In Praise of the Home-Maker

'And I in turn will do the same to my kids...'

It's an icy cold winter's morning sitting in the comforts of my home and enjoying a hot cup of coffee. Suddenly feelings of inner contentment and serenity engulf me. It dawns on me - far too many women feel unimportant, unrecognized and apologetic for being full-time housewives. I prefer the term 'homemaker' - an infinitely better description of a tremendously important role. And so, as an occasion arises with its heavy demands on women, let us reflect upon the vital art of homemaking.

Treating Children Equally

The Prophetﷺ  said:

“Fear Allaah & treat your children fairly.”
[Sahîh al-Bukhârî (2587) and Sahîh Muslim (1623)] 

 

       Shaykh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله stated that:
     "It is absolutely forbidden to show preference to some of one’s children over  

      others, and that it is obligatory to treat them all equally, males and females alike,

        in accordance with their shares of inheritance, unless they give permission   
                                              and are adults of sound mind." 
                            (al-Fataawa al-Jaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 3/1115, 1116)

A Bridge is Not a Home

It was reported that (Prophet) Nuh lived in a house made of wool for nine hundred and fifty years. The Messenger صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم never put a stone over another [his house was built of mud] and on Umar ibn al-Khattab’s رضي اللّه عنـه garment there were twelve patches. This is because they understood that this world is a bridge and a bridge should not be taken as a home. Thus, whoever fails to be aware of this knowledge will be afflicted with the disease of Sharah¹, and should cure himself by seeking knowledge and contemplating the biographies of wise scholars.

Footnotes:
¹. Sharah: Used for extravagance, and is generally used to refer to gluttony

• Transcribed from: Disciplining the Soul; Tibb al-Ruhāni | Ibn al-Jawzi

Visa of Life...

 

“Strange is the visa of life, it can be cancelled at any time. The duration of its validity is unknown and its extension too is impossible.”

A Father’s Advice to His Son

 

Ibn al-Jawzī رحمه الله authored the following as an advice to his son, Abu’l-Qasim Badr al-Dīn ‘Alī al-Nasikh.¹

You should know, my son, may Allāh guide you to what is right, that man has been distinguished by intellect only so that he would act according to it. Bring it to the fore, use it in contemplation and spend time alone with yourself. You will conclude that you are a created being who has responsibilities and obligations and that the two angels are counting your every word and glance. Every breath is a step closer to death. The time we spend in this world is short, the time we are held in our graves is long, and the punishment for following our base desires is calamitous (disastrous)!

To Whom are the Deeds of a Child Written?

Question posed to Sheikh Ibn Baaz, رحمهم الله:

 

Are the deeds of a child who has not yet reached the age of puberty such as prayer, Hajj and the reading of the Qur’aan attributed to his parents or are they attributed to him?