Supplication for our children in the Quran
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
The inspiration for this article arose from a captivating tweet by Shaikh Abdulilah, may Allah preserve him. In light of this, we felt compelled to share a short selection of insights from the Mufassiroon, as an additional layer of reflection and benefit alongside the Shaikh’s reminder, for our own benefit and our families.
https://x.com/Abdulilah_UK/status/934006936017821696?t=VY1CKttBfsFUMXB14RV7Eg&s=35
وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحْسَانًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا ۖ وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَالُهُ ثَلَاثُونَ شَهْرًا ۚ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
And We have enjoined upon man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bore him (in her womb) with hardship and gave birth to him with (more) hardship. And his bearing (in the womb) and weaning (period) is thirty months (in total). (Then he continues to grow) until, when he reaches the peak of his youth, and reaches (the age of) 40 years, he says: “O my Lord, grant me the ability to be grateful to you for Your favour (of guidance) which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to work righteousness that pleases You, and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I repent to you and I am of the Muslims (in submission to You alone).” (1)
وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي
“And make righteous for me my offspring”.
When he supplicated for his own righteousness, he also supplicated for his offspring that Allah rectifies their affairs. He (Allah) stated that their righteousness would benefit their parents due to His statement:
وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي
“And make righteous for me my offspring”. (2)
فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَضَعْتُهَآ أُنثَىٰ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ ٱلذَّكَرُ كَٱلْأُنثَىٰ وَإِنِّى سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّىٓ أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
Then when she delivered her [child Maryam (Mary)], she said: “O my Lord! I have delivered a female child,” – and Allah knew better what she delivered, – “And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast.” [3:36]
وإني أعيذها بك وذريتها من الشيطان الرجيم
And I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast.
She supplicated for her and her offspring, asking Allah to protect them from the accursed devil. (3)
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
And those who say: “Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders for the pious”. [25:74]
They ask Allah to grant them the comfort of the eye by making their wives and offspring obedient to Allah, and to grant them happiness intheir hearts due to being followed by the righteous in obedience and servitude to Allaah. That is because a trustworthy leader in the religion co-operates with (others) upon obedience (to Allaah and His Messenger). (4)
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ
O my Lord! Make me one who performs As-Salat, and (also) from my offspring, our Lord! And accept my invocation. [14:40]
Meaning: from those who establish the prayer with its pillars and guard it strictly (or be consistent upon it). Make my descendants among those who establish the prayer. (5)
رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik (all the ceremonies of pilgrimage – Hajj and ‘Umrah, etc.), and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. [2:128]
They supplicated for themselves and their offspring to be granted Islam, whose reality is the submission of the heart and its obedience to its Lord, which necessitates the obedience of the limbs. (6)
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
At that time Zakariyyah invoked his Lord, saying: “O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.” [3:38]
Zakariyyah, peace be upon him, sipplicated to his Lord for righteous offspring; meaning, children with pure morals and good manners, to complete the blessings of both religious and worldly life for them, thus his supplication was answered. (7)
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ
And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said: “O my Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. [14:35]
Meaning: Distance me and them from worshiping the idols. (8) Then he mentioned the reason for his fear for himself and his children due to the many who have been tempted and afflicted by its worship. (9)
(1)https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/search/46_15
(2) An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi
(3) An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi
(4) Ar-Ruh 488 By Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim
(5) Tafseer Al-Baghawi
(6) Tafseer As-Sadi
(7) Tafseer As-Sadi
(8) Tafseer at-Tabari
(9) Tafseer As-Sadi