1. Islamic Perspective of Parenting Lecture-1 www.witness-pioneer.org

2. Man is in Loss In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful: By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds,and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth,and of Patience and Constancy. (103:1- 4)

3. The Story of Muhammad: alarmingly common in first generation immigrants to the west Muhammad was a truly devout Algerian Muslim who had done everything to raise a Good Algerian Muslim son. But his son was not an Algerian; he was as American as apple pie, and whatever used to work back in Algeria had failed in America, as it did for so many others.

4. Generation Gap  The first generation of Muslim immigrants have undergone immense psychological complexities in adjusting with the ‘alien’ environment.  On the other hand, the later generation Muslims are struggling hard to cope with the two ‘opposing’ worlds – the traditional inward-looking Muslim life and the highly materialised, developed and complex western lifestyle.  The secularized education system and indulgent social pressure are having colossal influence on the Muslim youth.

5. Western Society: Nature  Unparalleled permissive life style and sexual promiscuity in the society  Proliferation of consumer culture and entertainment industry  Secular education system, erosion of morality, the disintegration of family structure and values.

6. Western Society: Impact  A significant percentage of children born to Muslim parents in the West are falling into the disastrous pit of social, moral and sexual disorientation  Some of them are even turning to atheism or heathenism  The recent “dramatic rise in the number of Muslims in Britain’s prisons” has created a shock wave within the Muslim community and also the Prison service.

7. Impact of Colonialism  Arbitrary division of Muslim lands and transplantation of hostile communities among the Muslim population created insurmountable barrier to Muslim unity.  On the other hand, the colonial brain-children, created to carry out their job in the Muslim countries, have proved fatal to Muslim regeneration for the last half a century.  The effect of colonial hegemony in the forms of material dependence and internal disharmony, intellectual servility and psychological despondency, is haunting the ummah everywhere.

8. Failing to Understand the Objectives of Creation  Man is assigned to maintaining justice and balance in Allah’s creation, a monumental task of great responsibility, test and trial that leads to accountability in the end.  The more a man pursues good work, the more enlightened his heart becomes. On the contrary, his heart becomes rusted and polluted if he is involved in unworthy things in life.  Human beings are ‘groomed’ by nature to behave as Muslims. But the family, social pressure and environment lead him or her away from Islam.

9. Detachment from Religious Values  Muslims now live in the West in the midst of a culture, often alien to Islamic values.  With the decline of religious influence in the West and intellectual stagnation in the Muslim world, the gap between the Muslim and Western world has widened.

10. Materialistic Vision  It’s not only now, the materialistic vision has been the main cause of gradual decline of Muslim values, character and authority over the centuries.  They gave up the practices that made them superior and adopted the habits of those who were ruined in the past.  As a result, The house of Islam was wrecked and taken over by the superior western economic and military power.

11. Racism, Islamophobia and Identity Crisis  With racism and Islamophobia predominant in many of the western countries, young Muslims lack confidence and suffer from identity crisis.  Some even feel embarrassed to identify themselves as Muslims.  The current efforts of the Muslim organiztions to disseminate the message of Islam to the non-adherent Muslims and non-Muslims are not sufficient.

12. Parenting Failure  With the joy of parenthood come trial, temptation and test. Excessive and blind love for children lead to unfairness, injustice and tyranny.  Ignorance about broader aspects of Islam, their own history and the society, Muslim parents are failing to educate their children in the proper Islamic way.

13. Medial Image  Tribalism, sometimes compared to that of pre- Islamic Arab tribalism, is rampant in many parts of the Muslim world. Sectarianism, Madhabism, political division, etc is the most widespread image of the Muslim world.  Muslims constitute the majority of the dispossessed and brutalised people on earth today. Yet, they are portrayed as fanatics, radicals, terrorists, criminals, barbaric and what not, by the powerful media and others establishments of the West.

14. Conclusion  In these days of Jahiliyah a new vigour of Islam can only save the world.  A new generation of Muslims worthy of becoming ‘best nation’ can be the beacon of hope, not only for the Muslim ummah, but for the whole of humanity as well. (al-Qur’an 103:1- 4, 3:110).