This being an established fact that having gone from this world there is no return and when people go from here, no link will be maintained with this world, it is unwise and nothing less than madness that one should worry about inheritance and apprehend that his belongings might be taken over by this relative or the other. Religiousness cannot be combined with this kind of ideas. Of course, it is not forbidden, rather it is permissible that one’s children and other relatives should be looked after, for they are his dependents. If somebody does this, it will be very virtuous and nothing less than an act of worship. He will be doing all this under the command of God.

‘Wa yut-i monat ta ama ilaa habbihee miskeen-an-wa yateeman wa aseera‘

Here ‘miskeen’ means parents, as well. For, when they become old and weak they cannot earn their livelihood. To serve them at this stage of their life is just helping a ‘miskeen’. As for the children, if they are not looked after properly they are not better then the orphans; they should be looked after in compliance with the verse quoted above. That brings good reward. As for the wife, she is like a captive. If the man does not treat her nicely in compliance with the verse ‘Aashiroohunna bil Maroof’, her condition will be like that of a prisoner who has nobody to look after him.

All of them should be given proper treatment, for no ulterior motives whatsoever; the man should deal with them mercifully. In doing good to them his motives should not be that they have to inherit him. He should keep in mind ‘Wajalna lil Muttaqeena imama (i.e. make us leaders of the Muttaqis). He should be anxious to see his children as the servants of religion. But how many people are there who supplicate to God for this purpose – that the children may become the veteran servants of religion. There are very few who do that. A lot of people are there who do not know even this much as to why they struggle for their children. Many of them just wish to have someone to inherit them, so that other relatives may not take away their belongings.

In short, one should always wish that his children are the servants of religion. Likewise one should pray that the wife should give birth to many children so that all of them serve religion.