With reference to significance of prayer for successful married life Huzoore Anwer (may Allah be his Helper) said the following in one of his Jalsa Salana addresses to ladies:
“Every man and woman should make an effort in their prayers and in their practices to bring about positive changes in themselves and become true models of those who take bai’at. This is so that they can be counted amongst those people who are not only concerned about their own good practices but are also concerned about the welfare of their next generation for which Allah the Exalted has taught us in the prayer:
“‘Our Lord, grant us of our spouses and children the delight of our eyes and make each of us a leader of the righteous.’ (25:75)
“While this prayer is significant for men it is also significant for women so that both men and women become the delight of each other’s eyes. When they will both be praying to become the delight of each other’s eyes they will also be mindful to be kind to each other and will overlook each other’s drawbacks and will keep each other’s good qualities in view. Sometimes newly married couples come to me for advice. Just as I mentioned these days the situation with divorce and خلع (khula–divorce initiated by the wife) is very worrisome, so what I tell them is to overlook each other’s weaknesses and keep each other’s good qualities in view. [I tell them] that now that they are married they should honour the relationship and also pray to Allah the Exalted to make them the delight of each other’s eyes. When prayers and efforts are put in InshaAllah relationships are successful. When both husband and wife will be the delight of each other’s eyes, then seeing the good example of the parents the next generation will also try to become the delight of the parents’ eyes.
“Both husband and wife will be praying to God Almighty for each other and for their children to become a delight of their eyes and will be praying for righteous children to be born to them, and will pray that:
“‘…and make each of us a leader of the righteous.’ It is a prayer to have righteous progeny. And the head of a household is the Imam of the family. When it is prayed ‘make me a leader of the righteous’ it means, produce pious people among my progeny. When a man supplicates this he prays for his wife and children to be righteous and when a woman supplicates this, as the guardian of the home, she prays for her children to be righteous. When this prayer is made eagerly then effort is also made to keep oneself firm on righteousness resulting in a home which is a model of paradise where adults and children, everyone seeks to attain the pleasure of Allah the Exalted. After such parents pass away from this world their children become a source of reward for them. Parents are rewarded for the upbringing of children; the father will be rewarded as well as the mother in her capacity as the guardian of the home and being responsible for the children. Virtuous acts of children will become source of elevating the station of the parents. And which true believer is there who claims to have faith and then says that he does not need to have his station elevated after death? Thus this prayer is useful for the reformation of one’s generations as well as one’s personal reformation and it is also useful after death for the elevation of one’s station through the prayers and practices of one’s righteous progeny.
“There is also an indication towards the dignity of a true believer in here; a true believer does not settle for trivial matters and moves onwards and upwards. A true believer enhances in personal righteousness and also tries to enhance righteousness in his progeny. Fortunate are the parents who remain engaged in the upbringing of their children and bring them close to faith and instil love of Allah the Exalted in them. They also improve themselves by adopting pious changes and adorn their life in this world as well as the Hereafter. Thus every Ahmadi man and woman needs to reflect over this prayer and offer it intensely. Many people are unhappy that their children have gone astray. When there is focus on good upbringing and prayers. Allah the Exalted bestows His grace and prevents children, apart from in the odd case, from going astray.”
(Address to ladies delivered on 25 June 2011 at Jalsa Salana Germany. Published 13 April 2012)
In another of his Friday sermons Huzoore Anwer (may Allah be his Helper) said the following on the subject:
“Our Lord, grant us of our spouses and children the delight of our eyes and make each of us a leader of the righteous.’ (25:75). We should always make the prayer taught to us by Allah the Exalted which is for our children to be delight of our eyes. One should always pray O Allah, look upon us with mercy and always look upon us with mercy, never let Satan overcome us , forgive our mistakes. We seek Your forgiveness from You, do forgive our sins. After forgiving our sins keep us in Your sight in such a way that we are never again entrapped by Satan. Once You have blessed us in so many ways, make us thankful of Your blessings and make us remember them. Your greatest blessing is the blessing of faith, always keep us firm on it and may we never be distant from it and always pray:
“‘Our Lord, let not our hearts become perverse after Thou hast guided us; and bestow mercy on us from Thyself; surely, Thou alone art the Bestower.’ (3:9). Without attention to prayers Satan will continue to incite in different manners and different ways. As I explained earlier, there cannot be protection against him without the blessing and mercy of Allah the Exalted. Allah the Exalted communicates with those who pray to Him pre-emptively and who have His grace. This grace is greatly increased when the love of Allah the Exalted is developed in hearts.”
(Friday sermon delivered on 12 December 2003 at Baitul Futuh, London Published Al Fazl International 6 February 2004)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah be his Helper) gave special instructions regarding bringing up children in his address at Jalsa Salana UK 2003. He presented the following extract of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). Huzoore Anwer said:
“The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) states: ‘My own condition is such that none of my Salat is without prayers for my friends, my children and wife. Many parents teach bad habits to their children. When children start doing wrong, they do not reprimand them which results in children becoming more daring day by day … Remember, the person who does not appreciate close family relationships, his faith has defect. How can virtue be expected of him when he is devoid of this! Allah the Exalted has stated in the Holy Qur’an regarding the desire to have children:
‘(25:75) That is, God Almighty, grant us delight of eyes through our wives and children. And make us Imam of the righteous. This can only come about if they are not embroiled in sinful life and lead their lives as servants of the Gracious God and give precedence to God over everything. It is expounded in the latter part of the verse:
‘“… and make each of us a leader of the righteous”. If the offspring are pious and righteous then the one making the prayer will be like an Imam. It is also a prayer for the individual making the prayer to become righteous.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 562-563 New Edition)”
(Address delivered to ladies on 26 July 2003 at Jalsa Salana UK. Published in Al Fazl International 29 August 2003)