Islam for Parents

Make Islam fun

This post is in: General Upbringing

As Muslim parents, we should show our children that Islam is not only about haram - e.g. “don’t do this” or “you cant do that”… and so on. When we focus on this with children, they will not see the inherent beauty of Islam. We should be balanced, and try and make Islam appealing to them in whatever way we can.

Of course we should teach our children the boundaries of Islam but equally importantly, we should teach them to love Allah, Islam, and Muhammad (peace be upon him). Here are a few tips.

• Teach kids about the beauty of Allah’s creation. Take time to really see, feel, taste, and smell. Take long, leisurely strolls around your neighbourhood and talk about the wonder of it all. Let it really sink in that Allah created all of this from nothing.
• Teach kids some of the beautiful stories of Allah’s Prophets, peace be upon them all. Kids especially love the stories of Adam and Eve (Huwa), Noah’s (Nuh) ark, and Abraham (Ibrahim). Many stories of Muhammad’s life enthral youngsters, too, including the story of the revelation and the cave.
• Provide them with Qur’anic audio CDs that have children reciting. There are many of these types of audio available online. For example here. If the kids hear the words of the beloved Koran often enough, they will absorb the words and meaning. Make the Koran part of daily life and your kids will automatically learn.
• Get Islamic nasheeds. There are many available online that contain no music. These feature kid-friendly, easy-to-understand Islamic songs, all sang to the rhythm of familiar songs, chants, and nursery rhymes. Try not to get them too used to nasheeds as opposed to the Qur’an.
• Spend time at your local mosque. Many mosques today have playgrounds– go there sometimes, instead of the park. Pack a picnic and spend the day at the mosque. When it’s time for prayer, take a break and pray in congregation. Spend time at the mosque’s carnivals and festivals.
• Get to know other Muslims in your area. We all need friends who share our faith, customs, and holidays.
• Celebrate Islamic holidays! This should be a given, but, sadly, it isn’t. Too many people treat the Islamic holidays as any other day. It’s easy to do. Since Islamic holidays are not national holidays, most of us have to work. However, most Islamic associations will give you a letter excusing your family from school and work for the holidays. Take the days off and spend them with family and friends. Make your own traditions. Give your children something to look forward to.

These are just a few suggestions for making Islam a fun, positive part of your children’s lives. If you have more ideas, we’d love to hear them! Please leave your comments.