I READ A powerful article by Mu’minah al-A’zam, the granddaughter of the late Shaykh Ali al-Tantawi of Egypt, and it really struck a chord with me. It’s a heartfelt caution to those of us who have chosen to raise our children in non-Muslim countries. Her words deserve serious reflection.
She shares how her grandfather—may Allah have mercy on him—stopped them from moving to Canada when the opportunity came. At the time, her children were still young. She admits she didn’t understand his reasoning. As a young mother, she felt like he was being overly strict, maybe even controlling. But his words stayed with her:
“To choose to live in the land of kufr leads to losing your offspring. You can never guarantee to protect their children and their grandchildren. Do not carry the responsibility [of their losing their Deen].”
Years later, she looks back and sees how right he was. Every time she hears a story of Muslim children who’ve grown up disconnected from iman, his advice comes rushing back.
She shared the example of the Ramadhan family from Beirut. After digging into their family history, she found a painful trend among those who had migrated:
- 100 years ago: 96% of their descendants are no longer Muslim
- 80 years ago: 75% of the grandchildren left Islam
- 60 years ago: 40% of the grandchildren are now Christian
- 40 years ago: 25% of the grandchildren walked away from Islam
Even in her own family—48 grandchildren of Shaykh al-Tantawi—16 are no longer Muslim. All of them live in the West.
That’s heartbreaking.
Our job isn’t just to raise children—it’s to raise the next generation of believers and worshippers of Allah.
And as someone who has lived in the West for over 30 years, I’ve seen this firsthand. I understand this society. I understand the dangers of its thoughts. I try to carry the responsibility of da’wah. But even then—it’s a constant, uphill battle. The pull of the culture, the ideas, the distractions—it’s relentless.
And I think to myself… what about the families who don’t carry da’wah? Who are disconnected from the Muslim community? Who are caught up in the race for Dunya, chasing careers and comfort, thinking their kids will just “figure it out”? I’ve seen it too many times—the next generation drifts, they marry non-Muslims, and Islam quietly disappears from the family line.
And it’s not just a Western issue. I’ve spoken to young people in Bangladesh—people surrounded by Muslim culture—who are quietly atheists. They go with the flow around them but ask about their belief and they hesitate. I’ve met Muslims who come to the UK for work, and when I speak with them about Islam, it’s clear the connection is barely there. A close friend of mine who’s a doctor in the Middle East tells me about the wealthy youth he meets—Muslims by name only, lost in materialism and confusion.
It’s scary. The acceleration of the West’s cultural domination through the internet makes me realize that there’s nowhere truly safe anymore.
And so, I believe more than ever that we need to return to the Islamic way of life—fully. We need the Khilafah to safeguard our Deen, to protect our children, to push back against the dominance of kufr values and to restore balance. That’s the bigger goal we all need to work toward.
Whilst that work is going on, we must do our part—right here, right now. Our communities need to come together. We need to support each other and intentionally raise the next generation of strong, thinking, believing Muslims who are connected to Islam and who engage in dawah. ‘Functional’ Islam where we just teach rituals, morals and manners is not enough. We need to pay attention to the ideas they’re exposed to, the thoughts shaping their hearts and the people they spend time with. We need Allah’s help.
Because if we don’t—these societies will have no mercy. And we can’t afford to lose our children.
Living For Islam 