Happy Father's Day - Personal Diary

By: Hamza Shafique

Today is Father’s Day in UAE (I know rest of the world celebrated it on Sunday, but in UAE we always do things differently) and I want to share something personal.



I remember in 2014 when I wished for a son at a Buddhist temple in Nepal. My coin went straight in to the bowl, Buddha was holding, which meant my wish will come true. I tried couple of times and every time I wished for a son it went into the bowl and for all the other wishes like I want to be a millionaire etc. (I know it’s silly but that’s me 😃 ) it never went into the bowl. 

See a lot of coins are outside the bowl that's why
it was considered lucky if the coin goes in



My wish came true and today I am a father of 2-year-old very cute boy. As he is growing up (mash Allah), I realize what a big responsibility being a father is.

If I knew it back when I was in Nepal I might not have wished for it that candidly. My son Rohaan Yusuf is a constant reminder of the fact that Allah has given me a job, a big job to raise a soul right. Since he arrived, life has been a collage of self-realizations.
Knowing that I will be this boy's first role model puts so much pressure on me. I know I am not perfect and to be his role model means I must fix myself first. For example, for now I don’t want him to have any fizzy drinks so in order to stop him from that I stopped taking them myself. The list in this regard is so long and believe me to change my self at this age is not very easy. This responsibility of raising him right and be a role model scares me the most.

I hope and pray to Allah that I can do justice to his upbringing and give him all the right education, facilities and love that he needs. Please pray for me that one day my son can proudly wish me Happy Father's Day and not as some modern world formality.