The basic foundation of Islam is Tawheed—belief in the oneness of Allah SWT. The concept of “La Ilaha illallah” (there is no God except Allah) should be obvious in all aspects of our lives. This testament is not restricted to our tongues only—rather, it should be clearly manifested through our actions and behavior too. Neither our desires nor our family ties, customs,or social traditions should be more important than the commands of Allah SWT. The main goal of our life must be to please Allah SWT through complete submission and obedience.
As parents, it is our most important duty to inculcate the concept of Allah’s oneness in our children from a very early age so that they grow up as strong Muslims. When the aqeedah of Tawheed is weak, it opens doors for many kinds of shirk. Thus, it is very necessary to keep it strong through constant Tarbiyah. Our children must also be encouraged to perform all of the religious acts of worship to attain closeness and a strong connection with Allah SWT. The Quran also gives us examples in which the prophets and the righteous people stressed the importance of fulfilling the rights of Allah to their children. Luqman (A.S) provided the following instructions to his son as mentioned in the Quran by Allah (SWT):
“And (remember) when Luqmaan said to his son when he was advising him: “O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed”
[Surah Luqman 31:13]
According to a Hadith, Muâdh bin Jabal relates that the Prophet (PBUH) said to him: “O Mu`âdh! Do you know what is Allah’s right over His servants and what their right is over Him?” I said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “Allah’s right over His servants is that they worship Him without associating any partner with Him in worship, and their right over Him is that He does not punish anyone who worships Him without associating any partner with Him in worship”
[Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim].
Few steps to ingrain the concept of Tawheed in our children:
🌸 The first step is to make them recognize Allah SWT. We must draw their attention to the existence of Allah as the One and Only God who is the Creator, the Owner and the Sustainer. All the Names, Attributes and Qualities of Allah SWT must be introduced to our kids to increase their their love for Him. We should also encourage them to observe and ponder over Allah’s Creation and appreciate its Beauty and Perfection.
🌸 Teach them that it’s only Allah towards whom we must turn to for everything. Whether they are sad or happy, they should pray to Allah SWT. He is the only one who can grant all their wishes, fulfill all their needs and remove all their sorrows. So, before asking anything from anyone they must seek Allah’s help in all matters.
🌸 The concept of Qadr or destiny must be very clear in the minds of our children. They should know that whatever happens, good or bad, in our lives is with Allah’s permission and there is a big khair (betterment) behind all incidents. Nothing can harm us if Allah does not allow it, in the same way, if He has destined something good for us then nobody can stop it to reach us.
🌸 Constantly remind our children about the blessings that Allah has given us and inspire them to be grateful to Him. Whenever they get any kind of success or praise it should be attributed to Allah’s favors upon us. Such an attitude will keep their bond with Allah SWT very strong and develop humility in them.
These are some important tips which can be useful in building an everlasting relationship with our Rabb. Whatever we hold important in our lives will automatically become a priority for our children as they grow into mature adults. If we have Allah’s love and His obedience as the focal point of our life they will definitely follow this pattern and become a sadaqa-e- jariya for us in sha Allah.