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Will Allah punish me for my son's engaging in sexual relations with his girlfriend, knowing that he was born and raised in America?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The calamity of faith (loss of faith) is the greatest of calamities. Children are the apple of their parents' eyes, and the heart is not gladdened except by righteous offspring obedient to Allah. Parents are responsible for raising their children to obey Allah, for Allah Almighty says: (O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire), and because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: (Each of you is a guardian and is responsible for his flock.) If parents fulfill their duty and do not fall short, there is no sin upon them if their children deviate, for Allah Almighty says: (And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another).

The responsibility of Muslim families in the West is greater. Children should be kept away from sinful relationships, such as friendships between the sexes, and fortified by marriage, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: (O young people, whoever among you can afford to marry, let him marry.) If he cannot, then let him fast. And because the Western environment is full of temptations of desires and doubts that affect generations, it may require sacrificing worldly pleasures and returning to a Muslim country that is more secure for one's faith, or at least returning to a Muslim country even if it contains evils, because some evil is lesser than others.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy