Ch 9 — Shaping the Family and Society / A Mother's Responsibility
Women In Islam — Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Badges mark quoted or attributed material (Qur'an, hadith, another author, an opposing view). Unbadged passages are Maulana Wahiduddin Khan's own words.
Preparing the next generation is a mother’s responsibility. The human generation is like a flowing river, where the water is continually replaced. In human beings, too, the new replaces the old. And a mother plays a crucial role in preparing this new generation. The responsibility of supplying good human beings to every generation devolves upon her. If a mother understands her responsibility and prepares herself to fulfil this role, she can play a pivotal role in not only shaping the lives of her children on spiritual lines but, in turn, she will be able to shape society on positive lines. p. 238
How do you define a good person? A good person dares to face life; one who is endowed with a positive attitude, who is constructive and makes a positive congenial contribution to society. p. 239
It is commonly believed that one born into a wealthy family is fortunate, while one born into a low-income family is unfortunate. Here, too, a mother’s role is to make her child feel privileged no matter what the circumstances, and even if one was not born with the proverbial silver spoon in one’s mouth, one still had the ‘incentive spoon’! She should also show her children how most successful people are where they are today because they struggled and worked hard to achieve what they have achieved today. p. 239
Likewise, a mother should teach her children not to divide people on the basis of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots.’ It is often seen that although certain individuals have been born into deprived families, they have risen to become members of the privileged classes! Therefore, the dichotomy is not between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ but between ‘potential haves’ and ‘actual haves.’ Consequently, it is important to have courage in life, coupled with a positive attitude. Every generation must imbue the next generation with the courage and maturity to face the realities of life. p. 239
According to the law of nature, there is always a positive aspect of every negative experience. The only condition is that one should not become negative or succumb to despair. Life is full of unpleasant experiences. There is no escaping them. But negative experiences are not evil phenomena. They are, in fact, a blessing, a kind of intellectual challenge. In such situations, it is better to wait rather than opt for a reactive approach. If you save yourself from becoming the victim of negative experiences and do just one thing, that is, do nothing and let nature take its course, it would serve as a positive factor for your mind. It will certainly increase your thinking capacity and unfold your intellectual treasure. p. 240
If you have developed a strong personality and an intellectually awakened mind, then every shock will prove to be a positive shock for you. You would automatically become capable of availing the shock as a new opportunity. This is because the law of nature stands above all else, and when you choose to remain un-offended by an unpleasant experience, you invite the law of nature to come to your rescue and initiate a process to compensate for your loss. p. 240
Life is full of opportunities. Even if someone takes away something that has been given to you, what nature gives you can still not be taken away. For example, if a person gave you a man-made torch and he took it away, he can still not take away from you the divine torch, that is, the sun. Knowing this principle brings about immense hope. p. 240
The only fit response when you find yourself in a negative situation with others is to forget the unpleasant external experience and, on your own, make a fresh decision to improve your ability. Very soon, you will find that you have gained more than you had lost. p. 241
There is no full stop in life, only commas. No event is the final chapter of your book. Every day, you are in a position to add a new chapter to it. This is due to the enormous capacity of the human mind. It would help if you did not underestimate your mind. It is an underestimation of the mind that breeds frustration. If you discover the capacity of your mind, it will give you great courage and unending strength. You will be able to take a new leap into your future from the point where, apparently, your life’s journey has come to an end. p. 241