“and you gave sympathy (for me) to my caretakers and gave my guardianship to merciful moms”(1)
Hence we must use this love to help us make raising our children easier. Imam Ali (A.S) before advising his son stated “Here, I found you a part of myself, rather I found you my whole, so much so that if anything befell you, it was as though it befell me and if death came to you it was as though it came to me. Consequently, your affairs meant to me what my own matters meant to me. So, I have written this piece of advice (to you) as an instrument of seeking help through it, whether I remain alive for you or cease to exist.”(2)
This kind of showing love to children, opens the child’s heart to accept the advice because it will reveal the fact that you love them, remind them that they love you too, and a lover wants good for whom they love so it makes accepting the advice and acting upon it easier.
Some may truly love their children, but they do not know how to show it. One way to do so is by telling them how much you love them, just speak what is in your heart, even a simple “I love you” would do good for starters. Imam al-Sadiq (A.S) states “If you love someone (3) tell them, for that makes your relationship stronger”(4). Another is to be playful with your child as the Prophet (pbuh) stated “Whoever has a child should act in a childish way towards them”(5).
Hence we must use this love to help us make raising our children easier. Imam Ali (A.S) before advising his son stated “Here, I found you a part of myself, rather I found you my whole, so much so that if anything befell you, it was as though it befell me and if death came to you it was as though it came to me. Consequently, your affairs meant to me what my own matters meant to me. So, I have written this piece of advice (to you) as an instrument of seeking help through it, whether I remain alive for you or cease to exist.”(2)
This kind of showing love to children, opens the child’s heart to accept the advice because it will reveal the fact that you love them, remind them that they love you too, and a lover wants good for whom they love so it makes accepting the advice and acting upon it easier.
Some may truly love their children, but they do not know how to show it. One way to do so is by telling them how much you love them, just speak what is in your heart, even a simple “I love you” would do good for starters. Imam al-Sadiq (A.S) states “If you love someone (3) tell them, for that makes your relationship stronger”(4). Another is to be playful with your child as the Prophet (pbuh) stated “Whoever has a child should act in a childish way towards them”(5).
1. Dua Arafa Imam Hussein (AS)
2. Nahj Al-Balagha letter 31
3. What was stated in the saying was precisely (if you love a man) and the person who was the imam talking to a man as well, but what is understood from the saying is what we translated.
4. Al-Kafi v2 p644
5. Al-Faqeeh v3 p483
