(Excerpt taken from Shaykh Javed Iqbal Sialkoti’s book: “Parents and the Rights of Children”)
It is the foremost duty of parents to teach their children the correct belief in Tawḥīd — that all power, benefit, and harm belong solely to Allah.
This pure belief is the foundation of Islam, and nurturing it in a child’s heart protects them from shirk (polytheism), despair, and reliance on creation instead of the Creator.
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا، فَقَالَ: يَا غُلَامُ، إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللَّهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَكَ، وَإِنِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ، رُفِعَتِ الْأَقْلَامُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ.
Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day, and he said:
‘O young man, I will teach you some words:
Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you.
Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you.
When you ask, ask of Allah; when you seek help, seek help from Allah.
Know that if the entire nation were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you except with what Allah has already decreed for you.
And if they were to gather to harm you with something, they would not harm you except with what Allah has already written against you.
The pens have been lifted, and the pages have dried.’”
Hasan Sahih – Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb Ṣifat al-Qiyāmah wa al-Raqā’iq wa al-Wara‘: 2516
This hadith demonstrates how the Prophet ﷺ personally taught a young boy (Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما) the essence of Tawḥīd — trust, reliance, and belief in Allah alone.
It is therefore the duty of parents to instill this same creed in their children’s hearts, teaching them that:
Such a foundation builds a child’s spiritual strength, contentment, and firm faith in divine destiny.
① Parents must begin their child’s upbringing with the teaching of Tawḥīd.
② Faith in Allah’s will protects the heart from fear, despair, and dependence on others.
③ This Prophetic lesson shows that the earliest education a child should receive is the recognition of Allah’s supreme power and decree.
The First Lesson: The Foundation of Faith
It is the foremost duty of parents to teach their children the correct belief in Tawḥīd — that all power, benefit, and harm belong solely to Allah.
This pure belief is the foundation of Islam, and nurturing it in a child’s heart protects them from shirk (polytheism), despair, and reliance on creation instead of the Creator.
◈ Hadith
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا، فَقَالَ: يَا غُلَامُ، إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللَّهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَكَ، وَإِنِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ، رُفِعَتِ الْأَقْلَامُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ.
Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day, and he said:
‘O young man, I will teach you some words:
Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you.
Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you.
When you ask, ask of Allah; when you seek help, seek help from Allah.
Know that if the entire nation were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you except with what Allah has already decreed for you.
And if they were to gather to harm you with something, they would not harm you except with what Allah has already written against you.
The pens have been lifted, and the pages have dried.’”
Hasan Sahih – Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb Ṣifat al-Qiyāmah wa al-Raqā’iq wa al-Wara‘: 2516Explanation
This hadith demonstrates how the Prophet ﷺ personally taught a young boy (Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما) the essence of Tawḥīd — trust, reliance, and belief in Allah alone.
It is therefore the duty of parents to instill this same creed in their children’s hearts, teaching them that:
- Allah alone controls all affairs.
- No one can benefit or harm except by His decree.
- True reliance (tawakkul) should only be upon Allah.
Such a foundation builds a child’s spiritual strength, contentment, and firm faith in divine destiny.
Summary of Teachings
① Parents must begin their child’s upbringing with the teaching of Tawḥīd.
② Faith in Allah’s will protects the heart from fear, despair, and dependence on others.
③ This Prophetic lesson shows that the earliest education a child should receive is the recognition of Allah’s supreme power and decree.
