The Quran's Surah Kahf teaches us a great truth about life. The Almighty says:
"وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَالِحًا"
(Translation: And their father was a righteous man)
In this one sentence, Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, protected the treasure of the orphaned children by having their wall straightened without any wages. Here, it is not the children's own virtue, but their father's virtue that was made the means of their protection so that they could grow up and claim their right.
"Their father was righteous" — This is a sentence that is a great message for every parent. We work day and night worrying about accumulating bank balances, properties, and worldly comforts for our children, but the Quran tells us that the greatest "insurance" for the future of our children is the parents' own piety and their righteousness.
This verse is not just a story of the past, but also a moment of reflection for today's generation. Today's young generation should remember that tomorrow they too will hold the position of "parents". If, God forbid, there has been any deficiency in piety or action from our elders, then we should not repeat it in our lives and put the future of our generations at stake.
We must adopt piety and righteous deeds from today so that our children do not have to face the deprivations and troubles that we are struggling with today. If we want our generations to remain under Allah's unseen protection even in our absence, then we must improve our character. Our righteousness is the real shade of mercy for our children.
Do not just make your children heirs to wealth, but leave behind for them an "asset of good deeds".
From the pen of: Za-Sheikh