How to Bridge the Generation Gap?

A Gift of Allah

The Father

My child! Keep in mind that children are gifts of Allah. Do not belittle this fact. Holy Prophet (S.) once said:

الولد الصالح ريحانة من رياحين الجنة

“A righteous child is a flower from flowers of heaven.” [^1]

He also said:

من سعادة الرجل الولد الصالح

“Of the signs of prosperity, the righteous child is one.” [^2]

And Imam Zain al-Abidin (as) is quoted as saying:

من سعادة الرجل ان يكون له ولد يستعين بهم

“One of the signs of a man's prosperity is having children from whom he gets helps.” [^3]

Imam As-Sadiq (as)[^4] said:

Once there was a man who said, he did not wish to have any children until he went to Mecca. There at Arafat, he came across a young man with tears in his eyes who was praying to Allah for his father. Seeing that situation, persuaded me to have children. [^5]

The Child

Yes, a child is a gift, and man has been assigned obligations for this gift as Imam As-Sadiq (as) once said:

البنون نعيم والبنات حسنات والله يسأل عن النعيم ويثيب على الحسنات

“Sons are gift and daughters are righteous deeds. Allah holds one responsible for a gift but be rewards one for righteous deeds.” [^6]

Therefore, the father are responsible for their children and they should be careful how they treat and rear them.

[^1]: The Book Wafi, Part 12, pages 196-197.

[^2]: The Book Wafi, Part 12, pages 196-197.

[^3]: The Book Wafi, Part 12, pages 196-197.

[^4]: The sixth Imam, Ja'far, known as As-Sadiq (as) (83/699-148/765). The son of the fifth Imam, he lived in an increasingly favourable climate and was able to teach openly in Medina. Large numbers of scholars gathered around him to learn, including such famous Sunni figures as Abu Hanifah, the founder of the one of the four Sunni schools of law. Towards the end of Imam Ja'far's life severe restrictions were placed upon his activities, as a result of growing shi'ite unrest. More traditions are recorded from him than from all the other Imams together. He is so important for twelve-Imam Shi'ite law that it is named the “Ja'fari School” after him. He is buried in the Baqi, cemetery in Medina. Ja'far's fame for religious leaning was great, greater than that of his father or of any other Twelver Imam except for Ali b. Abi Talib (as) himself. Perhaps the earliest historical reference presenting Ja'far as one of the most respected and highly esteemed personalities of his epoch, and as having profound knowledge and learning, is Ya'qubi's statement that it was customary for scholars who related anything from him to say: “The Learned One informed us.” Even the famous jurist of Medina, the Imam Malik b. anas, is reported to have said, when quoting Ja'far's traditions: “The Thiqa (truthful) Ja'far b. Muhammad himself told me that ...” Similar compliments for Ja'far are attributed to the Imam Abu Hanifa, who is also reported to have been his pupil. As-Sadiq's (as). Knowledge was great in religion and culture, he was fully informed in philosophy, he attained great piety in the world, and he abstained entirely from lusts. He lived in Medina long enough to greatly profit the sect that followed him, and to give his friends the advantage of the hidden science.

[^5]: The Book Wafi, Part 12, pages 196-197.

[^6]: The Book Wafi, part 12, pages 196-197.