Sami Al-Mughamsi

Raise Them Right... Before They Become Doctors and Engineers!

15 July 2026 - 00:17 | Last updated 15 July 2026 - 00:17

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- With the rapid pace of life and the shift away from its calm rhythm, the simplicity we once lived has disappeared, and raising children has become an extremely difficult task. Despite this transformation, some still raise their children in the same way they experienced during the 1980s and 1990s. So how can we keep up with current changes while preserving the behavioral identity we were raised with? And how can we reach our children's hearts and win them over? Certainly, this is not easy for parents.

- Amid this amazing and rapid digital progress that has invaded every detail of our lives, a child may deviate in a moment of inattention, and the family may lose him due to these changes. But how can we protect them from this sweeping digital revolution? And how can we shield them from the evil of this technological 'ogre' that has entered every home without permission?

- No matter how much your son deviates, or falls short in his duty to you or in his religious and worldly obligations, do not sever the bond of affection between you and him. For a young man has his whims and fancies, then by God's grace he may return and come back, so do not rush him.

- I witnessed a painful scene of a father and his son in a regrettable situation at a café abroad, and how it pained me! I wondered: how guilty is this father who raised his son on corruption and loss of values?

- Raise your children to be righteous before they become engineers and doctors, and raise them to have sound hearts before memorizing lessons. Ensure they love goodness, appreciate others, and are keen on fulfilling their parents' right to kindness.

- I wish you were as concerned with moral aspects as you are with their excellence in English! It pains me to see the 99% generation, whose share of nobility, good conduct, and high-mindedness might not last two days if found at all!

- Raise them to know that a paternal uncle holds the status of a father in respect, and that a paternal aunt has great standing and the right to kindness, visitation, and good treatment. Raise them to know that a maternal aunt is like a mother and a maternal uncle is like a father, and that the grandfather is the root of the tree, while cousins (paternal and maternal) are its firm branches.

- Raise them to be men of principles despite their young age, and to race towards goodness of their own accord. Accustom them to pray out of love and closeness, not out of distress and burden.

- If fathers knew how much real wealth they leave behind through these righteous children, they would not waste their lives on anything else in vain! And if they realized that after death they will be held accountable for what they planted in their children's hearts—love or estrangement towards relatives—they would cultivate and sow well.

- For every good deed that comes from the children after the parents' departure will be added to their scale of good deeds. So do good for yourselves by doing good to your children.

- Do not get angry... do not get angry... do not get angry! Overlook and concede even if you are right; a heart that fights every battle becomes barren and desolate soil. Concede even if logic is against you, for excessive rigidity breaks its owner, and always remain humble.

- If someone asks you about your condition and wealth, praise God abundantly and say, 'We are immersed in His blessings and provision,' and do not complain of poverty, need, or poor circumstances, lest God afflict you with them.