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The Day of Arafah, Motherhood, and Raising Righteous Children

REGULAR BLOG

Umm Ayman

5/26/20264 min read

Assalamu Alaykum Dear Parents,

Today is the blessed Day of Arafah — the day of duʿa, forgiveness, mercy, and hope.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“The best duʿā is the duʿā of the Day of ʿArafah, and the best thing I and the Prophets before me have said is:

Lā ilāha illa Allāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-ḥamdu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shay’in qadīr.

(There is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone, without a partner. To Him belongs the dominion and all praise, and He has power over all things.)”

These words perfectly praise Allah سبحانه وتعالى, glorify Him, and acknowledge that everything belongs to Him alone.

When we praise our Rabb sincerely, what do we gain in return?

We may receive many blessings in this world, but the greatest gain is Allah’s forgiveness, which leads to entrance into Jannah and protection from the Hellfire.

For me personally, the Day of ʿArafah is also special because it was the day Allah blessed me with motherhood.

Motherhood and Responsibility

Motherhood is a huge responsibility.

If you are already a mother, you know exactly what I mean.

One of the greatest fears in a mother’s heart is:
“I never want the fire of Jahannam to touch my child.”

No mother wants that. The mother of Maryam (peace be upon her), after giving birth to her daughter, made duʿa to Allah, saying:

“...I seek refuge for her and her descendants in You from Satan, the expelled from the mercy of Allah.”

And that is why we struggle every day — trying to raise our children while protecting them from the whispers of Shayṭan and nurturing in them a strong love and connection with Allah.

A few days ago, I spoke with a mother who is in Hajj this year, Alḥamdulillah. She is a homeschooling mother of four children:

  • one already graduated,

  • one is in university,

  • another is in Grade 11/12,

  • and the youngest is memorizing Qur’an while in Grade 5.

She told me something powerful:

“There is no single formula for raising children.”

What worked for one child did not work for another. Even the same child needs different approaches during different stages of growth.

I agreed with her. As parents, we must stay firm upon Islam, yet flexible in our methods.

Why We Strive as Parents

But the deeper question is: why do we put so much effort into raising our children?

Because Allah has chosen us as our children's parents and He will ask us about this huge responsibility.

We know this world is temporary, and we hope to be reunited with our families in Jannah. We want to raise children who become ṣadaqah jāriyah for us after we leave this world.

But to raise righteous children, we must first embrace Islam completely. We cannot pick and choose parts of it.

Conditional Faith vs Steadfast Faith

Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah:

“O believers! Enter into Islam wholeheartedly and do not follow Satan’s footsteps. Surely he is your sworn enemy.” (2:208)

Allah is inviting believers to embrace Islam completely — not partially.

And He also describes those who worship Him “on the edge”. Allah says:

“ And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss. (Surah Al-Hajj 22:11)

Some people obey Allah only when life feels easy. They pray and feel that after starting prayer, everything in their life is going smoothly. They wear hijab and receive appreciation from others. They avoid haram as long as their provision feels sufficient and comfortable.

But when obedience becomes difficult, some people slowly give up. For example, they may leave the hijab due to challenges, turn to doubtful work when facing financial pressure, or abandon principles when they see others gaining wealth through means they once disliked.

Allah describes such people who practice Islam conditionally as being in loss in this world and the Hereafter. In this world, they lose their direction, while the believers remain firm in trials and are promised Jannah.

Our Role as Parents

This dunya was never meant to be easy. Even our children understand this when preparing for school and exams. Now it is our responsibility to teach them that hardships for the sake of Allah are never wasted, and that the fruits of obedience always bring reward.

We must instill in their hearts that we are servants of Allah and that Allah is our Master. He may place us in difficulty, and He alone can bring us out of it. This is beautifully reflected in the advice of the Prophet ﷺ to Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما when he was a child:

“Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you. If you ask, ask Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah…”

This powerful advice reminds us that true strength, protection, and help come only from Allah, and it reinforces the very belief we must nurture in our children’s hearts.

May Allah make our children righteous, protect them from fitnah, and make them a source of ongoing reward for us in this life and the next.

If this reminder benefited you, consider subscribing to Salsabeel Explorer for more Islamic reflections, parenting support, and resources. https://salsabeelexplorer.com/

BarakAllahu fikum.

Umm Ayman
Founder – Salsabeel Explorer

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