in the first case, “Praise belongs to God, the Bestower of favors and bounty,” and concerning what does not agree with their aims, “Praise belongs to God in every state.” They thus praise in prosperity and adversity. This world gives them these trusts pure, clean, and unmixed.
Some children’s temperaments are like plots of ground for water and vessels for what is placed within them. A plot’s temperament affects the water. All water is originally good and sweet: it is rain. When it comes to the earth’s plots, whose temperaments differ, sweetness appears in the good temperament. This preserves its origin as it came, pure and clean, adding from its own temperament goodness and sweetness beyond what it possessed. This is wholesome water.
Another plot makes it salty and brackish, and another makes it harshly bitter. These vessels affect the pure state.
(Attributing Acts to the Children)
Revealed law concerns the children’s acts, not the mother. Rather, it said, “Goodness toward parents” [al-Baqara 2:83], and, “Do not say ‘Uff’ to them or rebuke them. Speak to them noble words, lower to them the wing of humility through mercy, and say: My Lord, have mercy upon them as they nurtured me when small” [al-Israʾ 17:23–24].
God the Exalted prescribed these things only because He knew that some children commit such acts. He commanded them to watch these rulings in their acts, so that they perform what God commands.
This world is compassionate toward them, tender and full of affection, fearing that
