The interest of our family is the interest of our nation:

 When we serve people and build public facilities, when we command what is right and forbid what is wrong, and when we stand by the weak and the oppressed, we benefit ourselves by freeing it from the vice of miserliness, selfishness, and revolving in the orbit of personal interests. We also benefit our nation, as in doing so, we embody the principles and values that the nation believes in. We also improve the conditions of some components of the nation and alleviate their problems. The martyr provides a living example of what we say, as he apparently, and according to superficial and limited views, has lost his life, and by his initiative and sacrifice, has caused his wife to become a widow and his children orphans. However, from a deeper perspective, he has gained himself and helped in honoring his nation and defending his country, and Allah – the Almighty – will not let him down, in his family and his children.

Any harm that befalls any individual of the nation affects the nation on some level, just as any improvement in the life of any individual or family benefits the nation. In one family, a child mentioned that his classmate was wrongfully accused of taking another student's pen, and the child knew the real thief but did not speak up to avoid problems. Here, the mother interjected saying: "My son, this is not right; a Muslim must stand with the oppressed, and you must tell the school principal what you saw tomorrow, so the thief does not escape punishment, and the innocent is not blamed for what he did not do." In another family, a daughter said: "Our neighbors leave their air conditioners on when they travel for a week or two," to which her father replied: "And what did you do?" She said: "Nothing, it's their business.

" The father said: "This behavior is wrong, as it could lead to a fire in the house, and it wastes money and depletes an important resource. We must advise our neighbors to stop doing this." Nothing makes the interest of the individual, the community, and the nation one like Islam does. To the extent that we adhere to its teachings and guidance, we will feel that unity and work to embody it. Our children have many things that only time will mature. When a person is born, they are incomplete, and they complete themselves over long stages. We know that knowledge, wisdom, and good balance are great things, and one may not achieve them before the age of forty. It means the following:

• Being tolerant of children's mistakes, as they may know that a certain act is wrong, but their level of self-control and emotions may be below the required level.
• Constantly communicating with them to pass on our experiences and ideas.
• Answering their questions and inquiries with patience and broad-mindedness.
• We will succeed in this if we remember the mistakes we made when we were their age, perhaps even bigger and more serious mistakes than theirs.

Source/ Adapted from the book, "The Path of the Family (Principles for Guiding the Family)", by Dr. Abdul Karim Bakkar, 2017