1. Introduction

    The younger generations possess pure hearts and spirits which are full of sensations, emotions and enthusiasms. They are passing through the most sensitive and critical period of their lives and require guidances, supports and sympathies. A young person is like a nascent sapling requiring the loving protection of sincere, experienced and wise gardner, against the diseases and accidents. The famous persian poet Sheikh Sa'di said:

    A young man is like an arrow; rigid, hard and straight.
    But it requires a flexible and bending bow (which is like a wise oldman) for the arrow to bit the target.

    The cultural maturity of a society, especially the Isalmic one, is proportional to the importance to attaches towards the guidance, training, and continuous endeavours towards its younger generations. Notwithstanding, with the opinion of

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some people, in general training is a very difficult task, especially the training of younger generations, which is complicated and contains various delicate points. The famous German philosopher Kant has defined the training of younger generation and the government of a country as the most difficult tasks in the world.
    Unfortunately, in todays industrial societies parents, because of being surrounded by numerous mental involvements do not have the opportunity to think or ponder about the aim and days pass by speedily. Very often the days pass into nights; new day begin; and weeks and months pass by without parents finding suitable occasion to indulge into serious communications with their off springs.
    Although, the problem of raising resonsible, nature, conscientious, and righteous children is a serious matter that all parents are worried about; but how to deal with the younger generations and to establish a friendly, rational, and logical communications with them is an art, and naturally all of us are not skilled artists. So, the things remains within the chests of parents awaiting for an appropriate opportunity, which very often never arises or at least when it is already too late.
    The author of the book: How to bridge? The Generations Gap, has provided you this God-given opportunity, so keenly desired by all the parents. The present book was first published in Persian in the year 1963, and deals with such important topics such as The Rights of Rarents. The Child's Rights, The Responsbilities of Parents, The Teacher Rights, The Role and Neccessity of Religious, Faith, and The Hidden Treasures of the East etc. in a simple logical manner. there now, instead of wishing for the right opportunity and the right time,

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the parents may simply present book as a birth day gift to their children.
    At this critical and sensitive juncture, when the enemies are determined to destroy all spiritual values of dear Islam with the empty materialistic ones; more then any other time in the past, there is a need to build the ideal monotheistic younger generations who could culturally and ideologically defend the fortress of Islam.
    We, the Muslim parents have a duty to produce a generation who mus believe that Allah is Great: Greater then all the power of which men might be afraid of; Greater then any body who could dare to challenge His created laws. They must appreciate that Allah is not only the God of his race, his country and mankind; but also belongs to tiny creatures such as bees and ants. He is the Creator of stars, sun, moon, heaven, milky ways and other galaxies. This future generation should be free from all sorts of prejudices, narrowmindedness. nationalism, sectarianism, shortsightedness and should think about the domain of Islam for beyond the narrow limited national boundaries. They must consider themselves like a fish in the ocean of Towheed (Monotheism) as pro-claimed by Allamah Iqbal Lahori, fifty years ago.
    The success of the Islamic movement in the near future will depend if we could bestow upon the young generations the enlightement regarding the Principles, Beliefs, Monotheism, Day of judgement, prophethood, Imamat, Will of Allah, Ethics, Purification of Self, Desirable Characteristics. Forbidden Characteristics, and Social obligation etc. They should be thoroughly familiar with the discouses of the Holy Qur'an and narrations about Patience, Jihad, World and Hereafter.

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    They must be knowledgeable about the international political issues; identify the friends and foes; be aware about the enemy onslaughts and tactics and should know how to counteract them. We, the Muslim parents are duty bound to make the younger generation familiar with all the key issues facing the Islamic Ummah.
    Simultenously, we must do our utmost to produce, the younger generation who could orint their lives with the Holy Qur'an. They must feel the sweetness of the following verses in their own lives.

    "And put thy trust in Allah for, Allah is sufficient as trustee."(33;3)
    But Allah is your protection, and He is the best of Helpers."(3-150)
    If Allah is your helper, none can overcome you, and if He withdraw His help from you, who is there who can help you? In Allah let believers put their trust (3:160)
    "Whosoever surrender his purpose to Allah,
   while doing good, he verly has grasped the firm hand, unto Allah belongs the sequel of All things."(31:22)

    May Allah bless all the present, and coming future Muslim generations to pay heed to the wisdom of the following verses of The Holy Qur'an given by Loqman - the wise to his son;

    "O my son!" (said luqman), If there be (but) the weight of a mustard-seed and it were (biddnin a rock, or (anywhere) in the heavens or on earth, God will bring is forth: for God understands

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the finest mysteries, (and) is well-acquaited (with them)." (31;16)
    "O my son! establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong; and bear with patient constancy whate'er betide thee; for this is firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs." (31;17)
    "And swell not they cheek (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for Allah loveth not any arrogant boaster." (31:17)

    In this modern glittering age of science anf technology in the present 20th century, together with the wordly education, if we could produce a generation, who could feel the presence of Allah in their daily lives then we as parents must thank Him for giving us the blessing of discharging our obligations successfully.
    Since completion of this translation coincides with the "Week of Eight Years of Sacred Defence" in the Islamic Republic of Iran, it will be be-fitting to dedicate theis translation to the martyrs of the imposed war, who sacrified themselves so that the divine light of Allah's revelations remain ignited forever. The history will bear withness the heroic defence of the Islamic combatants who, with faith in Allah resisted the deadly pressures of all the arrogant powers for eitght long years.
    To the extent it was possible, I have tried to remain faithful to the original text but, at some places where word by word translation in English was not possible, efforts have been made to reflect the theme of main text by omitting some phrases and sentences. I wish to thank all those who have

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contributed to the realization of this translation, especially, Mr. Sayyid Mohammad Taqi Hakim for proof reading the Arabic text. Sincere thanks are due to Mr. Soulat Parviz for his diligence and quality work in type-setting. I convoy sinere gratitude to Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini, the learned scholar jurisprudent from the Religious Learning Center of Qom, and Mr, Ansaryan for their valuable suggestions, guidance, and encouragement. Finally, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank my friends for edithing, proof reading, and making helpful suggestions; and who out of modesty prefer to remain discreetly in the background.
Elucidatory footnotes added by the translator are indentified with (Tr.): all other footnotes are by Mr. Hakim himself: For any errors of commission, I take responsibility.

Sayyid Hussein Alander
September 27, 1994
Rabi-attani 20, 1415
Tehran

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2. Preface

The Printings of this book:
This book was first printed on the 10th day of Bahman, 1342 (January 30, 1964). In response to overwhelming requests for the book by the public, the second printing soon got underway. In addition to revealing many important truths to fathers and chikdren, the book was also revised and republished in Mordad of 1343 (August 1964). Minor revisions were made in the third and fourth editions. The present work, the ninth edition, is being published by the Daftar-e-Nashr-e Farhang-e-Islami, Tehran.

Topics of this Book:
The topics presented in this book are a series of discussions on responsibilities of fathers and mothers towards their children and vice versa. During these discussions, the parent's sincerity and love for their children as well as their mutual hopes and expectations are portrayed. There is no doubt that

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such topics are very important. Not only are they not to be ignored, but should be considered as top priorities by the caring head of every family.
    The fact that youth are caught between the new and old schools of thought (the so called generation gap) on the one hand, and that parents are helplessly confronted with their children's new ways of thinking on the other, are not matters to be dealt with lightly. Both generations are troubled by these perplextities and thus ways and means by which to find an equitable solution are geatly needed. Towards fulfilling this important task, the present work attempts to point out the mutual compatibilities that do exist.

The Method used in this Book:
    The subjects disussed in this book are brought out through a sries of dialogues. The fictitious characters of father and child carry on conversations in such a frank and lively fashion that they will undoubtedly touch the hears of everyone. As much as possible, current events and everyday situations have been taken under consideration in this book. In each instance, the father and his child are engaged in truly frank heart-to-heart discussion and exchange their thoughts quite freely.

The Aim:
    The author's aim, through the writing of this book, is to help parents and their children enjoy the best of relationships, which is also in accordance with the divine guidance of Islam. This relationship would be free of unpleasant encounters, there would be a recognition and respect of mutual rights, and

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above all, their would be mutual love and fulfillment of divine responsibilities.

For What?
    Generally speaking, where do differences originate? Why are relations sometimes strianed between parent and child? Why should each has his own seperate ways unconcened with the other's feelings? And finally, if one of them is following a righteous straight path, why not the other one joins him? Is cuch a mistrust brought about because of influence of the poisonous thoughts? Or, the enviroment is be blamed?
    How about the differences of opinion and differences beween the old and new ideas due to misunderstandings by the former? Finally, what has created such a wide Generation Gap? The answer is probably that any one of more of the above causes could be responsible for child deviation and friction with his father. But, in any case our job here is first to identify the cause and then to offer the remedy leading to a better understanding bwteen them.

Countless Factors:
    On the subject matter of the responsibilities of fathers and children towards each other, child rearing. guidance in case of deviations, and the remedy of the differences of opinion between them, the topics are countless. Considering different parameters, we may expand the dimensions of our discussion and may enlarge the scope of research, especially in the present circumstances when the sun of Islam is slowly rising upon the horizon. In the same manner that his shining glory

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brightened the land of the Arabian Peninsula, and later spread to all distant corners of the earth, it's glistening rays have engulfed our country.
    The signs of blasphemy are being rid of one after another. The Islamic culture has come. once again, out of the closet¹ and is being accepted heartly by masses of the people. The suppressed and the underdog, as well as the oppressed and the poor, have found a new hope for the vendication of their natural rights. In such an enviroment, in addition to religious and moral questions, we are confronted with political and social ones, each of which is worthy of research and deliberation.
    Thank Allah, that the policies and the course of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran are becoming progressively clearer and the clouds of doubt are vanishing from them. However this does not mean that we should no longer investigate and research any problem to which we may encounter. Of caurse, a detailed comprehensive descussion regarding all the problems is out of the scope of such a brief book. Here, I have tried to address some of the problems to the extent it was possible to do so.

Ecouragement and Effectiveness:
    As soon as this book was published and reached in the hands of its readers, many of them conveyed their thanks to the outhor through their encouraging letters. More than anything else, the clarity and simplicity of the subjects emplied in this book were appreciated. And as far as I know, these small efforts have not been ineffective as there are individuals who have been guided by them. And therwith, many fathers and

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children have replaced hard feelings and disagreements with peace and reconciliation between themselves, returning to a pleasant normal life.
    Such is the story of one of the brothers in Islam who came one day to my house with his old father. He then explained about their difficulties and the fact theat reading the book "How to bridge? The Generation Gap" has awakened him to this mistake and that he had expressed his apoligies to his father and asked for forgiveness and reconciliation from him.

The Rich Culture:
    The Islamic Culture from the standpoints of social, ethical, daily family affairs, and human relations is a very rich one. Also, it has contributed significantly ofr enrichment of other cultures in the world. Besides the Glorious Holy Qur'an,¹ such masterpieces as Nahjul-Balaghah,² Al-Sahifah Al-Sajjadiyyah,³ and other authentic marrations Haddiths have for long offered us assistance and guidance in finding ways to an ideal society. In fact, they act as if they have silient, but existing, teachers hidden between every other line throughout their pages. You shall notice a few samples in the following pages. They are all written in the Arabic language. It is with regret that not all of us are familiar with Arabic to be able to take advangage of these vast Islamic treasures. One cannot help but wnder why, inspite of all these, we are still seeking help from non-Islamic sources.
    Of course, some authors have already translated some of thse works and have offered them to the public. I am hoping that those of our learned and knowledgeable authors who have mastered the Aravic language, and who I am certain are well
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1. Very recently, Radio moscow (Russia) broadcasted a progrmme Face of Islam, announcing that the words of the Holy Qur'an are the words of an ever-living God for all the places and for all the times, and are not limited to the period of the prophet Mohammad (p.b. u. h.). Moscow is the capital of former USSR, where they waged war against God for last seventy years. Also, most recently in Holland a Muslim soldier in a ceremony for taking the the Oath of Allegiance, refused to be sworn in the name of the Queen of Holland. He was able to get exceptional constitutional permission to take his oath in the name of Allah (Key han sept 26 1994)

2. Nahjul-Balagah: The Path of Eloquence od a book containing sermon, letters, orders and some of the sayings of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a,s) as compied by syed Razi. These sermons and preaching of Imam Ali (as) were so highly valued and venerated in the Islamic world that within a century of his death they were taught and read as the last word on the philosophy of Mnotheism, as the best lectures of character building, as exalted sources of inspiration, as persuasive sermons towards piety and as guiding becons towards truth and justice. They present the marvellous eulogies of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) and the Holy Qur'an. These sermons are the most convincing discourse on the spiritual values of Islam, and contain the most awe inspiting discussions about the attributes of Allah.
    The Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) was the first perfect examplar of the teachings of the Most Noble Messenger (p.b.u.h.) 'Ali was raised by him from early childhood and followed him like a shadow until the very end of the latter's life. He was like a moth before the prophetic flame; the final moment when he was separated from the Most Noble Messenger (p.b.u.h.) was when he embraced his corpse and laid it to rest.
    'Ali (as) was the first person after the Most Noble Messenger (p.b.u.h.) to approach spititual realities in the manner of philosophical reflection, thst is, by free exercise of reason. He used many technical terms and laid out and organized the rules of Arabic grammer in order to protect the Holy Qur'an from copeists' error. The exact scholarship, spiritual culture, and consideration of ethical, social, political, and even mathematical Problems shown in Ali's (as) discourses, letters, and other documents that have reached us are astonishing.
    The wealth of these documents makes Ali (as) the best known individual among Muslims to have a full realization of the sublime goals of the Holy Qur'an and the critical and practical concerpts of Islam as they should be realized. They testify to the soundness of the Prophetic saying, I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is it's gate,.Furthermore, he combined this knowledge with action. In short, Ali's outstanding charactier is beyond description, and is virtues are innumerable. Never in history has someone's character drawn the attention of the world's scholars and thinkers to such an extent.

3. Al Sahifah Al-Sajjadiyyah: includes certain supplications quoted from Imam Zain al-Abidin Ali b. Husain b. Ali ibn Abi Talib. (as) He is one of the Imams belonging to the household of the Prophet whom Allah has kept pure and free of defilement. The Imam was the fourth in line of the Imams of the Prophet's household. Imam Ali ibn Al-Hasain (as), was born in the year 38 A.H or, perhaps as is conjucted, a little before that and lived for a perion of 57 years.
    Imam al-Shafi considered Imam "Ali ibn al-Hasain (as) as the most supreme jurist of all the people of Medina" Abd al-Malik bin Marwan said to him, "In the area of religous sceinces, in devotion and piety, you have been granted that which no one before you has had other than your ancestors". Further umbar bin Abd al-Aziz said, The light of this life, the beauty of Islam is zain al-Abidin" Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah represents and stands out as a profound social work of the time and a reflection of a supreme endeavor to meet the exigencies of spuritual ordeals facing the society at the time of the Imam. But beyond this it is a profound collection of supplications in the divine tradition, a unique compilation which will remain througout the ages as a gift to mankind, a work of moral inspiration for worldly conduct and a torch of guidance. Humam beings will constantly remain in need of this heavenly souvenir; and the need increases whenever Satan comes to increase the allurements of the world for people and by its fascination to keep them in bondage.

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versed in these excellent culture sources; will fulfill their responsibilities to Islam through translating them not only into Persian but also into other languages. By doing so they may discharge their due obligations towards dear Islam and its ideal rich culture.

Why Then?
    Some of our readers may complain that why, inspite of such a rich Ialamic Culture and able Muslim writers, we are relying on foreign sources. In response, I have to mention that unfortunately, due to the existesive Western propaganda in the past, they have created a sort of Westoxicated mentality, especially among our youth. This has made them strongly attracted towards the Western literary works.
    Therefore, it was in this backround that references were made to the quotations of some famous Western writers to attract the attention of the Wetoxicated youths. Also to bring to their attention that the learned Western scholars have already acknowledged the greatness of the work done by the Islamic authors and have bowed their heads infront of the excellence of the rich Islamic culture.
    However, thanks to Almighty Allah that with the victory of Islamic Revolution now the Muslim youth have gone through a deep internal intellectual revolution of their own thrugh out the world. A strong faith in the teachings of Islam is apparent in them. And in short, they have fallen in love with the Islamic Culture.

No Confusion:
    If at times, in order to prove a point of truth, we rely on

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someone's words, it does not necessariy mean that we always approve of all his words or deeds. We sometimes even quote our enemies. For instance, they say that Muawiyyah had said the following about Imam Ali (a.s):

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"If Ali had two houses, one filled with gold and the other with straw, he would danate in the way of Allah, the former the later."

-Nahjul Balagah ibn Abi Al-Hadid Vol. 1.p.22

Also, they say that Marwan has said the following about Imam Hassan (a.s):

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"Imam Hassan's clemency equates mountains."

-Maqatul-Altalibeen p.49.

The Author's Expectatios and Hopes:
The author expects all the fathers and the children who wish to solve their problems and misunderstandings by reading this book to do so thoroughly and in an unbiased manner. And the, for the final decision, rely on their own intuitional judgement.
I hope and pray that through the blessings of the concealed facts beneath the words in this book and of the spirit of it's sentences, and of the heart of it's subject matters; each and every one of the readers will find the truth leading him? her to experience an internal spiritual revolution. May then, they be

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able to identify their wrongdoings they may have committed by depriving a person of his or her rights. And thereby, to offer their apologies and to make up for their past ill deeds. And, in case of they have been conducting themselves in a pleasing way, to keep up the good work.
I ask Allah to grant all fathers, mothers and their children sincerety, health and happiness.

Sayyid mohammad Taqi Hakim
15th Rabiul Thani 1403
10th Bahman 1361
30th January 1982