From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State governor’s wife, Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, has urged parents to inculcate the love of religion and the desire to worship God in their children and wards.
Bagudu stated this in Birnin Kebbi at the 6th annual Kebbi Women’s Ramadan Lecture, with a theme: “Path to Paradise.”
The Ramadan lecture started in 2016 for the women of Kebbi through the initiative of the wife of the governor.
“The lectures grow each year in terms of attendance and acceptance and I am truly very grateful for the support from my husband, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
“I must also thank my organising team and the speakers, some of whom have become ‘regulars’-mufti Menk and Sheikh Jabir.
“Amidst successes, the past year has been a difficult one for us in Kebbi, and the entire country. As we struggle to recover from the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a spate of banditry and insurgency has hit us.
“In Kebbi, our children were captured, though many have since been returned. My hometown, Zamfara, is probably worst hit.
“While we continue to pray for those in captivity, it is important that as mothers, we keep stringent watch on our children.”
She urged youths to be very conscious of the company they keep, adding,”children are, indeed, a gift from Allah and their upbringing is a matter of trust.
“An amana from God. Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas with Allah is a great reward (paradise).”
She admonished Muslim mothers to put in their best efforts to ensure their children become true inheritors of Islam, and to keep Islam alive in their lives and their families’ lives after their death.
According to her, parental efforts are, therefore, quite instrumental in inculcating the love of Islam and the desire to worship in the right manner.
“Parents should also recognise that raising good children can be a source of their salvation in the hereafter.