Encouragement to Have Children

Children have a lofty status in Islam, and a high rank. Allah has encouraged us to seek after them: "...so now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allah has ordained for you (offspring)..." [Noble Quran 2:187] ] The scholars of Tafsir (explanation of the Quran) explain that what is meant be seeking that which Allah has ordained for you is seeking reward and good - from which is pious offspring. This encouragement is further clarified and manifested by the order of the Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) in his saying: "Marry the loving and the fertile because through you, I will compete with the nations for superiority in numbers." [Abu Dawud and others] From this we can clearly see the error of those who waste away their family lives using various forms of contraception and therefore preventing themselves and their society from this divine blessing and the beautiful adornment with which Allah has ordained this world. Allah says: "Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world..." [Noble Quran 18:46] So children are a great blessing and something good, and this blessing and good becomes complete when the children are righteous and good - which will not be achieved unless the fathers and mothers train and educate them properly upon Islam and its manners from the first moments of their lives as part of the growing family. Then and only then will they be a pleasure to the eyes and bring happiness to their hearts. Allah says, "And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders for the Muttaqun [i.e. pious and righteous persons who fear Allah mush (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah mush (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]." [Noble Quran 25:74] And besides encouraging us to seek children, Islam has also made them a great source of good, and also a means of receiving great reward for the parents both in their lives and after their deaths - so pious children are an extension to the lives of their parents after their deaths and a continuing means of acquiring good and reward for them. Concerning this Allah's Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "A servant will have his rank raised and will say: 'O my Lord how has this come about for me?' He says: 'Through your sons after you seeking forgiveness for you." [Sahih by Ahmad and Ibn Majah] And he (Peace and blessings be upon him) also said, "When the son of Adam dies his actions are cut off except for three: A continuing charity, or some knowledge from which benefit is derived, or a righteous son who makes supplication for him." [Muslim and Ahmad] From the bounteous favors of Allah with regards to one's offspring, He has made the child a source of good for its parents in all conditions, since if he lives longer than them he benefits them by supplicating for them and asking them for forgiveness for them - as occurs in the above Hadith. On the other hand, if the child dies before them, then he will intercede for them and be a precursor for them in Paradise, and this can be seen clearly in the following Hadiths: The Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) said to the women: "There is not amongst you a woman of whose children three die except that they will be a shield for her from the Fire. A woman said: "And two?" So he said, "And them." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] A woman came with a child of hers and said, "O Prophet of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) supplicate for him, for I have already buried three." So he said, 'You have buried three!' She said, "Yes." He said, 'You have indeed protected yourself with a strong shield from the Fire." [Muslim] And he (Peace and blessings be upon him) said to a man whose son had died, "Do you not love that you will not come to any gate from the gates of Paradise except that you will find him awaiting you?" So a man said, 'Is that for him in particular O Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him), or for all of us?' He said, "Rather for all or you." [Sahih by Ahmad and an-Nasa'i] The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Your small children will roam freely in Paradise when one of them meets his father - or he said; his parents - he will take hold of the edge of his garment or his hand, as I now take hold of the edge of your garment, and not let go until Allah admits him and his father into Paradise." [Muslim] And he (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "By Him in whose Hand is my soul the miscarried fetus will bring his mother by his umbilical cord into paradise if she patiently awaits reward." [Hasan by Ibn Majah]

Khadejah Jones Share Islam Team ShareIslam.com