignorant society usually feel disappointment when they
raise their family. Raised as a member of an ignorant society, the child gen-
erally develops a self-centred personality. Under the misguidance of self-
ish drives and motives, he shows interest in the needs of his parents only
if it serves him to do so. His parents, now old and experiencing age-relat-
ed problems, only understand this fact late in life. However in the early
years of parenthood, they imagine that when their children grow up they
would be major supports in times of unexpected trouble, but contrary to
this expectation, they may even find themselves in rest-homes.
Allah in the Qur'an presents man with a framework, according to which
believers must conduct themselves responsibly towards their parents. Allah
requires respect and mercy towards parents, especially those in old age:
Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind

The Truth of the Life of This World 77