Children are a gift from Allah and if gifts from Allah require our care, protection and guardianship. Every parent knows we need to take care of our kids.

As a believer our role as parents affects everything. It affects our dunya, our aakhirah and our ummah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said all our good deeds end when we die. However, there are three cases when our rewards keep going on. One of which is a righteous child praying for them.

We often think of what legacy we can leave for the world. However, the mark we leave on our children is significant. Their prayers for us are so powerful that it propels us forward in the next world.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) warned us about leaving a negative impact on our children and what that will do to us. He (PBUH) said: “it is sufficient of a sin for you to neglect those you are obligated to support.” When we neglect our children it is a big sin.

Allah has placed us as fathers and mothers as shepherds, responsible for our flock. We will be asked how we took care of our responsibility. Did we strive to protect our children? Did we guide them towards what will benefit them?