Issue 29 www.rabetah.com May/June 2010

Islam & Family
8
Maulana Abdur Rauf Saheb PART 8
As mentioned previously, lying is a habit which
leads to immorality, and therefore, we must ensure
that our children learn to remain totally free from its
evil. We should create in children a hatred for
falsehood and warn them of its harmful
consequences. The most important thing is to take
the lead ourselves and refrain from lying so that our
children will also be encouraged to be truthful. Our
honourable and worthy ancestors emphasised that
children should grow up with the habit of speaking
the truth.
Once, when Shaykh „Abdul-Qaadir Jilaani was still
a youngster, he departed with a caravan on a
journey to seek knowledge. His mother gave him
forty dinaars for expenses, and made him promise
that he would always speak the truth. Around
Hamadaan, a gang of robbers waylaid the caravan.
One of the robbers came over to him and asked
him what possessions he had with him. Shaykh
„Abdul-Qaadir replied, “Forty dinaars”. The robber
did not take him seriously and left him alone. One
of the others put the same question to him and
again got the reply, “Forty dinaars”. The robber got
hold of him and took him to their leader who
repeated the same question. Yet again, the
youngster replied, “Forty dinaars”. Upon being
shown the dinaars, the leader was astonished and
asked, “Who has compelled you to speak the
truth?” Shaykh „Abdul-Qaadir Jilaani repeated the
promise he had made to his mother about speaking
the truth. On hearing this, the leader was
overwhelmed with awe. He acted as if he was mad
and said, “You do not violate the pledge that you
have given to your mother, whilst here I am,
unmindful of the word I have given to Allah, the
Exalted. I violate it and am not afraid in the least.”
He instructed his henchmen to return all that they
had snatched from the caravan-riders. Thereafter,
he said, “I repent to Allah Ta‟aala at your hands.”
His associates allowed him to continue as their
leader after his repentance, just as he was their
chief during their days of evil. The result of this
youngster being truthful was that all the bandits
repented, and the youngster grew up to be a pious
person, known to many as „Shaykh „Abdul-Qaadir
Jilaani‟.
Honesty is a virtue which will stop us and our
children from further sins. Sayyiduna „Abdullah bin
Dinaar (R.A) journeyed towards Makkah
Mukarramah with Sayyiduna „Umar Radhiallahu
Anhu. During the journey, they came across a
shepherd. Sayyiduna „Umar Radhiallahu Anhu put
him to the test and said, “Sell us one of these
sheep.” The shepherd replied that he was a slave
and not the owner of the sheep. Sayyiduna „Umar
Radhiallahu Anhu suggested, “You could tell your
master that a wolf attacked and ate up a sheep.”
The shepherd asked, “What shall I say to Allah
Subhaanahu Wa Ta‟aala? He is watching.”
Sayyiduna „Umar began to weep. He paid the
purchase price of the slave, set him free and said,
“In this world, your honesty has earned you your
freedom. I hope that in the hereafter, because of
this, you will be free (from the fire of Jahannam).”
Speaking the truth in this case, saved the shepherd
from committing theft and earned him his freedom.
Apart from lying, there are also another three habits
which we must ensure our children are free from.
Coincidently, theft is also one of them. The habit of
theft is as dangerous as telling lies. It prevails in a
society where people have not adopted the morals
prescribed by Islam and have not benefited from
Imaan. We must teach our children from an early
age to fear Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta‟aala, so that
they may learn not to betray trust or to usurp the
rights of others. A child, who has been taught
otherwise, gradually turns into a miserable criminal
who cheats and deceives, and is then abhorred by
society. Therefore, it is essential that we warn our
children of the evil consequences of theft, cheating
and being unjust. We must take responsibility for
the actions of our children.
Once when a young thief was being punished, he
said, “Before you punish me, punish my mother.
The first time I committed a theft and brought home
an egg, my mother did not warn or punish me.
Rather, she said that her son was a grown man. If
she had not said that, I would not be a thief now.”
Hence, it is a very despicable thing if parents don‟t
mind if their children steal, or even encourage them
to do so. We must make enquiries as to how our
children acquire things, and discourage them from
all wrongdoing. May Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta‟aala
grant us the guidance to conform our lives to the
required standard, and help us to instil the correct
moral values into the lives of our children. Aameen.
Issue 29 www.rabetah.com May/June 2010