Prayers for Our Children: How They Guide Their Worldly and Afterlife
Actions and behaviors without supplication are incomplete. For supplication is a connection with Allah. A person who knows the existence, oneness, creativity, and power of Allah, and accepts their own helplessness, can make supplication. This is why supplication is both an act of worship and a bond with Allah. Servitude to Allah is His mercy.
We submit our desired wishes, both worldly aspirations and afterlife desires, to our Lord. We speak with Him, we implore Him. When done sincerely and with belief, supplication is like therapy. What could be more reassuring than seeking refuge in the Most Merciful of the merciful Lord, a source of limitless power and compassion?
IMPACT OF PARENTS ON THEIR CHILDREN
One of the most important things we should pay attention to and strive for when raising our children is the verses and supplications we recite for them. Are we turning into mothers who constantly make du’as, entrusting every task to Allah with effort, or mothers who try to control everything? Of course, we want the very best for our children, so we research and try to learn. But how can we add a bit of submission and trust to these efforts, and direct ourselves to Allah with supplications?
A hadith states: “There are three prayers that are surely accepted: The prayer of the oppressed, the prayer of the guest, and the prayer of parents for their children.” (Abu Dawud, Witir, 29/1536; Tirmidhi, Birr, 7/1905, Duawāt, 47)
Therefore, the impact of our supplications on the upbringing of our children is immense. Every parent, especially a believing parent, certainly makes du’as for their children. But when we think and examine them further, we see that most of these prayers are unfortunately for worldly desires on behalf of our children. Yet we know that;
“When a person dies, all his deeds are cut off except for three: Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity), knowledge from which others benefit, and the prayer of a righteous child.” (Muslim, Wasiyyah, 14; Tirmidhi, Ahkam, 36)
Therefore, our children are our record book that does not close after we pass away.
The great Islamic scholar Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“If a person knew that death would cut him off from his deeds, he would perform righteous deeds whose reward continues even after his death. If he has a little worldly means, he would donate it, plant trees, channel water, and strive to raise generations who will remember Allah so that reward comes to him! Or he would compose a book teaching beneficial knowledge. For a scholar’s book of this kind is their righteous child who continues eternally.” (Ibn al-Qayyim, Sayd al-Hatir, p. 12)
SUPPLICATIONS FOR A VIRTUOUS CHILD
It is certainly commendable to make supplications as it comes from the heart. But the essence lies in frequently reciting examples of supplications found in the Quran and Sunnah after prayers, while cooking, and at every opportunity.
Prophet Zechariah (peace be upon him) supplicated to Allah Most High:
“…“My Lord, grant me from Your presence a pure offspring, surely You are the Best to hear prayer.” (Al-Imran, 38)
The supplications of parents have an effect on generations. Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), while building the Ka’bah al-Muazzama with his son Prophet Ismail, implored Allah as follows:
“Our Lord! Make of us a people who surrender unto You and of our offspring the same, and make us Your servants.” (Al-Baqarah, 128)
As a sign of acceptance of this supplication, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“I am the prayer of my grandfather Ibrahim.” (Hakim, II, 453; Ahmed, IV, 127-128)
Of course, we are naturally concerned that our children may fall into Satan’s traps and ruin both their worldly life and afterlife… Here is how the mother of Prophet Maryam felt and supplicated for her infant daughter:
“And when she brought him forth, she said, ‘Lord! I have bestowed her name upon Meryem, and you are most knowing of her.’ And peace be on her; she was of the righteous.” (Al-Imran, 36)
Here’s a look at some other supplications we won’t fail to recite for our children:
“My Lord! Grant me a righteous son!” (As-Saffat, 100)
“My Lord! Make me and my offspring upholders of prayer…” (Ibrahim, 40)
“And they say: ‘Our Lord! Grant us mercy from You, and make our affair easy in this world and in the Hereafter.’” (Al-Furqan, 74)
“…My Lord! Bestow upon me a goodly disposition and place within my offspring a successor to me. My Lord! And accept my prayer.” (es-Saffat, 40)
“…My Lord! Grant me from Your presence a pure offspring…” (Al-Ahqaf, 15)
We should also recite supplications to protect our children from evil eye. In the Quran:
“Those who disbelieve say, ‘Had we known it, surely we would not have taken them as helpers.’” (Al-Kalam, 51)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Evil eye is real.” (Bukhari, Tibb, 36)
In another hadith, for someone with jaundice:
“Pray for him, for he has been afflicted by the evil eye.” (Bukhari, Tibb, 35)
In another hadith, the Muawwazatayn (Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas) are recited after sleeping and when sickness occurs[1] and against the evil eye[2]. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would blow on his hands and rub them over his entire body.[3]
In a world where prophets also experienced generational concerns, we should follow their example and share in the supplications they made, making them a constant practice for our tongues and hearts. We should frequently recite Ayat al-Kursi, Surah Al-Falaq, Surah An-Nas, Surah Al-Ikhlas, and Salawat, with the intention of increasing the faith, sincerity, and guidance of our children. Let us not keep these verses and supplications in a corner of our minds, but rather turn them into action and recite them abundantly. Let’s recite so that we can feel their effect, increase the light of our children, and diminish darkness.
We may also add the supplication of righteous people to this, and strive to earn the prayers of those who are oppressed and needy. For these are both a guarantee for us and for our children, materially and spiritually.
As we have seen how the supplications with our prayers, our tasbihs, sometimes our charity and good deeds affect the upbringing and character of children, we would probably be supplicating incessantly, without stopping. As Allah Most High says in a sacred hadith:
“…O My servants! All of you are astray except those whom I have guided; so ask Me for guidance that I may guide you.”[4]
- [1] Bukhari, Fadail al-Qur’an, 14; Muslim, Salam, 50-51.
- [2] Nasa’i, Istiaza, 37; Tirmidhi, Tibb, 17.
- [3] Bukhari, Fadail al-Qur’an, 14.
- [4] Muslim, Birr, 55/2577.