Turning Seven: A Milestone of Faith and Fatherhood

Asalaamu Alaykum,

This month marks a very special milestone — my son Esa has just turned 7.

Turning 7 is a big deal.

Hadith: “The Prophet ﷺ Said: “Command your children to pray when they are seven”
— Sunan Abī Dāwūd 495, At-Tirmidhī 407

Saying of ʿAli (RA) is reported to have said: “Play with them for the first seven years, teach them for the next seven, and advise them for the next seven.”
(no strong source/reference)

Statistic: And interestingly, many countries across the world begin formal schooling at seven too
— UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023

It’s a beautiful age — the start of awareness, responsibility, and identity.

To mark this new “coming of age”, I’ll be taking Esa for ʿUmrah Insha'Allah.

My intention is that this trip becomes a moment of awakening — that it nurtures his heart, strengthens our bond, and anchors his identity in faith.

I’ll also be using this trip to begin something new: The Dadhood ʿUmrah Experience — a journey where fathers and their children build bonds and memories together in the two holiest cities, Makkah and Madinah.

But while we prepare for our journey, there are many children who can’t go.

Children who don’t have fathers to take them. The orphans of our Ummah.

So, to begin this new Dadhood venture in the right spirit, I’m inviting your support to sponsor two orphans to go on ʿUmrah with Global Ehsan Relief.

It costs £600 to sponsor an orphan to perform Umrah. My personal fundraising goal is £1200 by December, which will allow two orphans to experience this blessed journey of faith and healing, Insha'Allah

💛 Together, let’s turn our blessings into someone else’s hope.

You can contribute here:👉 LaunchGood.com/MohammadShoaibInSupportOfOrphansForUmrah

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“I and the one who cares for an orphan will be together in Paradise like this,”and he held his two fingers close together. — Sahih al-Bukhari 5304

As I prepare to take Esa’s hand and walk with him through the sacred precincts, I carry that ḥadīth in my heart — a reminder that our parenting, our provision, and our compassion are all acts of worship.

May Allah accept this journey, and may He make it the beginning of something that touches not just our children’s hearts, but the hearts of the orphans too.

– Mohammad Shoaib
Founder, Dadhood