How to Protect our Families from the Fire (3/6)

Obligations we must be watchful over regarding our families:

The obligation of charity (Zakah); some of our relatives might have wealth, jewelry, or business that requires them to pay Zakah. At that, we  must  admonish them   to  pay  Zakah, following  the   footsteps of  the   Prophet of  Allah,  Isma’eel (Ishmael), may Allah exalt  his mention, who used  to order  his family  to  pray  and  give  Zakah, as  Allah  the  Exalted  Said (what  means): "And mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet. And he used to enjoin on his people prayer and Zakah and was to his Lord pleasing." [Qur’an, Surah Maryam, 19:54-55]

Also,  the   head   of  the   household must  be  watchful  of  their family  while  fasting and  should  help  them  in  making   up  the days  that they  were  not fasting in Ramadhan by fasting with them  and  urging  them  to  be  make  haste in  making  up  those days.

We should  make  it easy for our womenfolk  to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah  and   to   organize   our   time   to   travel   with   them   in performing these two rites, because she needs  a Mahram  (male relative  whom  she  cannot  marry)   to  accompany  her   in  her travels. The husband must not stand in the way of his wife if she wishes to perform the obligatory Hajj and has a Mahram. It is impermissible for him to prevent her from making   the obligatory Hajj.  Also, she does not have to obey him if he orders her to stay back while she is able to go.

If you can enable your family to preserve their religion, then I congratulate you. Life is truly amazing  in a house  where  all  of  its  members  turn   to  Allah  the  Exalted, obeying  His commands, and abstaining from His prohibitions.

Second: Keenness on worship-based upbringing in family life:

The man must work hard to raise the level of worship in family life. They should not make do with merely  fulfilling  what  Allah the  Exalted obligated on them, rather, they should  encourage them  to  pray  the  emphasized voluntary prayers, the  voluntary prayers, and  the recommended prayers, just as  the  Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi  wa  sallam, used  to  do, as  ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah  be  pleased  with  her,  said:  “Allah’s Messenger would, when the last ten nights would enter, would bring the night to life (through prayer),  would wake his family,  and would become serious and dedicated in prayer.”[1]

Umm  Salamah, may  Allah  be  pleased  with  her,  said  that the Prophet,  sallAllahu ‘alayhi  wa  sallam,  woke  one  night  and said:   “Transcendent is Allah!  How many afflictions have been sent down by Allah tonight, and how many treasures have been sent down? Who will wake the women sleeping in these rooms? Perhaps one will be clothed in this world, but naked in the Hereafter.”[2]

 ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “Allah’s Messenger, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to pray by night, and when he would pray the Witr prayer, he would say: ‘Get up and pray Witr, O ‘Aa’ishah.’[3]

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah  be pleased  with  him,  reported that the  Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,  said:  “May Allah have mercy on a man who gets  up and prays by night and wakes his wife  and she also prays  and if she refuses, he lightly drips  some water on her  face.  May Allah have mercy on a woman who gets up and prays by night and wakes her husband and he also prays and if he refuses, she lightly drips some water on his face.” [4]

Abu Waa’il, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

 “We went in the morning once to ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood after praying Fajr.  We greeted him and he gave us permission to enter, but we remained at the door for a short while. A slave-girl came and said:  ‘Will you not enter?’ We entered and found him sitting and glorifying Allah.

He said: ‘What stopped you from entering while I had given you permission?’ They said:  ‘Nothing but we thought that some of the household would be asleep.’ He said: ‘You think that the family of Ibn Umm ‘Abd (meaning, Ibn Mas’ood) is heedless? (meaning, that they  do not wake for Fajr or that they  do not glorify  and  remember Allah after Fajr).’ Then, he proceeded to glorify Allah the Exalted until he thought the sun had risen.

Then, he said: ‘O girl, go see if the sun has risen.’  She went and checked and found that it had not yet risen.

So, he continued again to glorify Allah until he thought that it had risen, and said: ‘O girl, go see if the sun has risen.’ She went and checked and found that it had risen. He then said: ‘All praise is for Allah who forgave us this day and did not destroy us due to our sins.’[5]

An-Nawawi, may Allah   have   mercy   on   him,   said:  “This Hadeeth contains evidence that a man should be keen regarding their household and those under his care in matters pertaining to their religion.”[6]

Third: Teaching the family to have praiseworthy manners, shyness, and modesty:

Mujaahid, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Advise yourselves and your families to fear Allah, and teach your family manners.”[7] No doubt, the head of the household must work to develop praiseworthy manners in their family, such as honesty, trustworthiness, a spirit of forgiveness, contentment, and patience. They should also teach them humility, modesty and how to treat parents, neighbors, relatives, and friends.