“To bring daughters up means to be granted Paradise“
A simple short message is given for fathers to vanish the darkness of the era before Islam when Arabs used to bury their daughters alive. The man who was sent to perfect good character [1] enjoined fathers to take good care of their daughters.
The guaranteed reward in Islam for fathers who raise girls up and treat them kindly
1– Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “There is no man whose two daughters reach the age of puberty and he treats them kindly for the time they are together, but they will gain him admittance to Paradise.” [2]
And what could be a greater reward than Paradise !!
Whatever we achieve is nothing in comparison with the joys of Paradise. There is nothing like Paradise, the place that God prepared for those who believe and do righteous deeds.
2– ‘A’isha, the wife of Prophet Muhammad, said:
A woman came to me along with her two daughters. She asked me for (charity) but she found nothing with me except one date, so I gave her that. She accepted it and then divided it between her two daughters and herself ate nothing out of that. She then got up and went out, and so did her two daughters. (In the meanwhile) Allah’s Apostle visited me and I narrated to him her story. Thereupon the Messenger said:
He who is involved (in the responsibility) of (bringing up) daughters, and he accords benevolent treatment towards them, there would be protection for him against Hell-Fire” [3]
It’s another reward to be protected against Hell-Fire, the actual place where God prepared for the punishment of those who deny His verses and who are arrogant towards them.
Some of the Prophet Muhammad’s acts showing his kindness towards his daughter and granddaughter
It’s really important for us to know how Prophet Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, acted in different situations, because he is the role model we should emulate and not any other, because even muslims may make mistakes or fail to apply the teachings of Islam correctly.
1– Almiswar Narrated::
Fatima is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me angry.” Prophet Muhammad [4]
The saying of the Prophet above shows the kind emotions towards his daughter, he just don’t want her to feel angry.
2– `Aisha Narrated :
Once Fatima came walking and her gait resembled the gait of the Prophet. The Prophet said: “Welcome, O my daughter! “Then he made her sit on his right or on his left side, and then he told her a secret and she started weeping. I asked her: “Why are you weeping?” He again told her a secret and she started laughing. I said: “I never saw happiness so near to sadness as I saw today.” I asked her what the Prophet had told her. She said: “I would never disclose the secret of Allah’s Messenger.” When the Prophet died, I asked her about it. She replied: “The Prophet said: ‘Every year Gabriel used to revise the Qur’an with me once only, but this year he has done so twice. I think this portends my death, and you will be the first of my family to follow me.’ So I started weeping. Then he said. ‘Don’t you like to be the chief of all the ladies of Paradise or the chief of the believing women? So I laughed for that.” [5]
Reflect upon the prophet’s attitude how he welcomed, concerned and rejoiced her daughter.
3– The Messenger was praying and he was carrying Umama the daughters of Zainab, the daughter of the Messenger and she was the daughter of ‘As bin Rabi`a bin `Abd Shams. When he prostrated, he put her down and when he stood, he carried her (on his neck). [6]
The saying above shows how patient and merciful the Prophet was, not getting angry nor reproving others.
To sum up,
Islam taught Muslims how to take great care of women since childhood. This makes the woman a source of blessings for her father through the rewards presented to him if he takes care of her and is kind towards her. As a woman, Islam gives me a high position in society. This may be one of the reasons that most converts to Islam are women as shown in this article.
References
[1] https://sunnah.com/urn/2302710
[2] https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah/33/14
[3] https://sunnah.com/muslim/45/190
[4] https://sunnah.com/bukhari/62/64
[5] https://sunnah.com/bukhari/61/129
[6] https://sunnah.com/bukhari/8/163
