THE DAILY ISLAMIC REMINDERS. Yaum Arbaā, 8th day of SAFAR 1440, (Wednesday 17th October, 2018). LET'S TEACH OUR CHILDREN SKILLS THAT LEAD TO EARNING ONLY HALAAL (legal) INCOME OR WEALTH. BismilLah. Parents/individuals MUST spend their time, effort, and resources to help themselves or their children make the right choices for earning a halaal living. In doing so, parents should stress the need for their children to pursue career paths that can provide them solely with Halal (legal) living not just choosing any career path just to earn admission even if such path leads to haraam sustenance such as banking finance etc especially in non Islamic countries. Islam places enormous emphasis on this subject and these teachings are clearly stated both in the Quran and hadith. In one case, the prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) is reported to have said: “…Purify your food, your supplication will be accepted. By the one in whose hand lays the life of me, Muhammad, verily a servant places a morsel of Haram in his stomach (and as a result) forty days of worship will not be accepted from him. Let's note that Allah is the source of our sustenance, if we rely on Allah and work hard He is sufficient for us for our daily sustenance. Training children so that they can grow up to become responsible citizens requires that parents actively maintain an atmosphere at home that is conducive to positive learning and upbringing. This, therefore, requires that parents, too, model their lives according to the Islamic ways of life. Children can get conflicting messages and thus can get confused when they do not see parents and elders following the instructions that they give to them, or when out of excessive love for them, parents become so indulgent that they turn a blind eye to their sins and fail in checking them. It is well known that children who are raised in households where argumentation, fighting, and abuse abound, not only learn less but are more prone to develop personality disorders. There is plenty of research that shows that the serious problems of adolescents, including drug abuse, school failure, delinquency and violence, have grown to tragic proportions in part because of the deteriorating environments in which young people are and were raised. Parents should put in their best efforts to ensure that their children become true inheritors of Islam, and to keep Islam alive in their lives and their families’ lives after their death. Parental efforts are, therefore, quite instrumental in inculcating the love of Islam and the desire to worship in the right manner. Parents should also recognize that raising good children can be a source of their salvation in the hereafter. This is because if parents raise good Allah-fearing children, those children can constantly pray to Allah for their parents after their death. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Upon death, man’s deeds will stop except for three deeds, namely: a continuous charitable fund, endowment or goodwill; knowledge left for people to benefit from; and a pious righteous and God-fearing child who continuously prays to Allah, for the souls of his parents” (In Saheeh Muslim). Finally, let’s not forget that fulfilling the rights of the individuals prescribed by Allah is part of the limits set by Allah that should be taken seriously. Allah states thus in the Quran: And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allah as a jest, but remember Allah’s favors on you (i.e. Islam), and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways – Islamic jurisprudence) whereby HE instructs you. And fear ALLAH, and know that ALLAH is all-aware of everything. Quran (2:231). May ALLAH aid us in our efforts to bring up our children as HE commanded us. May ALLAH protect us from any satanic influences. Aameen.