Index

Parenting

Parenting

When my children were little, my ustaz said, “My son, teach children to read three times istighfar and Salawat, in order for them to know them when they grow up.” And you, parents, those who want to do so are allowed by teaching children to read Salawat and istighfar so that by adulthood they will have learnt it. Is this not the best in education that parents can give to their children?

When our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was raised to Mi’raj, he asked God to give an opportunity to see one of the twelve communities of the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him), located in China. It is written in the books, that they still are there. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) met with them. He welcomed them with Salam, and they replied to the greeting. When they asked who he was, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “I am Muhammad. They asked, “Aren’t you, Muhammad, about whom the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) said, willing to give him Salam?” “Yes” - answered the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And they gave him a greeting from the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) responded to the greeting. They asked, “Who is with you?” “Can you see him?” - asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). “Yes, we can” - they replied. “This is the Angel Gabriel” - said the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). The people of this community saw Gabriel (peace be upon him). We do not see him, but we would see if we were such as they.

Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw distressed people standing to one side and asked, “What is wrong with them and why they are saddened?” “They have a baby” - they replied. “Is it a sorrow when a child is born?” - asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He was told that they were sad because they did not know what would be the end of the child and they feared whether he will be in error. These were people already concerned on the birthday of the child about his death: whether he will die in truth or in error. If a child is raised from this moment, he rarely becomes bad.

As mentioned, this world and religion do not hold on to us. We just have to hold tight on to Islam, Tariqah. God’s mercy to us will be more depending the extent of our credibility. We must praise God. We have so many mawlids, majlises of Islamic scholars! Perhaps, in every village, especially in those of the Avars, Khatmu and Salawat are read. Such majlises and barakah cannot be seen anywhere else. Therefore, we must praise God. May God save us! May we see only good things! Amin.

Speech of honourable Shaykh Said-Afandi Al-Chirkawi at Mawlid in Chirkey on 24.04.2010

2026-05-01 (Dhul-Qaida 1447) №5.


Water Wheels of Syria

I have a 1978 Syrian Republic banknote in my collection, worth one Syrian pound, depicting two enormous water wheels. They are located near the city of Hama in central Syria and to this day, anyone can see the operation of this amazing ancient structure – enormous twin wooden wheels located on the...


When a mother has no more strength

Being a mother is a serious science You can read dozens of books on raising children but until you raise your own little one, you are just a theorist. Being a mother is a practice. And each of us has moments when we want to lock ourselves in a back room, go for a walk through the streets at night...


The First of the Sacred Months

Dhul-Qaida is one of the four sacred months in Islam. It is the second month after Shawwal when pilgrims can perform the rites of Hajj. The Almighty Lord said in the Koran (interpretation of the meaning): “Hajj is performed in the known months (Shawwal, Dhul-Qaida and the first ten days of...


The Hidden Power of Good Character: What is Righteousness in Islam?

Good moral character is one of the most revered qualities in Islam. Allah, the Almighty, has commanded people to ennoble their character, along with performing the five daily prayers, fasting during Ramadan, paying zakat, performing pilgrimage and fulfilling other religious...


Escape from silence

Why when we alone, we immediately reach for our phones, turn on a series, or other stuff, or do anything to avoid encountering our own thoughts? What are we so afraid of hearing in that silence, and how can we learn to bear it in order to finally hear our true selves?   This is not just a...