al-Tariq ila al-Walad al-Salih
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Dār al-Ḍiyā’ lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzī‘
al-Tariq ila al-Walad al-Salih (The Path to a Righteous Child) is a short treatise on Islamic parenting and child-rearing written by the contemporary Egyptian scholar Wahid Abd al-Salam Bali.
Overview and Purpose
Bali completed the work in Medina on 22 Muharram 1410 AH (24 August 1989 CE). In the introduction, the author states that resolving contemporary crises facing the Muslim community requires a return to the Qur'an and the Sunnah in speech, action, and practical implementation. He frames child-rearing as a vital duty aimed at instilling the love of God and His Messenger, fostering self-sacrifice for the faith from an early age, and cultivating a generation comparable to prominent Companions such as Khalid ibn al-Walid, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.
The author defines a righteous child as the greatest treasure a Muslim can leave behind, citing the prophetic hadith: إذا مات العبد انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث: صدقة جارية أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو له ("When a servant dies, their deeds cease except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who supplicates for them"). He also references the Qur'anic verse promising the reunion of believers with their offspring in Paradise: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ (Surah al-Tur, 52:21).
Content and Themes
The booklet outlines practical steps and causes for raising righteous children:
- Choosing a Righteous Mother: Bali stresses selecting a devout wife as the foundational step, characterizing the mother as the primary school and workshop in which children are formed. To demonstrate the impact of maternal upbringing, he highlights several historical figures:
- Ali ibn Abi Talib, raised under the care of Fatima bint Asad and Khadijah bint Khuwaylid.
- Abd Allah ibn Ja'far, raised by his mother Asma' bint Umays.
- Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, influenced heavily by his mother Hind bint 'Utbah.
- The Umayyad caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, who inherited noble traits through his mother Umm Asim, the granddaughter of Umar ibn al-Khattab.
- The Andalusian Umayyad ruler Abd al-Rahman III (al-Nasir), raised as an orphan solely by his mother after the killing of his father.
- The scholar Sufyan al-Thawri, whose mother financed his studies by spinning wool and continually monitored his piety and humility.
- The Syrian jurist al-Awza'i, raised in poverty by his mother in Baalbek.
- The Medinese jurist Rabi'at al-Ra'y, whose mother invested thirty thousand dinars left by his absent father Farrukh to ensure his education in Islamic scholarship.
- Careful Supervision and Discipline: The author advises parents to maintain close observation of their children's conduct, balancing gentle encouragement with firmness according to circumstances.
- Supplication: Bali concludes that parental efforts must be accompanied by persistent prayer (du'a) and humility before God, recognizing that true guidance lies in divine hands alone.
Answer updated