5 Reasons to Teach Children Daily Supplications for Protection
Some families find themselves
surrounded by confusion because of what one of their children goes through,
especially during the school year. They may notice that their child has become
sluggish, struggles to study, sleeps excessively, and perhaps even begins to
complain repeatedly of symptoms of physical illnesses. This can affect academic
performance and cause parents sadness and anxiety as they search for the
reasons behind this condition without finding satisfactory answers.
After taking all the necessary
practical measures, consulting doctors, and providing proper nutrition, there
also comes a role for the prescribed supplications and spiritual protections
taught by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to protect our children
from the evil eye, harmful creatures, and the touch of devils.
Five Reasons to Protect
Children Through Daily Supplications
There are five reasons why protecting
our children through daily supplications should become a morning habit:
1. The Prophet Protected
His Grandsons With Supplications
Ibn Abbas reported: The Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) used to seek protection for Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn,
saying: “Your forefather (i.e. Abraham) used to
seek Refuge with Allah for Ishmael and Isaac by reciting the following: 'O
Allah! I seek Refuge with Your Perfect Words from every devil and from
poisonous pests and from every evil, harmful, envious eye.'” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari.)
Reciting protective supplications (ruqyah)
is prescribed for both children and adults. Ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never
failed to use these words evening and morning, “O God, I ask Thee for
forgiveness and security in my religion and my worldly affairs, in my family
and my property.” (Narrated by
Ahmad.)
Abu Hurairah reported that the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever says when he reaches the morning, ‘I seek refuge
in Allah’s Perfect Words from the evil of what he created, (A`ūdhu
bikalimātillāhit-tāmmāti min sharri mā khalaq),’ three times, no scorpion will
harm him until he reaches the evening. And whoever says it in the evening, it
will not harm him until he reaches the morning.” (Narrated by Muslim.)
It is preferable that when a child
reaches the age of eight and is able to understand and memorize, parents teach
the child these supplications and instruct them to maintain them morning and
evening, so that their tongue remains engaged in remembering their Lord throughout the day and night.
2. Parents Cannot Protect
Their Children at Every Moment
No matter how capable parents are of
taking precautions to protect their children, they will never be able to
guarantee complete protection for them. They may prevent others from harming
them, protect them from bad company, or shield them from destructive ideas. Yet
they should remember that the true Protector is Allah. He says, {But ˹only˺ Allah is the best Protector, and He is
the Most Merciful of the merciful.} [Yusuf 12:64]
Therefore, seeking spiritual
protection is an acknowledgment that parents have entrusted the task of
protecting their children to Allah and placed their affairs in His care,
Glorified and Exalted is He. This is at the heart of reliance upon Allah:
taking all reasonable means, no matter how simple they may be.
3. Some Dangers Cannot Be
Seen With the Human Eye
Many of the dangers children may
encounter are visible before our eyes, and we can protect them with some
effort. Yet there are other dangers mentioned in the Quran that cannot be seen, such as
His saying: {And from the evil of an envier when
they envy.} [Al-Falaq 113:5]
And His saying: {from the evil of the lurking whisperer— who whispers into the hearts of
humankind—} [An-Nas 114:4–5]
So how can parents protect their
children from something they are unable to perceive or prevent through material
means?
Such dangers can only be confronted
through the power of Allah and His verses. It is an absolute belief in Allah’s
power over matters before which human beings may stand helpless. Therefore,
protecting children through supplications is not merely an act intended to
safeguard them; it is also an act of the heart through which we seek the help
of Allah, who has power over both hidden and visible forms of harm.
4. Teaching Children the
Meaning of Remembrance and Reliance on Allah
The purpose of daily spiritual
protection is not to raise fearful and permanently anxious children who are
constantly worried about a glance or a touch, looking around in fear of the devil
waiting to harm them. Rather, the purpose is to raise a child who knows that
the first place to turn in every hardship is Allah, Glorified and Exalted is
He, while never neglecting the practical means available to them.
When a child repeats every morning and
evening, three times: “In the Name of Allah, Who
with His Name nothing can cause harm in the earth nor in the heavens, and He is
the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (Narrated
by At-Tirmidhi), even if the child does not fully understand its meaning, a time
will come when they understand its meaning well and live by it, continually seeking the help of their Lord.
The same applies to all other
prescribed supplications that have been authentically established in reliable
sources.
5. Starting the Day With
the Remembrance of Allah
Parenting is built through practical
examples, not lectures delivered to children. When a father prays the dawn
prayer in congregation with his children and then sits with them reciting the
morning supplications, he plants within their souls and hearts a faith that
will accompany them even when he is no longer present.
The child grows up to become a young
adult, away from parental supervision and the embrace of the family. Yet those
daily minutes will not leave them. They become a habit wherever they go,
whether near or far. It is daily training for the heart to turn to Allah and
seek His help.
This does not replace taking the
necessary practical measures. Beyond that, both parents and children gain peace
of heart when they begin the day by remembering Him, Glorified and Exalted is
He: {Those who believe and whose hearts find
comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts
find comfort.} [Ar-Ra`d 13:28]
Our children are the most precious
thing we possess. They are the strength of the future and the hope of the
Muslim Ummah to rise again. We do not raise them merely for ourselves or even
for themselves. Rather, we raise them to become people who guide others and are
themselves rightly guided.
The fears and dangers in our world are
many and complex, and we will not be able to confront them alone. We must
therefore protect our children through the means Allah has taught us, and then
teach them how to protect themselves at all times.
-------------------------------------------------------------
