Inspiration and Spirituality

Yahya Ibrahim | To My Children

Published

November 22, 2010

Bismillah wasSalatu was Salaamu ‘ala Rasoolillah – With the Name of Allah, I begin by invoking Divine Greetings and Peace upon the Messenger of Allah.

Shireen, my daughter, you are now 4 years old.

Omar, my son, you are now three years old.

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Adam, my son, you are now 7 weeks old

My children, know that I and your mother love you. We agree on these words of advice to you. I pray that these words will be a part of you as long as you may live.

My children, there is only One God. All that exists belongs to Him as He is the Originator of all. He, subhanahu, aloneis worthy of worship and all other deities are to be shunned. Laa illah illa Allah. He, the Mighty and the Majestic, is the Creator of all things big and small. Out of nothing, He, subhanahu (Most Glorious), made everything. He has knowledge of all things, not even a leaf flutters to the ground without His foreknowledge of its descent. He, subhanahu, knows what was, what is, what will be, and what would be even though it will never come into reality. He is the Provider for all. None can gain what He has not set. None can push back what He has brought forth. Allah is arRahman arRaheem – The Merciful to All, the Especially Merciful to those who distinguish themselves in obedience to Him. Do not join anything with Him in that which Only He deserves.

My children, establish your prayers regularly and with humility. Nothing in your life is more important than your Salaat. Prayer is your connection to Allah. Insha allah, I will teach you what to say and the Quran to recite in your prayers. I will teach you the times and the rules and regulations. I will enforce it upon you by praying with you, and behind you as you mature. I will remind you often of its importance and form so as to remind myself of it. There will be times when your faith fails and your Salaat begins to slip away from you. Return to Allah quickly and make up that which you miss. I pray for your success in this.

My children, feel the hunger and thirst of others. Wealth, health, prosperity are all governed by the Decree of Allah. If we are prosperous now, we thank and praise Allah. Tomorrow may not be the same as today. If you are less fortunate in days to come, be patient and equally thank Allah and praise Him. Put your trust in Allah and work hard as taught to us by His Messenger (s). To avert poverty give to others from the bounties bestowed upon you by Allah, treat your mother well, and spend your money in that which is permitted. Give loans to those who ask, and repay quickly those you owe. All the while, be content with the meagre and generous with your excess. Speak well of Allah’s Grace upon you and be charitable to your neighbours, family and community. Ask forgiveness from those you harm and repent to Allah. If all you have is but a single meal and your neighbour hungers, split it in half. That, my children, is prosperity.

My children, seek knowledge and find ways to apply it. Learn something about everything. Familiarise yourself with all the sciences that surround us in life and the things you encounter regularly. All the while search for something you seek to know everything about and delve deeply into it. Knowledge is a torch that illuminates your path. It is power. Develop a love for solving problems, unravelling mathematics and appreciating literature. The more you read the better. I pray that Allah grants me life to instruct you in the Quran – the Sacred Truth. Its message is peace, its words are holy and its script is revered. I will read with you, for many years the Quran, page by page, ayah by ayah, and word by word, insha Allah. It is through the Quran that you must view the world. It will lead you upon the straight path that has been tread upon by the virtuous. The limits you set for yourself and the boundaries I will establish are that of the Quran. The Quran is Truth.

My children, as you mature you will come to realise that life is not easy and Allah will test you every so often. The more you read of the life of the Messenger Muhammed (s) and seek to follow his tradition of life, the more resilient you will be in the face of adversity. Any kind of hardship you can envision and pray to never face was shouldered by him, Salaa allahu ‘alihi was Salim, simultaneously. He experienced, in his 63 years of blessed life more tribulation than a cohort. He, Salaa allahu ‘alihi was Salim, was an orphan, a widower, battle scarred, and unjustly outcast. He outlived many of his children and buried some of his grandchildren. His uncle, the Mercy of Allah be upon him, was martyred and his body desecrated. He, Salaa allahu ‘alihi was Salim, was defamed, mocked, lied to and about. He was poisoned, stoned, and had to witness his companions tortured on account of their faith in his Message, Salaa allahu ‘alihi was Salim.

My children, know that your faith in Allah must manifest itself in your character. Tawheed builds Character. Speak the truth always, even if against yourself. Avert your eyes from immorality, pornography and junk TV. Keep your chastity and guard yourself from any stage of sexual immorality. Know that a friend is a window to your soul. Follow your heart and be true to your firasah (instint). Be just, firm and gentle in your dealings. When you are hurt, recover quickly and thank Allah for the difficulty that extinguishes sin. When you are well and all seems to be at peace, be vigilant and anticipate a brewing storm.

When you err, repent to Allah and seek not to conceal it from me by lying or deception. The greatest lessons you will learn will be through your naive misjudgement of peoples’ character, your over confidence and because you did not heed our advice as your parents. When you err, we are there. As bad as you may think it is and as embarrassing as you may find it, step up to me and I will run over to you. Know that you are brothers and sisters to one another. If your cousin slights one of you, it is as if he slighted all of you. Together you must remain as one.

My children, if pushed, push back harder. In life you must hit back. Let no one assume you weak on account of your spiritual inner peace. Learn to negotiate and compromise and dialogue while attaining your objective. Violence is not a solution. Peace does not mean fragility. Be sturdy, humble, durable and reflective.

My children, remember that your mother carried you and sustained you in her own body. For nine months she protected you and nurtured you. She loved you with an amazing intensity all throughout. The day of your birth and all that days that followed have only increased that love. Your illness is our illness, your success is our success. Know my children that I possess nothing of the dunya that is equal to you. I love you and will continue to love you as long as I live. Eventually, insha Allah, you will have children of your own. Make sure you write them a letter.

I ask Allah to grant me life, health and ability to educate you as my father and mother educated me. I ask Allah to put love in your hearts for humanity and to use you in the assistance of others.

I ask Allah to protect you and honour you with al-Quran.

I ask Allah to increase your rizq, lifespan and allow you happiness in this dunya and in the akhira.

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Shaykh Yahya Ibrahim

Imam Yahya Ibrahim, Director of Islamic Community Service; A/Principal of the Langford Islamic College, Perth & Head of Islamic Studies. Imam Yahya Ibrahim is also Curtin University & University of Western Australia's Muslim chaplain and sits on the Human Research Ethics Committee at St Charles Gairdner Hospital for Western Australian Health Services. Imam Yahya is also an instructor for the world-renowned AlMaghrib Institute. His initiatives in Australia and internationally include diversity training, cultural sensitivity programs, educational lectures, and media presentations. His expertise is sought by schools, universities, and a wide range of government & non-government organizations. In recognition of his valuable contribution, Imam Yahya was awarded the West Australian Multicultural Community Service Award for Individual Excellence. He currently oversees a unique educational Online project through https://YahyaIbrahim.com/School and his social media outreach.

32 Comments

Asmaa

November 22, 2010 at 12:13 AM

Salaamoalaikum wa rahmatullaah,

May Allaah bless, protect, have mercy upon, and guide your children and the children of this Ummah to the right ya Sheikh.. Ameen

This is very powerful and touching..

I pray to Allaah that they grow up to see this piece of advice here by you and will thank Allaah for being taken care of by such wonderful parents..

Reply
- Yahya Ibrahim
  
  November 23, 2010 at 3:50 PM
  
  Ameen to all your du’a.
  
  Reply
  - M. Hamed Hussain Aghai
    
    November 25, 2010 at 7:39 AM
    
    Masha’Allah!
    
    Very well said and written. Worth sharing with every Muslim. Thank you and may Allah, the Almighty reward you and your family with the Sadhqaa of our Beloved Master Prophet Muhammedh Sallal Laahu alaihi wa Sallim. Aameen!
    
    If you have any other write ups and advice to young Muslims with reference to Quran and Hadhees, please share with us. Jazaka Allahu wa Khairun.
    
    Reply
  - khursida
    
    March 14, 2015 at 1:58 AM
    
    Assalamualaikum. I really liked reading your article.its well written and touching coming straight from the heart.may the almighty allah bess you n your family in this world and here after.
    
    Reply
Maysa Hammoud

November 22, 2010 at 6:37 AM

Assalamu 3leikum wa ra7matullah wa barakatuh Brother,

I am absolutely touched by your letter. It truly brought tears to my eyes. This is for many reasons.

Mainly, I admire the wisdom behind your letter for such a young parent. May Allah, subhanahu wa taala, grant all that had a positive impact on you reward for their efforts. I read your letter with awe as to how blessed you are to have reached God-consciousness at such an early age. You arrived at taqwa, in what took me forty years to reach.

I commend you for having the focus that I now have as a forty-something parent.

Like yourself, I was also brought up in the West (Chicago, IL.) and am from Egyptian decent. Living in the West is tough for a Muslim, especially back in the 70s and 80s. But I know that Allah toughens us up through struggle. I was foolish to blame my parents for bringing me here to confusion and unhappiness at the age of four. It is these two things along with an awakened fitrah (instinct) that shaped me into a humble servant. This, of course, is from Allah (bi fadhl Illah) and not from me.

I pray that you are granted blessings and mercy from Allah. Your letter brought me joy and resolution to capture what you have done for your children (and many others that will read your letter) and achieve something of the same stature.

Jazak Allah Kheiran,

maysa (um rakan)

Reply
- Yahya Ibrahim
  
  November 23, 2010 at 3:50 PM
  
  Ameen to all of your dua
  
  Reply
- Rukhsana Ather
  
  January 14, 2014 at 8:26 PM
  
  …..JazakAllahU Khairan Kasera ……..
  
  Reply
Nida

November 22, 2010 at 7:15 AM

Very, very touching. Deep. Love it. Must write one for my kids – if I have ever have any… :)

Reply
Abu Abdullah

November 22, 2010 at 9:17 AM

Assalam alaikum!

Dear Shaikh Jazakumullah Khairan for sharing this wonderful essay. I came across this, wondering if it some of the things mentioned fit into our creed.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222562&cl=23036263&ch=&src=canadanews

Reply
Faatimah

November 22, 2010 at 9:39 AM

I met Shireen and Omar in Kuala Lumpur in Feb 2009 when you did the one day course of Tafseer Soorah Ta Ha. Adam was still in mama’s womb at that time.

Wallaahee you made me crty reading this article. SubhanAllaah, if only we can realize how much our parents love us and mean only good for us. May Allaah Reward our parents and Bless them with a long life in His Obedience and prosperity. May Allaah Forgive our parents their shortcomings.

O Allaah, we have indeed wronged ourselves by not being obedient to our parents as they deserved to be obeyed. O Allaah, please forgive us and make birr ul waalidayn easy for us.

Jazaak Allaah Khayran. It was indeed a very heart touching reminder that motivates one to be good and respectful to one’s parents.

Reply
- Yahya Ibrahim
  
  November 23, 2010 at 3:53 PM
  
  bismillah,
  
  Insha Allah you enjoyed the seminar in Kuala Lampur. I hope that Shireen and Omar didn’t make too much noise in that last session!
  
  Insha Allah soon you can meet Adam. I should be there again this coming February again insha Allah. Keep up the good work at the Young Muslim Project and salaam to all the MPF bros and sisters
  
  Thank you for the du’a, Allahum Ameen
  
  Yahya Ibrahim
  
  Reply
abu Rumay-s.a.

November 22, 2010 at 11:46 AM

jazakAllahu khairun ya Ustadh!! I just went through the letter with some of my children ages 6-11 in my own words…masha`Allah very effective…barak Allahu feek…

tamim

Reply
- Yahya Ibrahim
  
  November 23, 2010 at 3:55 PM
  
  Alhamdulillah
  
  I pray that Allah allows there to be benefit in it.
  
  Reply
amad

November 22, 2010 at 12:30 PM

jazakallahkhair yaa shaykh. As always, your articles pierce the hearts with poignant messages.

Tangentially, I think this begs the question of wassiya. As you can see from the poll on the left, it seems most of us don’t take the time to do a wasiyya for our assets either. Any thoughts?

Reply
- trez
  
  November 22, 2010 at 1:36 PM
  
  I am sure many would like a brief article explaining its importance and whether it is considered recommended or fard etc,,,So if you haven’t already thought about it inshaAllah something like that would be of benefit.
  
  Reply
Zulander

November 22, 2010 at 10:42 PM

Very heart warming subhanAllah :D

JazakAllahu khairan Shaikh!

Reply
Ibn Masood

November 23, 2010 at 12:22 AM

BarakAllahu feekum!

Reply
Fortis

November 23, 2010 at 7:04 AM

Jazaakallah Khair brother!

I suggest that we make this article as a template so that it could be utilized by parents or parents to be. It could be tremendously useful for aspiring parents in the ummah! Insha Allah

Reply
Fateema

November 23, 2010 at 11:39 AM

jazakallahu khairan..may he the almighty give us the ability,power and wisdom to guide our children..ameen.

Reply
Ajrun

November 23, 2010 at 11:53 AM

Barak Allahu feek sheikh, beautiful article. May Allah make increase us in serving our parents to bring about their contentment, and may He bless us with righteous children that will be a coolness to our eyes and heart, ameen.

Reply
firoz85

November 24, 2010 at 2:46 AM

Assalamualaikum Sheikh

A deep and touching article with a lot of wisdom. May you be blessed with many more children InshAllah who will read this !

a Br. from the tiny island of srilanka

Reply
Abrar Muslim

November 27, 2010 at 10:19 PM

Assalamu’alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim,

Jazakallah khair for the very useful article and advice. BarakAllahu feekum!

We also miss your tausyiah and Friday Kutbah in Perth, Western Australia. When will you come back to Perth, insya Allah?

I tried to contact your mobile number, but I can not, it seems disconnected. And then, I have just remembered your advice in the last Friday Kutbah in Curtin Mushallah that you would be in overseas.

Sheikh Yahya, I really need your advice and help regarding to Islamic matter. I sent you email letter to the aic email address. But it was not delivered. So, you could please help me, would you like to let me know (send it to my mobile number) your other email address please?

May Allah always bless you and your families, make you easy in da’wah effort, ameen.

Abrar Muslim
Phone: +61432016142
PhD Student at Curtin University, Australia.

I am brother Hendra’s relative, we have had your talks/tausyiah in Brother Hendra’s house and Bu Sari’s house in Perth.

Reply
- Yahya Ibrahim
  
  November 28, 2010 at 8:16 AM
  
  Bismillah,
  
  I fly back with the family insha Allah in a week. My phone will be switched on again insha Allah.
  I will ring you as soon as I get back insha Allah and will email you in the mean time.
  
  give my salam to everyone in Perth Akhi. I miss the brothers.
  
  Yahya
  
  Reply
Aloaras

November 30, 2010 at 7:25 AM

Wow! Amazing read. May Allah swt protect our children, especially our daughters from the evil that lurks.

Reply
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Aswin

December 23, 2010 at 12:42 PM

I respect the keen lineage of words that express your love for your children and your faith in Allah.
But, if you would permit me for this, I would like to point out a language misconstrue in this letter of yours.

If I may quote (sentence 10 to be specific) – “My children, there is only One God. All that exists belongs to Him as He is the Originator of all. He, subhanahu, alone is worthy of worship and all other deities are to be shunned. …”

Speaking for what I point my finger at here, the 10th sentence is a compound sentence, with an “and” as the join. This throws stress on the latter part of a sentence.
For instance, if I were to tell you “I went to the mall and bought myself a nice pair of boots”, and you would close your eyes now after you read the sentence from me to you again, what stays in your mind (most likely, need not be true for everybody) would be me conveying to you that I now am the proud owner of a pair of boots, and NOT that I did my shopping in a mall.
i.e. the latter part of the compound sentence, following the “and”, is what lingers as a communication from me to you in this conversation.

Getting back to what I am intending to convey, Islam teaches you not to be offensive, but this particular sentence (the 10th) could be inferred by the sub-conscious mind of the reader as an offensive warning against ‘other deities’. Not just in the context of a Hindu or a Sikh or a Christian reading this letter, I intend to point out that the sentence lands a hypnotic suggestion in the mind of any reader, which (I hope) is not what you intend to inflict upon any reader. The language in the sentence would be digested by the unconscious mind in a negative tone as well, not just in the spirit of raising love for Allah.

The teachings of the Quran are very valuable and precisely what you want your children live by, I make a humble statement that It should, at no cost, come with a feeling of discretion towards another.

Making a positive suggestion, the same message could be conveyed by ending the sentence as “He, subhanahu, alone is worthy of worship.”. This is wholly affirmative and intentional.

It would please me even if you choose to disagree, but after having gone through this mail, you could draw correlations to how mere sentences communicated with specific language constructs make a massive difference to the receiver’s life in many respects, in notes deeper, more than just what is said superficially.

Reply
zaharah

January 23, 2011 at 7:37 PM

mashallah may god give him a long life!!!!!
by any chance can we foster him or adopot him !!!!
jazakallah plz reply back and let me know!!!!

Reply
ChasingPurity

February 14, 2011 at 5:45 PM

I can’t wait to have my own children. I would totally make a video of something like this & leave it for them to see whenever they want. May Allah bless us all with the future leaders of Islam. (:

Reply
Ramla

January 15, 2014 at 8:56 AM

Masha allah well said……….

Reply
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Seyda

August 4, 2015 at 10:40 PM

Thank you so much for sharing this with us. If you don’t mind I would like to share it with my boys, we are in the process of learning why is so important to pray on time, and that we must only depend on Allah sbw.

Reply
Shaema

December 4, 2016 at 3:03 PM

Asalamoalikum! I’m Shaema & I’m from Pakistan. May Allah fulfil all your duas ameen n make your kids coolness of your eyes. I watch your videos. I have learned alot from your videos. You don’t know what a tremendous work you ate doing. I have no one here to guide me. I wanted to go for hajj n ummrah with you people but i dont have sources. I made dua to Allah to give me a chance to go for ummrah with you & Omer Suleiman ameen. Its my heartly desire. May Allah reward you the best. Everytime i watch your video i make dua for you. Jazakallah for the videos.

Reply