Children are the finest blessing given by Allah and the greatest gain in this world for a mother and father, because many things can be obtained in this world through effort, but a child cannot be had just by wanting one. And a daughter is a unique means, from Allah, of attaining Paradise. The Quran and Sunnah contain such good news about daughters. What are these declarations?

In the Holy Quran, Allah describes the arrival of a daughter as good news: the good news of an invitation to Paradise. Yet, as in the Age of Ignorance, many people's faces still darken today when a daughter is born. Striking at the root of the barbaric thinking about daughters and women in the Age of Ignorance, Allah declares:

"When one of them is given the good news of a daughter, his face darkens and he suffers inward grief. He hides himself from people because of the bad news he has been given. Should he keep her in humiliation, or bury her in the dust? Beware, what they decide is evil indeed." (Surah An-Nahl: 58-59)

Today is International Day of the Girl Child. As every year, the day is being observed around the world, this time with the slogan "Digital generation, our generation" to help girls reach their potential.

When girls and women had no social standing, Islam gave them the highest dignity in the world. Islam gave clear guidance to protect their rights, and the Quran and Sunnah strongly urge kindness and good conduct towards girls.

In the Holy Quran, Allah commands: "Do not kill your children. It is I who provide for them and for you." (Surah Al-Imran and Bani Israil, as cited in the text)

In the extremely barbaric Age of Ignorance, people killed children for three reasons:

• In the Age of Ignorance girls were killed to protect family honour. The birth of a girl was considered humiliating and shameful, and to escape this superstition fathers killed their daughters or buried them alive.
• People killed children for fear of the costs of raising them and of economic hardship.
• Out of extreme ignorance, children were sacrificed to please the idols people worshipped.

On these matters Allah declares in several verses:

"Likewise, their partners have made the killing of their children seem fair to many of the polytheists, in order to ruin them and confuse their religion for them. Had Allah willed, they would not have done it. So leave them and what they invent." (cited in the text as Surah Al-Imran: 137)

"Those who kill their children foolishly, without knowledge, and forbid what Allah has provided for them, inventing lies about Allah, are surely lost. They have gone astray and are not guided." (cited in the text as Surah Al-Imran: 140)

"Say: Come, I will recite what your Lord has forbidden you: that you associate nothing with Him, be good to your parents, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We provide for you and for them. Do not approach indecency, open or hidden, and do not kill the soul Allah has made sacred except by right. This He has commanded you so that you may understand." (cited in the text as Surah Al-Imran: 151)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) strictly forbade discriminating between sons and daughters and giving sons undue preference over daughters. He said:

"Whoever has a daughter in his care and does not bury her alive or treat her with contempt, Allah will admit him to Paradise." (Abu Dawud)

Taking special care in raising daughters brings good news and a special promise of Paradise. The Prophet (PBUH) announced three rewards for those who raise daughters; the text lists these:

• the assurance of entering Paradise;
• the good fortune of being the companion of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in Paradise.

The consequences of neglecting daughters can be inferred from these verses and hadith. When girls grow up, the writer says, they occupy three of the world's most honoured positions.

A girl who grows up becomes a mother. Islam has established women's rights and honoured them in society and in the family, and has always instructed good treatment of women. The Quran commands: "Treat women kindly." (Surah An-Nisa: 19)

Giving women the dignity of motherhood, Allah declares:

"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents. His mother carried him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the final return." (Surah Luqman: 14)

Asked who most deserves good treatment, the Prophet (PBUH) named the mother three times, and the father the fourth time.

When a daughter reaches the appointed age she attains the dignity of a wife, and Islam has firmly established her in this honourable position. Urging men to fulfil their duties to their wives in the best way, Allah says:

"Live with them in kindness. If you dislike them, perhaps you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good." (Surah An-Nisa: 19)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) declared raising daughters a means of deliverance from the punishment of Hell and a reason for entering Paradise. Abu Said Khudri (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Whoever among you has three daughters or three sisters and treats them with affection will enter Paradise." (Tirmidhi)

No one in the world, believer or unbeliever, wants to go to Hell, and no one does not want to go to Paradise. Above all, no believer in Islam does not want to be the companion of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in Paradise.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) placed great importance on giving girls dignity and respect. He loved the young Fatima dearly, and he used to say: "Love children; children are the flowers of Allah." (Tirmidhi)

According to the hadith, whoever properly fulfils his duties to a daughter is forbidden to Hell and assured of Paradise, with the highest bonus being the chance to live with the beloved Prophet (PBUH) in Paradise.

If Allah gives someone one or more daughters, they must raise them with a contented heart. There is no reason to neglect them or to feel grieved. The hadith give good news on this too.

Anas (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Whoever raises and looks after two daughters (and, when the time comes, marries them to good husbands), he and I will enter Paradise together like these two fingers," and he joined two of his fingers as he said it. (Tirmidhi)

Aisha (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Whoever is given responsibility for raising daughters and carries it out with patience, those daughters will be a shield for him against Hell." (Tirmidhi)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) also said: "Whoever has three daughters or three sisters, treats them well and does not consider them a cause of dishonour, will surely enter Paradise." (Tirmidhi)

Today, extreme discrimination against daughters, and women in general, is seen everywhere, in individuals, families, society and the state. At the same time, in the name of freedom, daughters and women are reduced to the lowest level of product advertising. The writer calls this a grave wrong against daughters and all women.

Our duty to daughters, therefore, is to teach them religion, give due importance to their rights, raise them in light of the hadith and pray to Allah for them.

Daughters must not be discriminated against or neglected; they must be treated in the best way. Daughters and women are not commodities: Islam has given them the highest dignity and honour, and the greatest reward for honouring them is living with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in Paradise.

Even if someone other than the parents raises a daughter, the rewards mentioned are assured for them. This is why the hadith speak of "whoever raises" a daughter or sister rather than of mothers and fathers.

The writer closes with a prayer that Allah grant the Muslim ummah the ability to fulfil its duties to daughters and women, to keep them from wrongdoing and sin, and to provide them with the best teaching of the Quran and Sunnah. Amen.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.