What Surah Kahf says about the relationship between parents and children - Part 1
Meant to post this yesterday, but better late than never.
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Surah Kahf is filled with many gems that we can benefit from, but I wanted to focus on 3 specific instances that if we think about deeply, they will help us as parents and in sha Allah help us raise righteous young men and women.
The first story in Surah Kahf where young men are mentioned is regarding the people of the cave. We could argue all day about who these people were and from what time period, but that is not the point.
The point is to take lessons from what Allah did mention.
In Verse 10, the young men were taking refuge in a cave, and asked Allah:
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةًۭ وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًۭا ١٠
“Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and guide us rightly through our ordeal.”
Allah responded to them in verse 13, where Allah says:
نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَـٰهُمْ هُدًۭى ١٣“We relate to you ˹O Prophet˺ their story in truth. They were youths who truly believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.”
They were being persecuted for their beliefs, but they didn’t ask Allah,
“Oh Allah, spare my life!”
“Oh Allah, don’t allow me to die!”
They knew that it wasn’t about life or death, but they wanted to make sure they wouldn’t lose what is really of value.
Their Islam.
Their submission to Allah.
They didn't want to be among those who out of fear turned back on their religion.
Subhan Allah!
Now the question is, how did these youth become so grounded in their faith?
Family systems were strong back in the day, and there is no doubt that their family had a huge influence on their Islam.
It was probably their parents (after Allah of course), who had the most influence on them being righteous and sincere.
Their proper grounding in Islam is confirmed later on when those young men sent one of them to town to get some halal food.
I don’t say halal food as a joke, but they LITERALLY said to get some pure food in verse 19:
فَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟ أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَآ أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًۭا…
فَلْيَأْتِكُم بِرِزْقٍۢ مِّنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًا١٩
“...So send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the city, and let him find which food is the purest, and then bring you provisions from it. Let him be ˹exceptionally˺ cautious, and do not let him give you away.”
Remember, they were sleeping for 300 years, and they were hungry, but to them it seemed like they only slept for an hour or two.
But they didn’t compromise.
Only get the pure food!
Subhan Allah.
They were starving, yet they only wanted what was pure and halal, even in a life and death situation.
Their actions and thought processes were with the Islamic filter intact and unclogged.
This Islamic mindset was ingrained in them, and it became a natural way for them to think and act.
Besides the pure food, he was told to not bring any attention to yourself, because if he gets caught, one of two things will happen.
Now this is the crazy part.
They said, “if the people find out about you, they will stone you ˹to death˺, or force you back into their faith, and then you will never succeed.”
Did you catch that last part?
They will force you back into their faith, and THEN you will never succeed.
They didn’t associate living with success, and getting stoned to death with failure.
They associated “forcing you back into their faith,” as failure!
Once again, the Islamic values were instilled deep within these youth.
Don’t underestimate the youth and what they are capable of.
Don’t leave their upbringing up to a system that goes against Islamic values.
Don’t leave their upbringing up to a system that praises science and the human mind instead of Allah.
Remember, after Allah, it is righteous parents and family who pave the path for righteous children.