How to Make a Scholar!

Bismillaah,

Many of us want our children to grow up as unique individuals.

"Doctor, engineer, nurse, teacher, lawyer.." These are some of the responses you get when you ask mothers what they want their children to be in the future. Rarely do you see a mother who wants her child to become the next scholar for this generation. Some mothers, may Allah bless them want their children to become memorizers of the Qur'an(huffadh) and Imams. This is very good and much needed. However, when one looks at the current state of our ummah, you begin to realize what we need and lack. We have a shortage of scholars. One may say, "well we have alot of shuyukh and imams already." There is a fine line between a local imam, speaker/lecturer ( like those in the West), and a scholar of the ummah. When we say scholar, we mean like Abdullah ibn al Mubarak, Sufyan al Thawri, Ibn Taymiyyah, al Bukhari, Ibn Hajar, Ibn Qayyim,Al Izz ibn AbdusSalaam, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al Shafi'ee, etc. 

One of the signs of the Qiyaamah, which our prophet (sala Allahu alayhi wassallam) told us about includes the decrease of knowledge by the deaths of the scholars. Nowadays our ummah is in a state of severe oppression and humiliation and one can just read or watch the news to know what Im talking about. Everywhere you read or hear about the sufferings of Muslims almost on a daily basis. The Muslims themselves are also in a state of weak emaan and strength. Most of the fasaad nowadays comes from the Muslim lands.  The households of the Muslims are weak in their foundations and corrupt as well. In order to bear righteous children, the parents must be righteous too! It doesn't make sense for a mother who doesn't wear hijab to tell her daughter to wear it, it doesn't make sense for a father who smokes and doesn't pray to beg his son to stop smoking and start praying. Look at yourself first. Didn't Allah say, "Do you then order the people to do good while forgetting yourselves?" 

The mother is the foundation and the strong pillar of the Muslim household. She must be righteous and strong if she wishes to raise righteous Muslims. Take a look at our history and this will be very clear. Do you think the mother of Eesa was a regular girl when she gave birth to Eesa(Jesus peace be upon him). No! She was a worshipper (aabida), she had a strong connection with her Lord. She prayed and fasted alot. She was very chaste and modest. Now take a look at her parents. Allah praised her family in the Qur'an by naming an entire chapter of the Qur'an after them. Aal Emraan! Do you think the mother of Imams al Bukhari and Al Shafi'ee were women who did not wear proper hijab or walked about in the night? No, they were strong pious women who had deep trust in Allah. These two great imaams were actually orphans who lost their fathers at a young age. Their mothers did not remarry and instead focused on their upbringing and tarbiyyah. And subhan Allah look at the results!

The mother of Imam Malik  would send her son to the masjid al Nabawi when he was a boy of maybe 10 years of age. And she would tell him to learn the manners of Imam Rab'ee ar Ra'yy before his knowledge. She would dress him in a nice thawb and turban. Imam Malik as a result began to love knowledge and its people and look at how great he became! 

Fear Allah O Mothers and know your true role and responsibility. You wish to see the ummah victorious, then you must take the first step and make your connection between you and your creator and maker well and then focus on your household. May Allah guide us all and grant us assistance.