218. Imām ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “It is the duty of the leader to teach the boundaries of Islam and faith to the people under his command.”1
219. Imām ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “O people! I have rights over you and you have rights over me. Your right over me is that I give you advice, supply you your dues, teach you so that you may not remain ignorant, and that I discipline you so that you may know.”2
220. Imām al-Sajjād (a.s.) said, describing the rights: “The right of your child is that you know that he belongs to you and he is related to you in this world with his good and his evil. You are responsible for teaching him good manners, leading him towards his Lord and assisting him in obeying Him. Therefore, in regard to his affairs you must act like one who knows that he will be rewarded for being benevolent to him and will be punished for committing wrong to him.”3
221. Imām al-Sajjād (a.s.) said: “The right of your child is that you know that he belongs to you and he is related to you in this world with his good and his evil. You are responsible for teaching him good manners, leading him towards his Lord and assisting him in obeying Him in your rights and his own.
Hence, there will be reward and punishment. Therefore, in regard to his affairs you must act like one who beautifies (helps) himself by having good impact on him (the child) in this world and has accomplished near his Loard his responsibilities between him and his child, that is by looking properly after him and gaining results for him, and there is no power but in Allah.”4
3 / 4
The Most Important Obligatory Thing to Teach
A- Islamic Beliefs, Monotheism in Particular:
222. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “He who raises a child in a way that he says: ‘There is no god but Allah’, Allah will not question him (he is not accountable for).”5
1.. Ghurar al-Hikam, h. ۶۱۹۹. ‘Uyun al-Hikam wa al-Mawā‘iz, p. ۳۲۸, h. ۵۶۳۷.
2.. Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon ۳۴. Ansāb al-Ashrāf, vol. ۳, p. ۱۵۴. Tārikh al-Tabari, vol. ۵, p. ۹۱. al-Kāmil Fi al-Tārikh, vol. ۲, p. ۴۰۸. al-Imāmah wa al-Siyāsah, vol. ۱, p. ۱۷۱, with ‘I give you advice for the sake of Allah’ instead of ‘I give you advice’.
3.. Kitāb Man lā Yahdarhu al-Faqih, vol. ۲, p. ۶۲۲, h. ۳۲۱۴. al-Khisāl, p. ۵۶۸, h. ۱. Both narrating from Abu Hamzah al-Thumāli (Thābit ibn Dinār).
4.. Tuhaf al-‘Uqul, p. ۲۶۳, h. ۲۳. Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۷۴, p. ۱۵, h. ۲.
5.. al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat, vol. ۵, p. ۱۳۰, h. ۴۸۶۵, narrating from ‘A'ishah. al-Jāmi‘ al-Saghir, vol. ۲, p. ۶۰۳, h. ۸۶۹۶.
