Monitor every move of your children
The strict supervision of Hadrat Maulana Yahya Saheb Rahimahullah
Hadrat Shaikh’s father (Maulana Yahya Saheb) kept him under strict supervision from a very young and tender age. Due to his father’s discipline and Tarbiyat, he was accepted by Allah Ta’ala for the service of Deen. His father kept a close eye on him even whilst he was a student in Madrasah.
When Hadrat Shaikh (Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Saheb Rahimahullah) was studying at the Madrasah in Saharanpur, his father Maulana Yahya Saheb was appointed as a teacher at the same institute. One day, whilst on his way to relieve himself, the aroma of Kebaab reached his father. On exiting the bathroom, he saw Hadrat Shaikh approaching, who was also on his way to relieve himself. Maulana Yahya Saheb waited there until he exited and then asked him to open his mouth checking for traces of the Kebaab but found none. This was his way of ensuring that his son was at the Madrasah for no other purpose but the acquisition of Deeni knowledge.
The harms of affording freedom to our children
If a person grants freedom to his children for even a moment in our times, then he can lose his children very easily and quickly. A young girl asked her parents for permission to talk to a boy from school over social media. The father obliged finding his daughter to be innocent and honest. It later ended up in such a disaster where the father is lamenting until today.
Recently, a lady passed away and her daughter requested to assist in her mother’s Ghusl. The father refused on account of the girl being a lesbian.
In another incident, a boy recently passed away and when presented for Ghusl, it was discovered that he had undergone a sex-change and now has the body parts of a female, whereas he was born as a male. Questions are now being sent to the various Fatwa departments of the country enquiring as to whether Ghusl of such individuals should be administered or not, and if yes, then who should conduct the Ghusl.
Read the books of our pious predecessors
A few years after Khanqah Akhtari introduced their Islaahi Jalsa, Hadrat Maulana Abdul Hamid Saheb requested that neighbouring Darul Ulooms should also be invited. Various Jamaats were set up for this objective, and one Jamaat went to Darul Uloom Zakariyya. Whilst having tea with Hadrat Maulana Shabbir Saloojee Saheb of Darul Uloom Zakariyya, he advised that reading the Aap Beeti of Hadrat Shaikh is extremely beneficial and many lessons may be derived from it. If every parent took control of his children like Maulana Yahya Saheb, then children would have been a great blessing. The calamity of disobedient children in the world is as a result of affording freedom to our children and due to lack of parental supervision.
When Hadrat Maulana Thanwi Rahimahullah passed away, then Hadrat Maulana Maseeullah Saheb saw a dream. In the dream, Hadrat Thanwi Rahimahullah informs him that the solutions to the problems of the Ummah can be found in his Malfoozaat. Our Akaabireen experienced these challenges perhaps over a hundred years ago, yet these solutions are still applicable in these times.
Don’t fulfil every desire of your child
When Hadrat Shaikh was 3 or 4 years old, he read his first Eid Salaah in Khandla and kept a fond memory of the lush and beautiful area. The second time he visited there, he was about 13 years old. One Ramadaan, his father asked if it would make him happy to return to Khandla for Eid Salaah. He affirmed that it would and his father agreed to send him. Hadrat Shaikh describes his happiness for the remaining days leading up to the day of Eid, as though every day was the day of Eid, and every night was the night of Qadr. On the morning of the 29th of Ramadaan, his father came to him and stopped him from going to Khandla. Hadrat Shaikh was broken and spent the day crying, right through the day of Eid as well. Two days later, his father approached him and explained the reason for disallowing him from going. He said that after seeing the extent of his happiness in the days leading up to it, he had to stop it. The great lesson in here, Hadrat Shaikh says, only reached his understanding later in his life. Never again would he attach himself to anything where he would later regret or cry over its loss.
Many times we comment that who do we work for or earn for except our children. Whatever they desire, we fulfil without hesitation. The danger here is, if, for example, we have a daughter on whom we freely spend but if she were to marry a man that is unable to meet that expectation, it would leave her forlorn and wanting to return to the comforts and luxury of her parent’s home. If we had a son whom we freely spend on, and one day he has to work and earn, and he experiences a difficulty under an employer, he might not be able to cope and will quit his job.
Allah Ta’ala speaks in the Quraan about His “friends” who will have no fear in the future due to their obedience to Allah Ta’ala and will enjoy Jannah, and they will experience no grief or sorrow over their past. No loss of the world ever grieves them.
When Mufti Muhammad Shafee Saheb Rahimahullah (the grand Mufti of Pakistan) lived in Deoband, he initially had small living quarters. He later started selling Kitaabs and even wrote Kitaabs. At the same time, he enjoyed planting trees and especially, mango trees. After some time, Allah Ta’ala granted him so much Barakah that he was able to build a much bigger house. And just as he was about to harvest the very first fruit crop of his trees, the partition of India and Pakistan arose. He had to leave everything behind and go to Pakistan. Can we imagine the grief that a person would experience at such a time? He had just set himself up in life with a comfortable home and orchard and had to leave everything behind. However, it was due to his strong bond and connection with Allah Ta’ala, that he experienced no sorrow or regret.
The pious people of Khandla
The village of Khandla comprised of many pious and righteous individuals, both males and females. The aunt of Hadrat Shaikh was ill and bed-ridden. She passed away on the 24th of Shabaan. On the morning of her passing, just as Fajr Adhaan was about to commence, she called Hadhrat Shaikh to assist her in sitting up. In fear of missing or being delayed for his Salaah, he called for someone else to assist her. She then told him that he should sit down as Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam was coming. So, he sat down. She then kept waving at the door and called for Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam to enter. Just then, her neck slumped and she passed away. Can we imagine the relationship she enjoyed with Allah Ta’ala that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam came to receive her at the time of death?! May Allah Ta’ala bless us all with a beautiful death. Ameen!