Imâm Abdur-Rahman As Sa’adi رحمه الله attends the tea party

 

Down Memory Lane... children will remember you... even if years go by....!

The following is a summarized translation:

'If a person sees his daughters or his little ones playing with toys, he should sit with them sometimes...'

During the period this incident is related, Sheikh as-Sa'di رحمه الله was a major scholar, judge, Imâm and lecturer. One day, he was about to leave his home when he saw his young daughter and her friend sitting and playing with their toys. They had made up a skit as though they were in a room, pretending that some objects represented tea and coffee, playing as girls normally would do. When the Sheikh was about to leave his daughter's friend (the little girl) asked him: ‘Why don’t you visit us?’ He رحمه الله replied, ‘I will visit you, tomorrow, insha-Allaah.’

When he رحمه الله wanted to leave the house, he stood at the door and knocked on the door calling out his daughter’s friend by her name. She opened the door and said: ‘Please enter.’ So, he رحمه الله came and sat with them in the area they were playing. They sat and pretended to give him coffee and they spoke with him and told him about their toys, and then he stood up to leave.

When he stood up, his daughter said to him: ‘You have not been my guest.’ He رحمه الله replied: ‘Tomorrow I will be your guest.’ The next day he رحمه الله came and knocked on the door and called out his daughter by her name. She opened the door and said: ‘Please enter.’ He entered the room and sat with them conversing and being humourous. 

This DOES NOT take more than three or four minutes of a person's time. However, his daughter cheerfully narrates this incident (as an adult) in one of the books. This occurred once in her youth but it brought back tremendous gush of happiness for her....

Thus a person should not be neglectful of these affairs. He should give his time by participating in his daughter's play (five or ten minutes) when he sees her playing. Indeed, this will do a lot to the heart of the young one... 

(Edited by Umm Hasna for clarity)