Children are watching [hearing and listening]

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Recently, a friend of mine shared this video with me about how children are always imitating their parents; watching their every movement and listening to their words. To their subjective consciousness, their parents are reality and everything that their parents do or say are usually right.


Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3WioZcjbys

Here's a quote I took from this website about mistakes that parents make when raising children:

Many parents do not realize how observant and absorbing a child is. They will talk in front of him forgetting that he is present, almost as though he is a piece of furniture - deaf and dumb. But a child listens and absorbs, often ponders over and sometimes repeats, what he hears. Thus when a parent says something about a particular thing or person, and then says something different to someone else, the child is introduced to being two-faced. A parent may rant against someone, and say he dislikes him immensely. Yet when he meets the same person, he is very nice to him and shows no sign of his anger. Although to a certain degree this may be necessary, for we cannot show our disagreements openly, it is not necessary to indulge in hypocritical behavior. A hypocrite is one who will be very sweet to the face, but will stab from the back. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) says: The worst of the servants (of Allah) is one who has two faces and two tongues. He praises his brother-in-faith when he is present, and eats him when he is absent.

A child should not be exposed to such behavior. He believes that his parent is always right, and to see such two faced behavior is a disillusionment and a wrong message.

The reason why I'm writing this entry is perhaps because I am disturbed by some of the things that I've been observing for the past year or so.


- It saddens me a lot when parents don't insist on prayers being done on time; skipping prayers when it suits their timetable and doing it only when they have the time. If one doesn't feel crippled after he/she overslept and missed fajr prayers, then he/she is probably needs to improve on their iman and ibadah.


-being vicious, back-biting individuals is another. Talking about others' downfall, calling your own children stupid or other degrading terms serve as a kind of doa for them. -sigh-


Today someone said this to me: "If you want to try to islamify me, then you are better off going to the jungle and making muslims out of the natives. I am already a Muslim, why do you need to tell me what is right or wrong?"


Astaghfiruallahal'azim...


Hubtobe once told me that when a makmum had approached one of the Imams at a mosque to correct his Al-Fatihah and the Imam was driven to tears; humbled by his minute mistake.


No one escapes from mistakes and every criticism or advice [whether you think its right or wrong] should be used as a point of reference to improve yourself.


The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said, “The inheritance of Allah, the exalted, from His believing servant, is a child who will worship Him after him (his death).”
 

Alhamdulillah, Allah has opened my heart and my mind to correct the wrongs that my parents have influenced me in the past. I am not discrediting them, for they have raised me well; sending me to madrasah and quran reading classes. I only pray that they could increase their Iman and remember Allah at all times. Insyaallah, we can all be better Muslims...

Amin


Allah knows best.