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Parents' Responsibilities Towards Their Children

Suggested: Friday, 13 November 2026 · 3 Jumada al Thania
parenting children tarbiyah family education
Summary

Children are an amanah from Allah. This khutbah outlines the Islamic responsibilities of parents in raising righteous children.

Part One — First Khutbah

Opening — Khutbat al-Hajah


إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ
Innal hamda lillah, nahmaduhu wa nasta'eenuhu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na'udhu billahi min shururi anfusina wa min sayyi'ati a'malina. Man yahdihillahu fala mudilla lah, wa man yudlil fala hadiya lah.

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Wa ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
"Ya ayyuhalladheena amanut-taqullaha haqqa tuqatihi wa la tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun." (Aal 'Imran, 3:102)

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
"Ya ayyuhannas uttaqu rabbakumul ladhi khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin wa khalaqa minha zawjaha wa baththa minhuma rijalan katheeran wa nisa'a. Wattaqullahalldhee tasa'aluna bihi wal-arham. Innallaha kana 'alaykum raqeeba." (An-Nisa, 4:1)

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ
Amma ba'd. Fa inna khairal hadeethi kitabullah, wa khayral hadyi hadyu Muhammadin sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, wa sharral umuri muhdathatuha, wa kulla muhdathatin bid'ah, wa kulla bid'atin dalalah, wa kulla dalalatin fin-nar.

Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,

They Will Ask About Your Children


Brothers and sisters, on the Day of Judgement, you will not only be asked about your own deeds — you will be asked about the trust Allah placed in your hands: your children.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ
"Ya ayyuhalladheena amanu qu anfusakum wa ahleekum naran waquduhan-nasu wal-hijarah." (At-Tahrim, 66:6)
"O you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones."

'Ali ibn Abi Talib, radhiAllahu 'anhu, explained "protect your families" as: "Teach them and discipline them." This is not a suggestion — it is a divine command.

The Rights of Children Upon Their Parents


1. The right to a good name. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "On the Day of Resurrection you will be called by your names and the names of your fathers, so give yourselves good names." (Sunan Abu Dawud, 4948 — graded Sahih by al-Albani)

2. The right to Islamic education. Teaching them the Quran, the basics of faith, the distinction between halal and haram. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

مُرُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ
"Instruct your children to pray when they are seven years old." (Sunan Abu Dawud, 495 — graded Sahih by al-Albani)

3. The right to good character modelling. Children learn more from what they see than what they hear. If you lie in front of your children, they learn to lie. If you show patience, they learn patience. If you pray with devotion, they learn devotion.

4. The right to love and attention. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, kissed his grandson al-Hasan. A bedouin said: "I have ten children and I have never kissed any of them." The Prophet said:

مَنْ لَا يَرْحَمُ لَا يُرْحَمُ
"Man la yarham la yurham." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 5997; Sahih Muslim, 2318)
"Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy."

5. The right to fairness between siblings. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ أَوْلَادِكُمْ
"Fear Allah and be just between your children." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2587; Sahih Muslim, 1623)
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Aqulu qauli hada, wa astaghfirullaha li wa lakum wa li sa'iril muslimeen, fas taghfiruh, innahu huwal Ghafurur Rahim.

Part Two — Second Khutbah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Bismillah, wal hamdulillah, was-salatu was-salamu 'ala Rasulillah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam.

Brothers and sisters,

Your Takeaway — Two Actions This Week


First: Spend dedicated, device-free time with each of your children this week. Not in front of a screen — but face to face. Ask them about their day, their worries, their dreams. The greatest gift you can give a child is your attention.

Second: Teach your child one Islamic concept this week — it could be one of Allah's names, a short surah with its meaning, or a story from the Seerah. Make it engaging, not boring. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, used stories, questions, and humour to teach — not lectures and shouting.

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
"Rabbi hab lee min ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibah. Innaka samee'ud-du'a." (Aal 'Imran, 3:38)
"My Lord, grant me from Yourself good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication."

Make this du'a regularly — your children's righteousness begins with your du'a for them.

Closing Du'a


اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الْإِسْلَامَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ
Allahumma a'izzal islama wal muslimeen.

اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ
Allahumma irham al-muslimeena fee kulli makaan.

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنَّا عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
Allahumma a'inna 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibadatik.

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaban-nar.

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
Rabbana la tuzigh quloobana ba'da idh hadaytana wa hab lana min ladunka rahmah, innaka antal Wahhab.

أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ
Aqimis-salah.