Haste makes waste

I happened to visit a relative last week. It was time for asr salah. I made my kids stand for salah and stood behind them to pray. I didn't know suddenly the banging of the door made me feel something wrong.

After i finished my salah i inquired what was the problem. My relatives daughter in law had thrown her daughter out and closed the door and she was crying out.

I asked her what did she do wrong to obtain such a harsh punishment. So her reply was that she is not offering salah. A 6 year old can she be punished for not offering salah. I asked do you know the Hadith The Prophet said: Order your children to pray at the age of seven. And beat them [lightly] if they do not do so by the age of ten. And separate them in their bedding.

Hadith - Bukhari 3:734,

At the age of six if you are so harsh with your child instead of praying she will develop a hatred towards salah. Let her pray next to you and form the habit of praying lovingly. For example if she prays with you. You may take her on you lap and kiss her on the forehead and say' i would love to kiss the forehead which bows to Allah'

You must pray to Allah and make dua for your child make these duas to Allah

1. رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَRabbi laa tadharnee fardan wa anta khairul waaritheen
“My Lord! Do not leave me childless, though You are the best of inheritors.”
(Surah al-Anbiya 21:89)

2. رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
Rabbi hab-lee min-ladunka dhurriyatan tayyibah innaka samee’ud-du’aa“My Lord! Grant me from [your mercy] pure offspring, indeed you are listener of invocations.”
(Surah Ale-Imran 3:38)

3. رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِين
Rabbi hab-lee minas-Saliheen “My Lord! Grant me righteous offspring.”
(Surah as-Saffat 37:100)
Sayyiduna Zakariyya عليه السلام made the above invocations and Allah Ta’ala blessed him with Yahya عليه السلام.
4. رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yuniw-waj’alna lil muttaqeena imama
“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 pious.”
(Surah al-Furqan 25:74)
Sayyiduna Ibraheem عليه السلام made this du’a and Allah Ta’ala granted Prophethood to his two sons.

I am sharing this incident so that we can pass on these duas to other parents who are struggling with their children for prayers and their piety

And always remember we should be a living example for our kids. Our punctuality in salah makes them punctual too. If we ourselves are lazy then how il they rush to pray when the azan is proclaimed!!