Maryam

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُمْ مِن رَّحْمَتِنَا وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ عَلِيّاً

50. “And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them, and assigned unto them a high and true renown.”

A righteous child is the reward of the godly efforts of the parents, and more important than that is the child’s spiritual rank. When Abraham (as) withdrew from those arrogant idol worshippers and went toward the Holy Land, Allah bestowed on him Isaac as his son, and Jacoob as his grandson, and He comforted him from the pain and of separation of his relatives by bestowing children on him and ornamenting them with the rank of prophethood. Besides children and prophethood, Allah also bestowed on him some other bounties and caused them to be honoured among people so that their good names were mentioned respectfully by all people. The adherents of all religions love Abraham and his progeny so that they pray for them and consider them the followers of their own religion.

Some commentators say that the meaning of ‘high renown’ about them is that Muhammad (S) and his community continue mentioning their good name until the Day of Resurrection.²³ The application of /lisan/ in such contexts means a remembrance of a person mentioned among people; and when it is added with the term /sidq/ it means ‘a good remembrance and fame among people’; and when it is added with the term /‘aliyan/, which means ‘high, outstanding’, their concept is that a very good thought and remembrance of a person remains among people.

The verse says:

Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) in a tradition says:

“A good renown for a person which Allah assigns for him among people is better than the (abundant) wealth which he consumes and devises” ²⁴

In principle, apart from the spiritual aspects, sometimes, good fame among people can work as a great capital for a person and his children, the examples of which have been seen frequently in the society. Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) said: