I was on a visit to one of my friends’ house. While we were busy talking, one of her daughters, who was about three years old, came in and pulled on her dress saying: “Mom, we did not build a house in Jannah today.”
I thought I misheard her. Then her siblings joined her and they all repeated the same thing. My friend saw the curiosity on my face and smiled and said to me: “Do you want to see how we build a mansion in Jannah?”
I stood and watched as she made her children sit around her and together they started reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas ten times:
قل هو الله احد الله الصمد لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا احد
When they finished they all said excitedly with one voice: “Alhamdhulillah we built a house in Paradise.”
Then the mother asked: “What do you want to add to this palace?” The children replied that they wanted to add treasures. Then they began chanting:
لا حول ولا قوة الا بالله
There is no mighty nor power except in Allah
Then she asked them: “Which of you wants to drink from the hands of the Prophet of Allah peace be upon him and never feel thirsty again?” They all began to say:
اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد .. كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد
وبارك على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما باركت على إبراهيم وعـلى آل إبراهــيم إنك حميد مجيد
(O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).”
They followed it with praising Allah. Then each of them went back to what they were doing from studying and playing.
Amazed I asked her about the whole scenario. She replied: “My children love sitting with me and rejoice when I gather them and sit among them, and I wanted to exploit it and teach them how to praise and thank Allah in a way that their tiny minds can understand. They see palaces in children’s programs and wish to live in them, and watch cartoon heroes who are struggling to get treasures.”
SubhanAllah! Shaykh Ahmad an-Najmee rightly said:
”The mother is the first school. If she is righteous, the progeny becomes righteous”
[Fath-ur-Rabb al-Wadud (2/256)]
My friend is accumulating rewards upon rewards masha Allah, because whenever one of her children will read or recite the adhkar above, it will be an ongoing charity for her. Without doubt, it is the best investment in this world and the Hereafter.
The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ said,
“When the human being dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.”
(Saheeh Muslim 1631)
– Received as a forward message
Listen to this awesome poem about Jannah by Ammar Alshukry
