Assalam-o-alaikum Ustazah,

Reading the stories of Yusuf (as) and Musa (as), i am amazed at the education and training of these prophets in their young age.

Prophet Yusuf was thrown in the well when he was only a young boy or teenager. After that everything he faced was only to test and training for him, his basic education and his personality was complete. He didn’t learn anything about Islam after he was thrown in the well, but we see that at every instance he acts as a true Muslim who knows his forefathers and knows what is right or wrong.

Prophet Musa was brought up in Firaun’s house and environment. It is amazing how his mother taught him the basics of Islam and about Allah even though she was from a slave nation. When Musa (as) had to run away, he was also probably a young man, but he knew about Islam and his Rabb. His personality was complete. It is also incredible how we do not read any complaints, excuses like, “What can we do, we have to live here in Egypt?” There is no complex, no confusion, and no compromise.

We on the other hand, wait....until ....our children are old enough.
We look at the surroundings and weigh the advantages of acting like a Muslim or the common masses and let our children blend in the environment just to fit in even at the expense of their identity.

We are not more loving to our kids than the mothers (parents) of Yusuf (as) and Musa (as).

Similar are the examples of mothers (parents) of the scholars who sacrificed and raised children who became leaders of the ummah. Yet we pamper our kids so much that they are not even able to lead themselves.

I think we really do no ponder over the Quran, we say we believe in it but inside we think that these are stories of the past and therefore do not relate to us.

Oh Allah, guide the mothers of this ummah to learn about their deen and raise children who would be leaders of the future generations. Ameen

Wasalaam

Shazia Afzal