So you’ve decided to change your life and come closer to Islam and maybe your family hasn’t. Here are some tips on helping them come closer to Allah:
1. Do Not Give Up on Your Family
This should never be an option. The Prophets alaihimus salaam never gave up on their families because of the latter's disobedience to Allah.
2. Show them Your Love and Care
Your family needs to realize you care for them deeply and it hurts you seeing them going astray. They need to see that your concern stems from genuine love and not a sense of superiority or self-righteousness. Give gifts, help them in their day-to-day tasks, and be there in their times of distress and need, whether they be practicing or not.
3. Take it One Step at a Time
Do not expect your family to completely change overnight, just because you did! Some, in fact most, people take time to change. Think about the fact that the majority of Makkan people during the time of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam became Muslim after having been with him, the Prophet of God, for 13 years!
4. Be careful what you lay emphasis on
There is wisdom in prioritizing. For example, it does little good to speak about watching TV when the person does not even pray. For every Haram, you must provide a better Halal alternative or it will be replaced with more Haram or idleness.
Morshed Abul Ala & Taha Ghaznavi
