On Eid-ul-Adha, Muslims commemorate the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his first-born son at the command of Allah, and how Allah spared his son and made him a Prophet. When Ibrahim told his son that he had had a vision that Allah wanted him as a sacrifice, Ismail agreed to it without hesitation, as the Qur’an narrates:
Then, when the son reached the age of serious work with him, He said: “O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!” The son said: “O my father! Do as thou art commanded: Thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!” So when they had both submitted their wills to Allah, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead for sacrifice, We called out to him, “O Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!” - thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial - And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. (37:102-107)
What is most remarkable about this story is how Ismail had complete trust in the wisdom of his father’s vision. How many of our children would react this way if we said to them, “God told me to sacrifice you”? Probably they would say, “Are you crazy?” They might accept the idea of martyrdom for the sake of Allah but they would not have the complete trust in his father’s relationship with Allah as Ismail had, which enabled him to believe in his father’s vision, and in his father’s interpretation of that vision. Continue Reading…
The issue of raising children is very important, the interest of both parents and children depends on it; the interest of the Ummah (Muslim society) as well as the community’s future is directly impacted by our ability to succeed in this. Islam takes great interest in it, and so do the educators, the first of whom is the Messenger Muhammad [Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam (SAWS) / peace be upon him] whom Allah sent as a teacher and guide to parents and children to ensure their happiness in both worlds.
The Qur’an contains many examples of good character such as the story of Luqman, the wise, who gave his son valuable advice.
Luqman’s advice
1. Luqman had advised his son, and Allah the Exalted disclosed his words:
“O my son, do not associate partners with Allah. Verily, Shirk (polytheism) is a grievous sin.” (31:13)
Therefore, beware of committing Shirk in worshipping Allah such as supplicating to dead or absent people. Continue Reading…
Below is a short video outlining the steps of the prayer. The prayer being demonstrated is a 4 rek3aa (cycle) prayer such as Dhuhr, Asr or Maghrib. For parents teaching their children to pray, inshaAllah it will be useful.
You can download this video from here. Once you have downloaded the file you will need to rename the file to end with .avi or .flv (e.g. “get_video.avi” or “get_video.flv”) in order to watch it. It’s about 4mb in size.
A child can be taught about Allaah in a suitable manner, according to his level of understanding. He can be told that Allaah is One and has no partner. He can be told that He is the Creator of all things, so He is the Creator of the earth, the heavens, people, animals, trees, rivers, etc.
The educator can make the most of some situations by asking the child, whilst walking through a garden or in the countryside, about Who made the water, rivers and things in the natural scenery around him, to draw his attention to the greatness of the Creator. Continue Reading…
Question: Is it permissible for me to give something to one of my children and not to his brothers? What if that is done for a reason, such as his good attitude or his obeying his parents?
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars are agreed that it is prescribed in Islam to treat children fairly when it comes to gift-giving; they should not single out one or some of them and not give to others.
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (5/666): “There is no dispute among the scholars that it is mustahabb to treat children equally and that it is makrooh to differentiate between them.”
But there are differences of opinion concerning the ruling on differentiating between them. The strongest views in terms of evidence are two opinions - and Allaah knows best. These two opinions are: Continue Reading…
The Religion of Islam is a complete way of life. There are even dua for entering and exiting the toilet. We should teach these duas to our children as it is an easy way to earn rewards and remember Allah. If you think it’s required, download this dua from the below link and put it near your child’s bed so they are reminded to say it.
Life is miserable for those children who have to deal with parents who are constantly negative. Such parents do not forget mistakes, harp on small issues, and are always predicting the worst.
“You are not studying hard, you are bound to fail”
“Your room is such a mess, I wonder how sloppy your house will be when you grow up”
“Stop troubling your younger sister, you have no love for her at all”
The Above are examples of negative and perhaps destructive comments. A parent may sometimes say such things in anger, but it is the constant repetition of negative comments that affect a child greatly.
A happy home is one in which children know that they will be disciplined when necessary, but do not have to Continue Reading…
Some parents believe that to love children means to do their work. They take excessive pity on the child and feel that as a parent it is their duty to do things for him. So at six years old a child is still be dressed by the parents. He is considered too young to tie his own shoes, or comb his hair. Such constant fussing over the child does not instill confidence and independence in the child. Rather it is selfish and irresponsible for a parent to allow their child to excessively depend on them.
A ten year old who never cleans his room, and lets mum or dad do it, will learn to always depend on others. This may also foster laziness, sloppiness and a lack of Continue Reading…
Most parents view playing as a waste of time. They would like a child to grow out of the love for playing and get into more serious things like studies, research, or even household chores. It seems more like a childish behavior that must be tolerated, and the sooner it is over the better. However Islam is a balanced religion. Play is an important part of growing up, and is vital for the physical and emotional development of the child. Play is the first source of learning basic social skills necessary for life.
A child loves to play, and it is a form of punishment for the child to be deprived of playtime. This desire to play, anywhere and with anything, is most evident in the early years. It is a sign of emotional and physical health. A child who does not Continue Reading…
Amongst the clearest examples of Islam’s honoring women is the great status of the mother in Islam. Islam commands kindness, respect and obedience to parents. Islam raises parents to a status greater than that found in any other religion or ideology. Below are a few words about a mothers love for her child.
Mother’s love is countless and meaningful. Her kindness is hardly repaid by any precious things in this world. Her deep parental kindness in bringing Continue Reading…
We should teach this dua to our children inshaAllah. What better way is there to start the day than by remembering Allah, Most High? If you think it’s required, download this dua from the below link and put it near your childs bed so they are reminded to say it.
This book is authored by Shaykh AbdusSalaam Burjis Aal- AbdulKareem. It is a much needed explanation, advice and reminder concerning the importance of the family in Islam.
This book is a complete translation of the concise booklet “Fildhaat-ul-Abbaak huqooq-ul-Awladd”. Although small in size, this booklet present the readers with a valuable discussion on some of the rights and privileges of children, which parents are obligated to fulfil.
This is episode 2 of the stories of the Prophets. This series is set in a very good environment for teaching children. Yusuf Estes sits down with a gathering of about 10 children and explains to the children in a very easy to understand way mashaAllah.
The Importance of Spending Quality Time with Your Children
By Abu Atiyyah, South Africa
Bismilllah
Has your home become like a hotel? Has the concept of family become a fond memory?
The home of today has become very much like a hotel. Strangers stumble in and out at odd hours, each one doing his own little thing. “The family” has now almost become just a fond memory. “The family” having meals together is a rare occasion. Just sitting together and chatting is even more rare. Part of the blame can be apportioned to the fast, demanding pace of life in the modern and “advanced” world we are living in. The other part can be attributed to the lack of will and the apathy on the part of members of the family to Continue Reading…
At about the age of about 5 or 6 of a child’s life, more of the concepts of Islam can begin to be taught in greater detail. Young children may know the name of Allah and his attributes and be happy to say them, but they cannot really comprehend the idea of an Omnipotent, All-Encompassing God that takes care of them and loves them.
As they mature, children will begin to understand this and realize the importance of their relationship with their Unseen Creator. It is necessary as parents to teach them about the significance of pleasing Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, in all that they do. This is, in fact, the goal of Islam, which is submission to Allah’s plan and guidance. It should also be emphasized that doing this is to their benefit as well because it is through this obedience that they receive Allah’s grace and blessings. Connected with this are the rewards that Continue Reading…
Below is an example of a child hearing the words of Allah and being instantly moved by them. It is narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi and is as follows:
There was a king who had a lot of wealth, and he had a daughter and no other children. He loved her very much, and he used to let her enjoy all kinds of entertainment. This went on for a long time. Beside the king there lived a devoted worshipper, and whilst he was reciting one night, he raised his voice saying,
“O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones ” [al-Tahreem 66:6 - interpretation of the meaning].
The girl heard his recitation and said to her servants, “Stop!” But they did not stop. The worshipper started to repeat the verse, and the girl kept telling them to stop, but they did not stop. Continue Reading…
Life is miserable for those children who have to deal with parents who are constantly negative. Such parents do not forget mistakes, harp on small issues, and are always predicting the worst.
Some parents believe that to love children means to do their work. They take excessive pity on the child and feel that as a parent it is their duty to do things for him. So at six years old a child is still be dressed by the parents. He is considered too young to tie his own shoes, or comb his hair. Such constant fussing over the child does not instill confidence and independence in the child. Rather it is selfish and irresponsible for a parent to allow their child to excessively depend on them.
Most parents view playing as a waste of time. They would like a child to grow out of the love for playing and get into more serious things like studies, research, or even household chores. It seems more like a childish behavior that must be tolerated, and the sooner it is over the better. However Islam is a balanced religion. Play is an important part of growing up, and is vital for the physical and emotional development of the child. Play is the first source of learning basic social skills necessary for life.
Here are some quick don’ts in religious training.
Amongst the clearest examples of Islam’s honoring women is the great status of the mother in Islam. Islam commands kindness, respect and obedience to parents. Islam raises parents to a status greater than that found in any other religion or ideology. Below are a few words about a mothers love for her child.