A Daa'iyah, Except in One's Own Family - II

Dear caregivers andDaa'iyahs)callers to Islam( – male and female,
Your role is no less important than that of the other.
Together you bring up your child with a good upbringing -- you and not
anyone else.
First: The role of the father when he is aDaa'iyah:
Dear father, your role is extremely important. You are thehead of the
house; and if your participation is missing, the house will collapse.
A house without a father is like a ship without a leader or a captain.
Dear father, I know well that you do not have enough time to even read
my words. But I beg your pardon: the time that you spend at home is
quite important, otherwise, you would be shockedby a smoking, stealing
or lying child. Here are some practical means to help you play your
role:
1- Daily session with your family:
Fix, say, half an hour everyday to sit with your family members, and
it is better if this is scheduledin the morning, in order to give an
opportunity to all the members of the family to gather together.
Dear caregiver, make this session a daily routine for the entire
family. This session should consist of the following:
-Reciting a short portion of the Noble Quran )five minutes(;
-Read a noble PropheticHadeeth)narration( )five minutes(;
-Introducing to your children a good moral, such as altruism, and it
is better if it is related to the subject of the Quranic Verse and the
PropheticHadeeth)ten minutes(;
-Reciting a short song )Nasheed(: )ten minutes(.
-Having breakfast with your family.
2- The weekly session with your family:
This session is similar to the dailyone, except that it is for two hours.
I suggest that it should entail thefollowing items:
- Recite aRubu')one-eighth a uz( of the Noble Quran withTajweed;
- A portion of IslamicFiqh)Islamicjurisprudence(;
- A section of the Prophetic Seerah )biography(;
- Study the best Names of Allaah;
All this should be done in a style simplified for children.
- To hold a competition of one question in which the children compete
to answer throughout the week;
- To have some dessert during the session;
Dear caregiver andDaa'iyah, how many sessions do you hold outside the
house in the way of Allaah The Almighty? So, why do you not indulge in
this familial session, for it is the real sustenance of the house?
3- Buy aMus-haf)copy of the Quran( for your son and aHijaabfor your daughter.
4- Do not forget to get your young child to accompany you whenever you
go to perform prayer in theMasjid.
5- Follow up your children in school, and meet their friends; and, at
least once every two weeks, pay a visit to the school inorder to be
briefed on the affairs of your child.
6- Establish an intimate friendship between you and your child, so
that he takes refuge with you if he faces any worrisome matter,
especially during adolescence.
Second: The role of the mother when she is aDaa'iyah:
Dear mother, you are the nurturing ground of such leaders and
conquerors as Muhammad Al-Faatih and Salaah Ad-Deen )Saladin(.
Your role is too important to be neglected. If the father is absent,
you spend all the day with your children. You are more capable
ofkeeping a closer watch on them. You must have a set of practical
means to help you extend your call to your children at home:
1-The sound of the Noble Quran should never stop in your house.
2-Beware of the TV for it corrupts your children. However, there is no
impediment in watching various Islamic satellitechannels like Al-Majd,
Iqra', Al-Fajr, and so on with your children.
3-It is important to engage inDa'wah, provided that it is not atthe
expense of your home and children. In other words, you should not
neglect any of your husband's rights, nor neglect looking after your
child.
4-It is your duty to prepare your children for the daily and weekly
sessions. You have to encourage and prompt them to be interactive in
it.
5-Teach your young daughter to be modest from her early childhood,
through short stories and beautifulNasheeds.
6-Follow up the children in memorizing the Quran, as you spend more
time with them when they study; do that interactively with all your
strength to make your children memorize the Quran.
7-Your small bookcase in the house motivates your children to read:
fill it with useful books and audio/video cassettes.
Dear caregivers andDaa'iyahs,
You know best the different waysofDa'wah, and you are resourceful
aboutDa'wah-relatedideas, programs and methods; sodo not withhold this
source of benefit from your children.