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1. A child is a source of both honour and cowardice
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1. 'A'isha said, "Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, there is no man on the face of the earth that I love better than 'Umar.' Then he went out and came back and said, 'How did I swear, daughter?' I told him what he had said. Then he said, 'He is dearer to me although one's child is closer (to one's heart).'"

2. Ibn Abi Nu'm said, "I was with Ibn 'Umar when a man asked him about the blood of gnats. He asked, 'Where are you from?' 'From the people of Iraq,' he replied. He said, 'Look at this man! He asks about the blood of gnats when they murdered the grandson of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace! I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'They are my sweet basil in this world.'"

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2. Carrying a child on one's shoulders
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1. Al-Bara' said, "I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when al-Hasan was on his shoulder. He was saying, 'O Allah, I love him, so love him.'"

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3. A child is a source of joy
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1. Jubayr ibn Nufayr said, "One day we were sitting when al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad when a man passed us. The man said, 'Blessing be to those two eyes which saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. By Allah, I wish that I had seen what you have seen and witnessed what you have witnessed!' This angered al-Miqdad and that surprised me as the man had said nothing but good things. Then he turned to them and said, 'What made the man desire to summon back what Allah has taken away? Does he not realize what his situation would be if he had seen him? By Allah, if certain people had been with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Allah would have thrown them on their faces into Hellfire since they would neither have answered nor confirmed him? Do you not praise Allah Almighty since He brought you forth and you only know your Lord and confirm what your Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought? You see enough affliction in other people. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent in the harshest state in which any Prophet was ever sent – in a gap (in the line of prophethood) and the time of Ignorance. They did not believe that the deen was better than worshiping idols. He brought the Discrimination by which it is possible to discriminate between the true and false, and which can part a father from his child. Then a man will think of his father, child or brother as an unbeliever. Allah has loosened the locks of his heart by faith and he knows that the other person will be destroyed in the Fire. Therefore his eye is not cool since he knows that the one he loves will be in the Fire. It is what Allah says, "Those who say, 'Our Lord, give us joy in our wives and children." (25:74)'"