Abul Laith Samarqandi (R.A) has related that a man brought his son to Hazrat Umar (radiyallahu anhu) and said: “My son does not obey me, he is disobedient to me”. Hearing this Hazrat Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said: “O boy, don’t you know what rights a father has on his son?” Thereafter he narrated the rights of a father on his children. The boy said: “O Commander of the faithful! Do the children too have any rights on their father?” Hazrat Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said: “Yes! the children too have rights on their father”. “What are those rights”? asked the boy. Hazrat Umar (radiyallahu anhu) replied: “First of all, he should search for a good mother for his son. He should marry with a virtuous, religious woman, and must not marry any woman of questionable nature and doubtful character. The second right is that when he begets a child, he should name it with a good name, and the third right of the child is that he should impart religious knowledge to him and teach the Quraan”. The boy said: “O’ Commander of the faithful! my father has not discharged any of these rights. Firstly, the woman who is my mother is a negress, a slave woman that he has bought for 400 dirhams. She is a neophyte Muslim slave woman who is quite ignorant of religious education, Islamic civil manners and morals. It is in her laps that I have passed my infancy. She has not given me any religious education. What should I do? Secondly, they have not named me with a good name. They have named me Ju’al (meaning black, ugly man). I should have been given a good name which was my right, but my father did not discharge his responsibility towards me. The third is the right of religious education, which they did not give me at all. Now whatever decision you give, I will accept it”. Hazrat Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said: “O’ boy’s father, first of all, you have been neglectful regarding the boy’s rights which you did not discharge and now you tell me that your son does not obey you. GET OUT! It is you who have disobeyed first”.
Re: Umar ibn Al-khattab on the rights of children
yes great share. should be thought provoking for some