Our Children: Our Legacy - Shaykh Ahsan Hanif

Our Children: Our Legacy

One of the greatest rhetorical devices that Allah uses throughout the Quran is repetition. Repetition. Amongst the Arabs of old, repetition was something common in their poetry and in their prose. It was something that they would use to denote importance and significance and emphasis. Even our Prophet ﷺ, when he would speak, he would often repeat something three times. As is mentioned authentically in Sahih al-Bukhari on the authority of Anas ibn Malik that when the Prophet ﷺ would speak at times, he would repeat it three times so that the people would understand what he was saying. In another hadith, when he would make du'a, he would repeat the du'a three times — in his salah or even in his general speech. Why? Because amongst the Arabs it was something which denoted importance and emphasis.

So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala throughout the Quran, because the Quran was revealed in the language of the Arabs and in the styles that the Arabs were familiar with within their speech, Allah azza wa jal often uses repetition. For me and you, when we come to analyze the Quran, study the Quran, connect ourselves to the book of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — when we go through the Quran and as you read the Quran, you find that Allah is repeating something many times. You've come across that word many times. You're reading the translation of the meanings of the Quran and it's a concept that Allah has brought over and over again throughout the Quran.

That should be a reason for us to stop and pause. It should be a cause for us to question ourselves: why, from all of the things, does Allah repeat this concept, this idea, this issue many times in the Quran?

Children and Offspring in the Quran

It is one such thing that I want to bring before your attention in this khutbah of today. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, over 30 times, in 19 or more different places within the Quran, He repeats the concept of offspring, children — ذُرِّيَّة and أَوْلَاد — having children, having offspring, leaving a legacy with your children.

Psychologists tell us that we as humans have needs, things that drive us. And one of the things that drives us is the need to leave something behind, to leave a mark upon this earth, to leave some sort of a legacy. We as humans like to be remembered, we like to be praised, we like to be validated, we like people to appreciate what we're doing. And that's not only in the confines of our lifetime, but most of us would like that even after our deaths, people still remember us fondly. We like to leave a legacy. One of the greatest legacies that you can leave, and one of the things that Allah emphasizes in the Quran, is your children, your offspring.

The Du'a of the 'Ibad al-Rahman

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the Quran tells us that the ibad al-rahman — the slaves of Allah azza wa jal — that He mentions in the final passage of Surah al-Furqan, their traits, their characteristics, their attributes — from amongst them is that they say:

"Oh Allah, bestow upon us wives and children that are a coolness for our eyes, and make all of us — meaning me, my wife, my children, my husband — make us leaders of the righteous, imams." Because that's leaving a legacy. That is one of the things that the mu'min, the Muslim, wants to leave behind if they're able to do so. Because they know that it is a legacy that they can leave behind.

The Hadith of the Three Ongoing Deeds

We all know the famous hadith of the Prophet ﷺ:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Hadith 1631)

"When you die, all of your actions stop and cease, except from three sources." One of those sources: وَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ يَدْعُو لَهُ — that you have a righteous child who, after your death, will remember you. They will work on your behalf. They will make du'a for you. Even if no one else remembers you, knows you, or mentions your name — they, your child, insha'Allah, your grandchildren, those people that are your offspring, they will remember you. They will ask Allah to forgive you. They will give sadaqah on your behalf. They will make Hajj for you after your death.

The Prophets and Their Du'as for Offspring

When we look throughout the Quran, the Prophets of Allah, when they would ask Allah for children — because it's one of the most common needs and desires of humans, to have children, and the Prophets of Allah were human, and they had the same need and desire — but when they would ask Allah for children, when they would make this du'a to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, you find that in the Quran, most of the time, if not all of the time, they would never make du'a for a single generation. They would never say: "Oh Allah, give me a righteous son or a righteous daughter." But often they would use the word أَوْلَاد or ذُرِّيَّة. ذُرِّيَّة means generations of offspring — not just my children, but their children, and then their children, and then their children, for generations to come.

Look at Zakariya alayhis salam — a Prophet of Allah who in old age had yet to receive a son or a child. What is the du'a that he makes?

"Oh Allah, bestow upon us — me and my wife — from You, generations that are righteous." ذُرِّيَّة — offspring. Not just one single generation, but offspring. Ibrahim alayhis salam said:

"Oh Allah, give to me offspring that is righteous." So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, when He speaks about the Prophets of Allah, they don't just look at it as a single small issue — "I have a son or I have a daughter, and perhaps maybe insha'Allah they will be righteous." They look at it long term.

Ibrahim and the Long-Term Vision

Look at how Allah azza wa jal praises Ibrahim alayhis salam in Surah Al-Baqarah. People who have vision — because when you leave a legacy, you plant a seed today, but that seed may not materialize, it may not grow, it may not harvest for many, many years, many generations to come. You're in for the long term, the long game. So Ibrahim alayhis salam — Allah praises him in the Quran:

"And when Allah tested and tried Ibrahim alayhis salam by His commands, and he fulfilled them." The commands of Allah. Many different interpretations in tafsir — what are those commands of Allah? But perhaps the strongest of those opinions, and Allah knows best, the one favored by At-Tabari and Ibn Kathir and others, is that it was all of the commands that Allah gave to him. All of them. And he fulfilled them all. So what did Allah say? "O Ibrahim, We have made you a leader for mankind. You are an Imam." إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا — he was a nation unto himself ﷺ.

Ibrahim, you are an Imam. Today the Jews, the Christians, the Muslims, even the mushrikeen of Quraysh — the polytheists of Quraysh — all of them used to seek honor by ascribing themselves to Ibrahim alayhis salam. So what did Ibrahim respond to Allah when Allah said you are an Imam? He said: "O Allah, and what about my offspring?" Not just for me — what about my offspring? So Allah gives to him Ismail, and Ishaq, and Ya'qub, and Yusuf alayhimus salam — all of them from his lineage. And every single Prophet that came after Ibrahim was from his children, including our own Prophet ﷺ. That is leaving a legacy. It's not just I'm worried about myself.

Why? Because it is one of the greatest doors of Jannah. It is one of the greatest means of Jannah. We have a finite time in this life. We don't know how long we will live for, when we will die. But when you have children who then take from you, and because of your tarbiyah — your instruction, your education — they grow up worshipping Allah. Coming close to Allah, you have a portion of that reward. And if they do the same to their children, your grandchildren, you get a share of that reward. And if those grandchildren do it to your great-grandchildren, you get a share of that reward.

The Wife of 'Imran: A Mother's Dedication

Look at the wife of 'Imran that Allah mentions in Surah Al-'Imran:

'Imran was not a Prophet of Allah. His wife was not a Prophet of Allah. But she said when she became pregnant: "Oh Allah, this child that I have, I have sacrificed him for Your sake. I'm dedicating his service to Your sake." And she said "him," because she thought that it would be a boy. But when she gave birth, it turned out to be a girl. She said: "Oh Allah, I gave birth to a girl." — and Allah knows that she gave birth to a girl. But did that stop her? No. "I will name this child Maryam. And I seek refuge in You, oh Allah, for her and for all her offspring — her ذُرِّيَّة — from Shaytan." Not just her, but every child that will come from her. All of my offspring, for generations to come, from Shaytan.

So Maryam alayhis salam grows up, and who does she become the mother of? The Prophet of Allah, 'Isa alayhis salam. That is what Allah azza wa jal is referring to in the Quran. When you think about that long-term benefit.

Ranks Raised on the Day of Judgment

Because on Yawm al-Qiyamah, when the people will come, they will recognize their deeds. On Yawm al-Qiyamah, when Allah presents your deeds to you, you will recognize them. In our life, we're forgetful. What we did this morning, we don't remember. What you did yesterday, you don't remember. But on Yawm al-Qiyamah everyone has clarity — 100%. You recognize every single deed that you put forth in your lifetime, whether good or bad.

So when the people will come and their deeds are presented before them, you recognize them. You will know: this is my salah. You will know: this is my zakah. This is my hajj. This is my fasting. This is that Salat al-Jumu'ah that I attended on this Friday. You will recognize your deeds. But in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah radiyallahu anhu, collected in the Sunan of Ibn Majah, the Prophet ﷺ said: a person on Yawm al-Qiyamah — their stations, their ranks in Jannah will be raised. So they will say to Allah: "Oh Allah, where did this come from?" Meaning: I don't recognize this. My deeds — I recognize what You rewarded me for. But this extra raising of ranks in Jannah — this isn't from my deeds. This isn't my salah, this isn't my zakah, my hajj, my fasting, not my deeds. So Allah azza wa jal will say — or a caller will say:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 36, Hadith 3660)

"It is because your child used to make istighfar for you. Your child used to ask Allah to forgive you." So because of that, Allah raises your ranks in Jannah. Your children are one of the greatest means of entering into Jannah.

Two Pillars of Building Your Legacy

So the Prophets of Allah, alayhimus salatu was salam, all of them — and Allah mentions this as a concept repeated many times throughout the Quran — they would pay attention to their children. They would think about this. Their children — not just in one generation, but for many generations to come. Throughout the Quran there are two things that the Prophets of Allah would concentrate upon when it came to developing their children, to building this legacy for themselves, to creating a sadaqah jariyah for themselves.

The first is their connection with Allah in terms of belief. And the second is their connection with Allah in terms of practical action. These are the two things that they would concentrate upon.

First Pillar: Connecting Children to Allah Through Belief

The first would be their connection with Allah azza wa jal in terms of belief. What is your belief? How can I connect you strongly with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Because as our children grow up, and they have children, they need to bestow this inheritance generation to generation. How to worship Allah? How to remain close to Allah azza wa jal? How, in times of trial and fitan, to remain strongly connected with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?

Allah azza wa jal mentions in Surah Al-Baqarah, Ya'qub alayhis salam — one of the children of Ibrahim, again the legacy of Ibrahim alayhis salam. Ya'qub alayhis salam at the time of death — what does Allah say?

"Were you present at the time when Ya'qub alayhis salam was approaching death?" Who are the sons of Ya'qub? Allah mentions them in the Quran in Surah Yusuf — isn't it Yusuf alayhis salam, and Binyamin, and all of those other brothers that left Yusuf alayhis salam for dead? But then Allah reunited them, He guided them, He brought them back together. At the time of death, Ya'qub gathered those same children of his. And he said to them: "What will you worship after I die?"

His preoccupation isn't: "What are my funeral arrangements? How are you going to feed people? What is my grave going to look like? Where am I going to be buried?" His preoccupation is: "O my sons, what will you worship after me?" That's my legacy. That's what I'm leaving behind. So they responded: "We will worship your God, and the God of your fathers — Ibrahim, Ismail, and Ishaq — He is our only God. And we are Muslims. We have submitted ourselves to Him." That is what Ya'qub alayhis salam wants to know.

When you connect your children — especially in these times that we're living in, when we're facing ideological attacks upon our religion, people coming and not knowing what our religion is or how to respond to those attacks — your children have questions, they want to know, they want to learn. They want to come closer to Allah, they want to understand. Just as the Prophets of Allah in the Quran, Allah mentions they had questions, they wanted to understand.

Ibrahim alayhis salam said:

"O Allah, how do you give life to the dead?" Allah didn't say to him: "What kind of a question is that?" Allah responded and He showed him. 'Uzayr alayhis salam passes through the ruins of Jerusalem:

He saw destruction in Jerusalem, so he said: "O Allah, how can You possibly give life to this place after such destruction?" So Allah caused him to sleep for a hundred years and He showed him. Musa alayhis salam said:

"O Allah, can I see You? I want to see You." So Allah told him to look at the mountain instead. Questions that we have — connecting people back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

In the famous advice in the Quran that Luqman gave to his son:

"O my dear son, if there is even a mustard seed — a mustard seed — on any rock, or anywhere in the heavens, or anywhere upon the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Allah knows it." Teaching a child that: this is your connection with Allah, that Allah is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-hearing subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So the Prophets of Allah alayhimus salam would connect their children with Allah in terms of their belief. They would advise them. They would spend time teaching them, connecting them with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Just as our Prophet ﷺ would do the same with the companions. One of the companions came and he said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have a slave girl that I want to free." So the Prophet ﷺ said to him: "Bring her to me." So she came and the Prophet ﷺ said to her:

"Where is Allah?" So the young girl replied and she said: "He is above the heavens." So the Prophet ﷺ said to that companion:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 5, Hadith 1094)

"Free her because she is a believer." Connecting people back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Look at the advice that the Prophet ﷺ would give to his young cousin, Abdullah ibn Abbas radiyallahu anhuma, when he is teaching him about Allah:

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516)

"If you ask, O Abdullah, ask only of Allah. If you seek assistance, O Abdullah, seek it only from Allah. Know that if all of the people in the universe were to unite and gather, and they wanted to harm you or benefit you, they could only do so with what Allah has already decreed for you." Young children, who then became leaders of this Ummah.

Second Pillar: Connecting Children to Allah Through Action

And once they have that strong belief, then action becomes easier for them. Then they are able to sacrifice for the sake of Allah. Then when they learn the halal and the haram in the Quran and the Sunnah, it's not something too burdensome or difficult for them, because they know now why they are doing it. For whom they are doing this. How it is pleasing to Allah. How their life is in servitude to Allah.

So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives us examples of this in the Quran:

"Order your children, your family, to perform the prayer, and tell them to remain patient upon it." The prayer — we know it is one of the most difficult parts of Islam. Many Muslims across the world are unable to pray five times a day. Why? Because that connection with Allah, that spiritual connection, that connection of aqeedah, of belief — that love of Allah, that ingrained, embedded deep sense of iman is not in their hearts. So when they are told to pray five times a day, to wake up at 4 a.m. and pray Fajr, to pray 'Isha at 11 p.m. in the summer, it's difficult for them. It's burdensome.

So Allah azza wa jal tells us that once they have that strong aqeedah, that strong connection, and you enjoin upon them the salah, you tell them to fast in the long summer days, you tell them that from the money that they've earned — their own hard-earned money — they have to give in sadaqah, in zakah, they willingly do so. Because they have that connection with Allah azza wa jal.

Look at Ibrahim alayhis salam once again. When Allah azza wa jal mentions one of the tests that he was given with regards to his son Ismail:

He said to his son: "O Ismail, I saw in a dream that Allah commanded me to sacrifice you with my own hand. What do you think?" A child being told this by his own father. The same child who was left in the desert many years before, in a barren land of Makkah. Now his father comes to him and he says: "I am ordered to sacrifice you." But Ismail alayhis salam had that strong sense of belief, of connection with Allah. He said: "O my father, do as Allah commands you. And Insha'Allah you will find me to be from amongst those people who are patient."

Planting the Seed: A Legacy for Generations

Throughout the Quran, Allah azza wa jal stresses these two points — connecting ourselves, our families, our children with Allah in terms of our belief, and following on from that belief in terms of action. When we do this, by the permission and the mercy of Allah azza wa jal, we leave for ourselves a legacy. A legacy within our children. Perhaps we are unable to give a lot of sadaqah jariyah. Not all of us are scholars that we can spread knowledge. But all of us have the ability that when we have children, we take all of our time and effort — or as much as we can spare — and dedicate it to our children, so that they will be a sadaqah jariyah, with the view that they will then insha'Allah pass this on from generation to generation.

'Umar ibn al-Khattab and the Milk Seller's Daughter

Umar ibn al-Khattab radiyallahu anhu — to show that this wasn't something only from the Prophets, but even the scholars of Islam and the companions had the same mindset. Umar radiyallahu anhu was one night patrolling the streets of Madinah. He came across a house and a mother was speaking to her young daughter. She said to her daughter: "We have milk that we want to sell. So mix the milk with water, dilute it, and we'll sell it for more. We'll make more money, more profit."

The daughter replied and said: "Oh my mother, don't you know that the amir al-mu'minin — the leader of the Muslims, Umar ibn al-Khattab radiyallahu anhu — he forbade this? It's cheating, deceiving the Muslims. It's not allowed." So the mother replied: "And where is Umar? How will Umar know? What does Umar know what we do at night in the confines of our house?" So she replied: "Oh my mother, even if Umar doesn't know, the Lord of Umar knows."

Umar radiyallahu anhu was so amazed by this profound statement of this girl — she's not a famous companion, she's not someone who narrated many a hadith, but she has that strong sense of iman. He was so amazed by her that he placed a mark upon that house. He told his servant the next morning to inquire about that girl. And when he found that she was single and of marriage age, he gathered his sons and said: "Who wants to marry? I found someone." So one of his sons by the name of Asim said: "Oh my father, I'm ready to marry." So Umar radiyallahu anhu married his son to this girl.

From that marriage they would have a daughter. And that daughter would give birth to one of the greatest scholars and khalifas of the Muslims — Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz rahimahullah ta'ala. Umar radiyallahu anhu didn't know, wasn't aware, couldn't tell the future — but he planted a seed. He saw someone who had that connection with Allah. So through that connection with Allah azza wa jal, he planted a seed and Allah placed barakah upon this.

The Mothers of the Great Scholars

Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah, when he was a young child, was born blind — he couldn't see. It was his mother who would make du'a day and night, calling upon Allah to return his eyesight so that he could study this religion. In one narration it is said that she saw in her dream that Ibrahim alayhis salam came to her and said that Allah has returned the eyesight of your child. So she went and woke him up and she found that he had eyesight. That young child — whose mother had no idea of who he would be, what he would grow to be, what he would grow to do — grew up to become one of the greatest scholars of hadith. Today there's barely a Muslim who hasn't heard of the name of al-Bukhari or Sahih al-Bukhari.

Imam Malik rahimahullah was a young boy. It was his mother who would take him by the hand and take him to his first teacher, Rabi'ah, and she would say to him: "Go to Rabi'ah, فخذ من أدبه قبل علمه — and take from his manners before you learn from his knowledge."

Imam al-Shafi'i rahimahullah was a young boy before he became a scholar and an imam and one of the imams of the four madhabs. He was a young boy, and his mother — because her husband had died and she was a widow — would sell her property so that her son could go and seek knowledge. Planting the seed, asking Allah to benefit them. We don't know much about the children of these great imams, but we know of the impact that those imams left, and from all of that reward — insha'Allah — their mothers, their fathers, their parents have a share of that reward.

The Message of This Khutbah

So the message from this khutbah today is very simple. Throughout the year we are busy, and our children are at school and they're busy. But when we have holidays and we have these few weeks with them, concentrate upon these two things. Strengthen their aqeedah, strengthen their spiritual connection and their worship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Because this is what will benefit them. This is insha'Allah your legacy that you are leaving behind in your children, and insha'Allah if you make du'a to Allah and you plant that seed, it will last for many generations to come.

As with everything within our religion, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala only places upon our shoulders a burden that we can bear. It is upon us, the parents — our duty is to plant that seed, to rear it, to water it, to do the best that we can to cultivate that seed. And then we place our trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and leave our affairs to Him. But when we have that vision and that long-term hope, then insha'Allah, Allah will not let us down. Allah will fulfill our hopes and Allah will give us the reward that we seek.

We ask Allah azza wa jal that He grants us righteous children, and that Allah azza wa jal protects us and our children from every type of trial, and that Allah azza wa jal keeps us steadfast upon this religion, and that He gathers us and our children and our families in the highest ranks of Jannah. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that He blesses our community and that He forgives our sins.