The Fruit of the Righteousness of Parents on their Children in this World and the Hereafter in Light of the Holy Quran, an Inductive Quranic Study

Abstract

There have been many researches that discuss the righteousness of children and Islamic education; and this research has mentioned the most important role models, which are the righteous parents, because with their righteousness comes the righteousness of the children, their good provision, and their protection from the evils of this world and the torment of the hereafter, with evidence from the Holy Book.

In this research, I have shown that righteous parents are among the blessings of children in this world, and the elevation of degrees on the Day of Resurrection, as the Holy Quran mentioned a tale about them, warning children from the temptation of Satan as he did to our father Adam, setting up enmity for him and his descendants after him.

The research aims at fulfilling Qur'anic intentions in this topic, to display its effect on the Muslim individual and community, and to link it to reality through inducing Qur'anic verses and exhibiting the fruit of parents' righteousness on children. Also, some Quranic models of righteous families are presented and how Allah the Almighty has blessed, nurtured and guided them.

The scientific approach of the research is the inductive approach by collecting and analyzing Qur'anic verses in a methodological manner in order to reach general results from the verses that mention the effect of the righteousness of the parents on the children, and deducting the meanings and implications.

The research encompasses the intentions of the parents' righteousness in the Holy Qur'an and the verses that show the relation between parents' righteousness on the children and the fruit of parents' righteousness on their upright and immoral children in this world and the hereafter, as well as Satan seduction to virtuous offspring.

 I have reached the following conclusions:

• The responsibility of raising and caring for offspring is primarily entrusted to the parents, and it is a complete, possible and feasible responsibility. As for human preservation of offspring, it is a limited responsibility and a relative and specific preservation related to the limitations of human ability, life and capacity.
• The righteousness of parents is an authentic foundation for the righteousness of children after Godspeed, as every newborn is born with the fitrah, and then his parents either reform him or corrupt him.
• The righteousness of parents, while they provide the means of righteousness for their offspring, does not require the preservation of Allah Almighty at all; guidance and blessing are in the hands of Allah Almighty. Destiny may pave the way to the lack of guidance of children, so a disbelieving son comes out of a righteous father - due to his choice of misguidance - and a righteous son may come out of a disbelieving father. Guidance of the heart is by the Godspeed of Allah Almighty, and He, glory be to Him, is above all things.
• One of the ways in which Allah Almighty preserves offspring is by preserving their deeds and wealth, and by legislating what requires preservation for them, especially when they are at their weakest.