Q 3: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever has three daughters and is patient with them and gives them to drink and clothes them, they will be a protection for him against Hellfire." Will they be a protection against Hellfire for their father only or will their mother have a share in that too? I have three daughters, all praise and thanks to Allah.
A: The Hadith applies to both the father and the mother. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "Whoever has two daughters and treats them kindly, they will be a protection for him against Hellfire." The same applies if he has sisters or paternal or maternal aunts, or other female relatives, and he treats them kindly.
We hope that he will attain Jannah (Paradise) for that. By his treating them kindly, he will deserve a great reward and protection from Hellfire, so he will be kept away from Hellfire because of his good deed. This applies only to Muslims, because when a Muslim does these good deeds seeking the Good Pleasure of Allah, this can be a means to salvation from Hellfire. There are many means for gaining salvation from Hellfire and admittance to Jannah, so believers should try to attain as much of them as they can. Islam itself is the only source and the basic cause for gaining admittance to Jannah and salvation from Hellfire. There are actions which, if the Muslim does them, he will enter Jannah and be saved from Hell, among them is taking care of daughters or sisters, for they will be a protection for him against Hellfire: "Whoever suffers the death of three children who have not yet reached puberty, they will be a protection for him against Hellfire. They said, "O Messenger of Allah, what about two?" He (peace be upon him) said, "And two." But they did not ask him about one child. It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Allah (may He be Exalted) says: My believing servant shall have no other reward from Me if I take his bosom companion from the people of this world, then he patiently bears it with the hope of reward, except Paradise." Thus, Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) clarifies that a believing servant shall have no less a reward from Him than Jannah, if when He takes the one whom he loves of the people of this world, the bereaved bears it patiently, hopeful of reward. A little children of ours who dies before puberty is included in this Hadith. Thus, when a child dies and his father or mother or both endure it patiently, hopeful of reward, they will attain Jannah. This is a great bounty from Allah. The same applies to husbands, wives, and all other relatives and friends, if they are patient and hope for reward, then they are included in this Hadith, so long as they take care to avoid anything which may prevent that, such as dying while still persisting in a major sin. We ask Allah to keep us safe.