My Daughter Asks Me: Allah Leads Them Astray Then Holds Them Accountable?

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah, may Allah keep you in goodness, dear guests, and may Allah bless you on this noble day.

Encouraging Children to Ask Questions While Reading the Quran

I wanted to share an idea with you. Sometimes, I sit with my children and we read the Quran together. During the reading, one of them interrupts me and says, "Daddy, what does this word mean?" Here, I advise parents to encourage their children to ask questions while reading the Quran.

You might say, "If they interrupt me like this, we won't be able to finish!" No, no, my brothers and sisters, even if you read only two pages, but the children are curious and know the meanings of some words, this is much better than reading a whole part and the children do not ponder. Just the child or the girl asks, "What does this word from the Holy Quran mean?" This is a question that should be received with warmth and attention.

My Daughter Asks Me: "What Does 'Nsalkuh' Mean?"

A couple of days ago, I was sitting with my children and my wife reading Surah Al-Hijr. My daughter stopped me and said, "Daddy, what does 'Nsalkuh' mean?" She was referring to Allah's saying: {Thus do We insert it into the hearts of the criminals. They do not believe in it, and the tradition of the former peoples has passed.}

Of course, the topic of children's theological questions is a huge and important one, but the intention here is not to open it in detail, but rather a passing thought I wanted to share with you about how I dealt with this question. And if Allah wills, perhaps I will also publish some of the questions my children have asked me under the title "My Daughter Asks Me" or "My Daughter Asks Me," meaning if you see this title, you will know that I will be talking about some of the questions children ask and how we address them.

So my daughter, my daughter who has not yet turned ten years old, asked me, "Daddy, what does 'Nsalkuh' mean?" I said to her, "By Allah, my daughter, I think I know, but let me make sure." I took out my phone, wrote: "Nsalkuh in the hearts of the criminals." The first thing that came up was the Quran, meaning unless you complete the link, I pressed on it, and I saw the interpretations of the scholars. I said to her, "My daughter, 'Nsalkuh' means to insert it."

Of course, I am not here to address the topic of destiny, misguidance, and punishment in a comprehensive manner. May Allah make it easy for us on the journey of certainty to address it in a comprehensive manner. But if your child asks you a question like this, how would you answer them?

I said to her, "My daughter, 'Nsalkuh' means to insert it, meaning to make the effect of the Quran in their hearts in this way. The Quran enters their hearts, they understand this speech in Arabic and know the meanings of the words, but they are not affected by it and it does not settle in their hearts with the stability of faith. They understand the meaning of the speech when the Prophet, peace be upon him, addresses them, but despite that, they do not believe in it. So Allah says: {Thus do We insert it into the hearts of the criminals. They do not believe in it.} This is how we insert the Quran into the hearts of the criminals so that they are not affected by it and do not believe in it."

She said, "Okay, Daddy, so how is it that Allah inserts the Quran in this way and then makes them not be affected, and then He will hold them accountable?"

Dealing with Children's Theological Questions

Of course, my brothers and sisters, if your child asks you a question like this, it is very important to know that there is no answer called: "No, no, do not ask this question, it is forbidden to ask this question, it is wrong to ask this question." This answer is rejected, my brothers and sisters. Yes, sometimes some points are about submission, so we say, "We are Muslims, we submit." But this is not for everything, the ready-made answer that we give to all questions. In general, questions can be addressed in a scientifically convincing way to children.

So I received the question with a smile: "Ah, excellent, I understand you, Lin, so you are saying how Allah, glorified and exalted be He, will hold these people accountable even though He misguided them and did not let the Quran affect them? Is that what you mean, Daddy?" "Ah, yes, that's what I mean." "Okay, let me answer you now."

Therefore, make the child feel that you understood his question, and show warmth towards his question that it is an important question and let's answer it. Of course, my brothers and sisters, the answer may be present with you or may not be present. If the answer is not present, you say, "Come on, Daddy, let's find the answer, I am now trying to search, if Allah wills, or ask and answer you or today I will answer you." And indeed, you make sure to answer.

Who is Responsible for Misguidance?

The important thing is that I said to her, "Okay, your question is excellent. The answer, my daughter, is that these are the ones who caused their own misguidance. Look how Allah said: {Thus do We insert it into the hearts of the criminals.} Who are the criminals? Those who, instead of contemplating the truth brought by the Prophet, peace be upon him, became mockers and scoffers, knowing the truth but not wanting to follow it. Therefore, why does the Quran mention this speech? So that it may warn us of the danger of rejecting the truth when we know it, rejecting the truth for the first time.

Therefore, Allah said in another verse: {And We will turn their hearts and their eyes, as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly.} The benefit of these verses is that you know that when Allah has shown you the truth, do not go for arrogance or to please people or out of hatred for some people, go and reject the truth that comes to you from whoever it may be. Because if you reject it, it is possible that Allah will not let the Quran affect you and will insert it into your heart like it was inserted into the hearts of the criminals. This is the benefit of these verses.

The Parable of the Heart as a Mirror

Therefore, my daughter, Allah has also taught us some things, meaning you can give your child this example, a simple and easy one for him to understand: "Imagine our hearts as a mirror. When you look at a clean and polished mirror, you see your image in its true form, it reflects things as they are. If you dirty this mirror with mud, you will no longer see things as they are. Imagine that the mirror is dirtied with mud, then you put an apple in front of the mirror, will you see it clearly? No, you will not see it clearly." Of course, I ask them and they answer so that we are in an interactive question and answer session.

Similarly, if a person Allah has understood him and taught him in the Quran once and again that: "O man, do not disobey, do not be arrogant, do not deny, otherwise you will dirty the mirror of your heart." Allah said: {So let those who oppose His command beware lest a trial afflicts them or a painful punishment befalls them.} When you disobey Allah and His Messenger, what is happening? You are dirtying your heart. Yes, they are the cause, because Allah said: {Indeed, Allah does not wrong the people at all, but it is the people who wrong themselves.}

So the benefit of these verses, my daughter, is that we do not reject the truth when we know it the first time, and that we beware of dirtying the mirror of our heart so that it no longer reflects the true image of things, you do not see the truth as truth and falsehood as falsehood. And the third point of these verses is so that we humble ourselves before Allah. Do not think, O man, that you are arrogant towards Allah and arrogant towards the truth that He has taught you, thinking that if you decide one day to be guided with the push of a button, you will be guided and the matter is in your hands. No, Allah warns you that if you reject the truth the first time, it is possible that He will turn your heart so that you no longer see the truth at all.

So humble yourself to Allah who said in the Hadith Qudsi: "O My servants, all of you are astray except whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me, and I will guide you." Do not think that Islam will catch up with you and the Quran will catch up with you while you are arrogant, disobedient, denying, and mocking, and then with the push of a button if you decide, you will be guided. No, no, humble yourself to Allah.

Mercy of Allah Even with Criminals

I also told my daughter that, despite all this, Allah, the Most High, is Merciful. If He knows that there is good in a person, He gives him opportunity after opportunity. Therefore, Allah, the Most High, said: "And if Allah had known any good in them, He would have made them hear." "And if Allah had known any good in them, He would have made them hear." However, the ungrateful person does not deserve these opportunities. Therefore, we do not say, "Why, O Lord, do you do this with criminals?" Well, they are criminals. The main point is that you, O human, should not be a criminal.

I mentioned that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was sent to his people, many years passed. Some people fought the call of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for about 17 years and then eventually embraced Islam. That is, if Allah, the Most High, knows that there is good in a person's heart, He will not seal his fate. However, the arrogant criminal who does not deserve guidance will not be guided by Allah.

I wanted to share this idea with you, and I ask Allah to accept from us and from you and to help us in raising our children to love Allah and His Messenger. Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.