A child is a source of both honour and cowardice
بَابُ الْوَلَدُ مَبْخَلَةٌ مَجْبَنَةٌ
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Book of Looking after children(view book)
'A'isha said, "Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, there is no man on the face of the earth that I love better than 'Umar.' Then he went out and came back and said, 'How did I swear, daughter?' I told him what he had said. Then he said, 'He is dearer to me although one's child is closer (to one's heart).'"
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ قَالَ: كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَوْمًا: وَاللَّهِ مَا عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ رَجُلٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ عُمَرَ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ: كَيْفَ حَلَفْتُ أَيْ بُنَيَّةُ؟ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ، فَقَالَ: أَعَزُّ عَلَيَّ، وَالْوَلَدُ أَلْوَطُ.
Classification
Ibn Abi Nu'm said, "I was with Ibn 'Umar when a man asked him about the blood of gnats. He asked, 'Where are you from?' 'From the people of Iraq,' he replied. He said, 'Look at this man! He asks about the blood of gnats when they murdered the grandson of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace! I heard the Prophet ﷺ say, 'They are my sweet basil in this world.'"
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مَهْدِيُّ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي يَعْقُوبَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نُعْمٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ شَاهِدًا ابْنَ عُمَرَ إِذْ سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ عَنْ دَمِ الْبَعُوضَةِ؟ فَقَالَ: مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَقَالَ: مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، فَقَالَ: انْظُرُوا إِلَى هَذَا، يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ دَمِ الْبَعُوضَةِ، وَقَدْ قَتَلُوا ابْنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ: هُمَا رَيْحَانَيَّ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا.