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The Prophet's Guidance ﷺ
When Interacting with Children and the Youth
All praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His assistance, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within our selves and our bad deeds. Whoever Allah guides, there is no one who can misguide him, and whoever He misguides, there is no one who can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone without any partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah's abundant peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his companions.
To proceed:
Fear Allah—O servants of Allah— the way He should be feared and be mindful of Him while in secret and during your private conversations.
O Muslims:
Allah, The Exalted, made a (time of) strength in this life between two (times of) weakness. That (time of) strength is the prime time of life, and the merit of the hereafter. The age of youth is the time of strength that comes after an age of weakness. In that time exists the glimmer of determination and the height of motivation. Their benefit during (these) years is great. The people of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said about it…
﴿قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ﴾ [الأنبياء: 60]
"They said, 'We heard a young man, called Ibrahim, speaking ill of them." [21:60]
And (Allah) said about Yaḥyá (John), peace be upon him…
﴿وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا﴾ [مريم: 12]
"And We gave him wisdom while he was still young." [19:12]
Ibn Kathīr, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "(The verse) means (he was given) understanding, knowledge, diligence, purpose, the motive to do good, devotion to it, and persistence when he was small and still young."
Allah, The Exalted, said about the companions of the cave…
﴿إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى﴾ [الكهف: 13]
"They were youngsters who truly believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance." [18:13]
Ibn Kathīr, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Allah, The Exalted, mentioned that they were in their youth. They're more inclined to the truth and much more receptive to guidance than the elderly. Because of that, the majority of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger were youth."
Among the seven groups of people who will be shaded under Allah's shade on the Day of Resurrection is "a youngster raised in obedience to Allah." — Agreed upon i.e., reported by Bukhari and Muslim.
The way of our Prophet Muhammad—may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him—with the child companions and their youth is the best way. He humbled himself to them, sat with them, visited them, taught them, and motivated them. As a result, the greatest generation emerged from them.
An example of his humbleness, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is that "when he came across a group of youngsters, he would greet them. — Agreed upon.
Ibn Baṭṭāl, may Allah have mercy on him, said "The Prophet's greetings of peace to the youth are an example of his great character, noble manners, and humbleness."
He used to be incredibly eager to teach them. Jundub Bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "We were with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, while we were young, on the verge of adolescence. We learned about faith before we learned the Quran. Then, we learned the Quran and so we were increased in our faith." — Ibn Majah.
He also used to plant al- ̒aqīdah (i.e., belief/creed) in their souls. Ibn ̒Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "One day, I was behind the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and he said, 'O young man, I'm going to teach you some words: Be perseverant with Allah (by fulfilling his commandments, avoiding prohibition, and obeying him), and in return He will protect you from evil. Be perseverant with him, you will find him in front of you [i.e., He will actually be with you in a way that best fits His Glory and Majesty, assisting you, protecting you]. If you ever ask, ask Allah (alone), and if you ever seek assistance, seek it from Allah (alone)." — Tirmidhi.
He would also be gentle when teaching them by using his various methods. Sometimes, he will hold them by their hands. Mu ̒adh, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Once, Allah's Messenger, may Allah's peace and blessings upon him, held me by hand and said, 'I love you.' Mu ̒adh replied, 'By Allah! I love you (too). He said, 'Shall I teach you some words to say at the end of your prayers?' He replied, 'Yes.' So, he said, 'Say: O Allah! Assist me in remembering you, expressing my gratitude towards you, and perfecting my worship to you.'" — Bukhari in [his book] al-Adab al-Mufrad.
And sometimes, he would put their palms between both of his palms. Ibn Mas ̒ūd, may Allah be pleased with him said, "Allah's Messenger, may His peace and blessing be upon him, taught me the tashahhud [i.e., the supplication of testimony recited in the sitting position of the prayer], while my palm was between both of his palms, the same way he would teach me a chapter from the Quran." — Agreed upon.
Other times, he held them by their shoulders. Abdullah Bin ̒Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said, "One time, the Messenger of Allah held me by my shoulder and said, "Be in this life as if you are a stranger or a traveler just passing by." — Bukhari.
Due to his compassion in teaching, they used to come to him saying, "teach us." Ibn Mas ̒ūd, may Allah be pleased with him said, "I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Teach me something from this speech (i.e., from the Quran). So, he wiped my head and said, 'You are an educated young boy.'" — Ahmad. So, he became one of the reciters of this nation.
He also used to remain patient when teaching them. Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Allah's Messenger, may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him, used to teach us al-istikhārah [i.e., how to seek Allah's guidance when making any life decision] the same way he used to teach us a chapter from the Quran." — Bukhari.
Amongst his show of affection to them is that he used to let them sit behind him while riding his mount despite the presence of the elder companions. Usamah, may Allah be pleased with him, sat behind him when riding from ̒Arafah to Muzdalifah and then al-Faḍl Bin al- ̒Abbās, [may Allah be pleased with him], from Muzdalifah to Minā.
He used to encourage them to engage in worship. He said to Abdullah Bin ̒Umar while he was still a boy, "What great man is Abdullah, if only he prayed during the night!" After that, Abdullah would not sleep at night except a little. — Agreed upon.
He would guide them with the softest words. He once said to Khuraym al-Asadi, may Allah be please with him, "What a great man you are O Khuraym, if only it weren't for two characteristics about you." I (Khuraym) asked, "What are they O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "You let your lower garment hang below your ankles, and you let your hair loose." — Ahmad.
He used to sympathise with them, be concerned with them [often] and ask them about their families. Malik Bin al-Huwayrith said, "Once, we went to see the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, while we were still young and similar in age. We spent twenty nights with him. He thought that we missed our families and he asked us about who we left from amongst them. So, we told him, but out of his compassion and kindness, he told us, "Return to your families. Teach them and order them to pray and pray just as you saw me pray." — Agreed upon.
The Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, the greatest man [to have ever lived] used to joke around with the children. Maḥmūd Bin ar-Rabī ̒, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I understood [i.e. remember] when the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to squirt water at my face from between his incisors (in a playful manner). At that time, I was only five years old." — Agreed upon.
He used to ask them about their [pets] and sympathetically give them kunyas [i.e., a name of a person derived from his/her eldest child's name or a physical trait or something he was famous for doing]. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, used to mingle with us so much so that he once asked my younger brother, 'O Abu ̒Umayr! What happened to your pet finch?'" — Agreed upon.
Ibn Baṭṭāl, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "He, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, used to joke around with kids and be playful with them so that others could emulate him in that. This shows that he used to lower himself to others, was humble, and not arrogant.
He used to hold their hands, walking them to his house to feed them. Jabir Bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "One day, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, held my hand and walked me to his home." Then, he gave him pieces of bread. — Muslim.
When they would enter his home, he would allow them to listen to his discussions. Ibn Mas ̒ūd, may Allah be pleased with him said, "the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, 'Your permission [to enter] is that the curtain is lifted (i.e., if you see the door's curtain lifted up, then enter without asking permission), and for you to listen to my secrets, until I prohibit you from such (i.e. from entering) .'" — Muslim.
He used to eat with them and teach them table manners. ̒Umar Ibn Abi Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I was raised in the house of Allah's Messenger, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. Once, I was grabbing food from all sides of the plate, and he said to me, 'O young boy, say bismillah (i.e., in the name of Allah), eat with your right hand, and eat from the side closest to you.'" — Agreed upon.
[Likewise], he used to accept the invitations of his young companions. Abdullah Bin Busr, may Allah be pleased with them both, said, "My father sent me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, to invite him over to eat, so he came with me. When I was near my home, I sped on ahead to inform my parents. So, they came out and met Allah's Messenger, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and welcomed him." — Ahmad.
If news that one of his younger companions came to Him, He would visit him. Zaid Bin Arqam, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I was afflicted with ramad, i.e, a disease which affects the eye, so the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, visited me." — Ahmad
He, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, used to look at and monitor the brilliance of every single one of them and advise them with what would benefit themselves and their people. When Allah's Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Madinah, he saw Zayd Bin Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him. He was less than fifteen years old and proficient in writing. So, he appointed him as one of the scribes who would write the revelation. He noticed his skill and excellence, so he requested that he learn the language of the Jews, so he can translate for him that which is written in their language. Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I learned their language for him. Not even fifteen days passed until I was fluent in it. I then used to read their letters to him when they were sent and reply to them when he would write back." — Ahmad.
He would encourage them to learn Allah's book (the Quran) from his young companions. He, [may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him], said, "Learn the Quran from four: Ibn Umm ̒Abd i.e., Ibn Mas ̒ūd, Mu ̒adh Bin Jabal, Ubayy Bin Ka ̒b, and Sālim, the freed-slave of Abu Hudhayfah." — Agreed upon.
He used to praise them and make their status known. Once, he heard the Quran recitation of Sālim, the freed-slave of Abu Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, while he was still a young boy with a beautiful sounding voice. He said, "All praise belongs to Allah for making someone like this (young boy) amongst my nation." — Ibn Majah.
He noticed in Mu ̒adh, may Allah be pleased with him, [a unique sense] of understanding so he said, "The most knowledge amongst them about what is halal (permissible) and what is haram (prohibited) is Mu ̒adh Bin Jabal." — Ahmad.
He used to portray his love for the children from amongst his companions and their youth and he used to regularly inform them of that to make their status in his eyes clear to them and others. He said regarding Zayd Bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him said, "He is most certainly from the most beloved people to me, and this person (i.e. his son, Usamah) is from the most beloved to me after him." — Agreed upon. He also saw the women and children of the Anṣār (i.e., the Muslim residents of Madinah from before the migration) approaching then said, "O Allah! You are all amongst the most beloved people to me." — Agreed upon.
He used to pray for the children and young companions that they attain the best of both this worldly life and the hereafter out of love and honor for them. Ibn ̒Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, hugged me once, and said, 'O Allah! Grant him knowledge of the book (i.e., the Quran).'" — Bukhari. He also prayed for Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, with his prayer: "O Allah! Provide for him an abundance of wealth and children and bless him with it." — Agreed upon.
He used to tell some of them secrets exclusively instead of others out of his [extreme] trust in them. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Allah's Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, told me a secret. I never told anyone after that. Umm Sulaym (his mother) even asked me about it but I never told it to her." — Agreed upon.
He used to entrust them with major responsibilities. He appointed ̒Attāb Bin Asīd, may Allah be pleased with him, in charge of Makkah. He led the Muslims during that Hajj (pilgrimage) season and performed Hajj with the Muslims in the eighth year (after the Prophet's migration). (At that time), he wasn't even twenty years old.
The ones who narrated the most hadiths from the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, after Abu Hurairah are five young companions: Anas, Jabir, Ibn ̒Abbas, Ibn ̒Umar, and ̒Āishah. May Allah be pleased with all of them. They were all from the young companions.
He, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, also used to seek advice from his young companions about his serious affairs. During the occurrence of al-Ifk (i.e., a false accusation held against ̒Āishah, may Allah be pleased with her), he would send for Ali Ibn Abi Ṭālib and Usamah Bin Zayd, may Allah be pleased with them both, asking for their advice when the revelation was on hold.
In his gatherings, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, he would revere them and emphasize their significance despite the presence of the elder companions. "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, was brought a beverage and so he drank from it. On his right was a young boy, and on his left were many elders. He said to the boy, "Do you give me permission to give to these (elders)?" He answered, "No, by Allah. I would never give up my share of you to anyone [i.e., he wanted his lips to be the first to touch where the Prophet's blessed lips were out love for him]." So, Allah's Messenger, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, put it in his hand. — Agreed upon.
He, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, used to make it a big deal when a calamity befell one of the youths. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "There were 70 young companions from amongst the Anṣār that were called al-Qurrā' (i.e., the Quran reciters; because of how often they would read the Quran). They used to always be in the mosque and [one day] the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, sent them [to some nearby Arab tribes, who had claimed that they embraced Islam, to teach them as per their request]. Then, [on the way], they were [suddenly] ambushed [and massacred] on the day [they reached] the Well of Help (i.e., a place in Hudhayl, between Makkah and another place called ̒Usfān). So, the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, prayed against their murderers for fifteen days straight during the early dawn prayer." — Ahmad, and it's original is in the two ṣaḥiḥ's (i.e., Bukhari and Muslim).
The ages of most of those who embraced Islam early and supported the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, in the beginning of his affair (i.e., his prophethood) were between eight and thirteen years old. From amongst them were Ali, Ṭalḥah, and az-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with them all.
When Quraysh insisted on banishing the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, from Makkah, the Anṣār came to him from Madinah. Half of them were young and they pledged allegiance to him at al- ̒Aqabah twice.
He, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, sent a young man to Madinah just before his migration to teach them the Quran and explain [the details] of their religion. He was Mus ̒ab Bin ̒Umayr, may Allah be pleased with him and [upon arriving], he resided with another young man like him called As ̒ad Bin Zurarah, and so he accommodated him. [May Allah be pleased with them both].
Then, when the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, [finally] decided to migrate, he ordered Ali Ibn Abi Ṭālib, who was young, to stay behind during the migration so he can compensate the Prophet's payments, May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, to the people on his behalf.
Then, during his migration, the youth supported him. Abdullah Ibn Abi Bakr used to come to him while he was in the cave with his companion, may Allah be pleased with them both, to report to them the news of the people in Makkah. ̒Ā'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "(At that time) he was a young intelligent man with clever insight (i.e., he would understand things quickly)." — Bukhari. And Asmā', may Allah be pleased with her, was a young girl. She would serve them food and drinks.
When he arrived in Madinah, its youth welcomed him, delighted to see him. Al-Barrā, may Allah be pleased with him said, "The young boys and servants scattered into the streets crying aloud, 'O Muhammad! O Messenger of Allah! O Muhammad! O Messenger of Allah!'" — Muslim.
When he, peace and blessings be upon him, settled in Madinah, (the rest of) his companions migrated from Makkah to Madinah, and they were (all) youth. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him said, "The Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Madinah while none from amongst his companions had grey in his hair except for Abu Bakr." — Bukhari.
In the Conquest of Badr, he, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, commissioned his companions to battle. Ibn ̒Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The youth fled towards him (wishing to participate)." — Ibn Hibban. Also, on the Day of Hunayn, the youth departed (for battle) without any weapons.
Before his death, he, peace and blessings be upon him, prepared a tremendous army to combat the Romans in Shām (i.e., modern day Palestine, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon) and assigned Usamah Bin Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, as their commander: his age was (only) seventeen years old.
Due to the special interaction of the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, with the youth, they loved him immensely. So much so that when he returned from his travels, they would go all the way outside of Madinah just to welcome him back. As-Sā'ib, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I departed with the youth to meet the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, at Thaniyyat al-Wada ̒ (i.e., a mountain passage where people in Madinah would say their farewells to those setting out for their journeys and welcome them upon their return), which was his expected return site from the Conquest of Tabūk." — Bukhari.
They also used to spend the night with the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, in his house. Rabī ̒ah Bin Ka ̒b al-Aslamī, may Allah be pleased with him said, "I used to spend the night with the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and bring him his water for ablution and his (other) necessities. He said to me once, 'Ask.' I then said, 'I ask you for your company in Jannah.'" — Muslim.
Furthermore, when one of them would sleep in his house, he would place his head next to the head of the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, on his pillow. "One night, Ibn ̒Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, spent the night over his aunt Maymūnah's house. He said, 'I lied down perpendicular to the pillow and the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and his wife lied down parallel to it." — Agreed upon.
To proceed, O Muslims:
The more elevated the good character of those who are great becomes, the humbler they become to the youth. A child is naturally inclined to love the one who teaches and draws near to him and their conception in memory and understanding could very well surpass that of the elders. The way of Islam matches their natural disposition. They love it and its etiquettes and regulations. The Prophet's guidance, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, encourages them to act upon it. To neglect them and belittle them doesn't match the traits of the intellectual.
I seek refuge in Allah, from Satan, the outcast.
﴿لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا﴾ [الأحزاب: 21]
May Allah bless me and you all with the Magnificent Quran…
The Second Sermon
All praise belongs to Allah for his beneficence and to him is all gratitude for his success and grace. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah to magnify his significance, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and Messenger. May Allah's abundant peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and all his companions.
O Muslims:
The Prophet's guidance, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, is the most complete guidance, his way is the most complete of all ways, and his interactions (with people) are the greatest interactions. The youth of today are the hope of this nation, and it rests on them. Whoever wants to see good in the youth, then he should stick to the Prophet's guidance, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, when interacting with them, and should also stick to his care for the children from amongst the companions and their youth. Knowledge was handed to them, and the world benefited from them. From Allah's plan of success for children is for them to have easy access to a scholar who can teach them their religion, and the etiquettes of the prophets, peace be upon them all. It is upon their guardians to exert that effort for them.
(Finally), know that Allah has commanded you to send peace and blessings upon his Prophet…
