This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail-e-Amaal.
Allah Almighty has said:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ﴾
"O you who have believed! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are appointed angels harsh and severe, who do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded."
Reference: (66-At-Tahrim:6)
﴿فَاعْبُدُوا مَا شِئْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ أَلَا ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ﴾
"So worship whatever you like besides Him." Say, "Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss."
Reference: (39-Az-Zumar:15)
عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أنها قالت: جاءتني مسكينة تحمل ابنتين لها، فأطعمتها ثلاث تمرات، فأعطت كل واحدة منهما تمرة، ورفعت إلى فيها تمرة لتأكلها، فاستطعمتها ابنتاها، فشقت التمرة التى كانت تريد أن تأكلها، بينهما، فأعجبني شأنها، فذكرت الذى صنعت لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: إن الله قد أوجب لها بها الجنة، أو أعتقها بها من النار
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: A poor and needy woman came to me carrying her two daughters. I gave her three dates to eat. She gave two dates to her two daughters, and she extended one date towards her mouth to eat, but her daughters asked her for it to eat as well. So she divided that one date, which she wanted to eat herself, into two parts and distributed it between her two daughters. I liked this very much. I mentioned this incident to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: "Allah has made Paradise obligatory for her because of this act (or said) that because of this, she has been saved from the Hellfire."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship, Chapter: The Virtue of Kindness to Daughters, Hadith No: 2630.
عن أنس رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من عال جاريتين حتى تبلغا، جاء يوم القيامة أنا وهو وضم أصابعه.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever raises two daughters until they reach maturity, on the Day of Resurrection he will come with me like these two fingers (close together)." And he joined his two fingers.
Reference: Muslim, Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship, Chapter: The Virtue of Kindness to Daughters, Hadith No: 2631.
The benefit of raising children well is that after death they pray for their parents, and Allah Almighty raises the ranks of the parents. If children are not raised well, this benefit cannot be attained. Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Indeed, Allah raises the rank of His righteous servant in Paradise, and he asks, 'O my Lord! How is this?' Allah replies, 'Because of your children's supplications for you.'"
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 2/509 - Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No: 3660 - Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, Hadith No: 4076
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
من كان له ثلاث بنات فصبر عليهن وأطعمهن وسقاهن، وكساهن من جدته، كن له حجابا من النار يوم القيامة
"Whoever has three daughters and is patient with them, feeds them well, and clothes them well, they will be a shield for him from the Hellfire."
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 154/4 - Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Manners, Chapter: Kindness to Parents and Goodness to Daughters, Hadith No: 3669 - Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, Hadith No: 294.
In another narration, when you gave glad tidings of Paradise for three daughters, you were asked: What if there are two daughters? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, they will also be a cause of entering Paradise."
Reference: Sahih Musnad Ahmad: 3/303.
Imagine! A child was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He kissed him and said: "Beware! Indeed, children cause stinginess and cowardice. Indeed, children are a gift from Allah."
Reference: Mishkat, Book of Manners, Hadith No: 4691 -
Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it "Sahih."In a narration, Sayyiduna Ya'la Al-Amiri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Hasan and Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them) ran towards the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He embraced both of them and said: "Indeed, children cause stinginess and cowardice."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Manners, Chapter: Kindness to Parents and Goodness to Daughters, Hadith No: 3666 -
Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it "Sahih."
