Below is the free online TV station - Al Jazeera Children Channel (JCC). It focuses on the 3-15 year age group. It is completely in Arabic so it is a good method for teaching you’re children the language of the Qu’ran - especially for parents living in the west.

Please note however that this channel is not strictly an Islam-based channel. In general however, the programming is family friendly insha Allah. A lot of the cartoons however, contain music.

Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC) is a Pan-Arabic Youth Television Channel funded by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Click here for more information about the Qatar Foundation.

The channel is powered by Islam Box. It is a new and exciting way to watch Islamic Television without purchasing and installing big satellites. In addition to this channel, they have many others - in English, Urdu, Arabic and languages (e.g. channels dedicated to dawah, Islamic lectures, Arab news etc).

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Ingredients: (serves 1)

1 Soft Sausage bun
1 Hot dog
A handful of leftover Bolognese
Some mozzarella cheese

Method:

Boil the hotdog for 20minutes.
While hotdog is boiling, cut the bread to open it up lengthways
Once boiled, put it in the bun and pour some Bolognese sauce over.
Drizzle some mozzarella cheese and…
You’re good to go. How easy was that!!
To save this free printable recipe in PDF format, please download the link below:

A&W Style Coney Dog

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This is a famous Malaysian breakfast dish, served with chicken or beef curry.

Ingredients (makes approx 20)

1 Egg
1 ½ cup water
250g Plain Flour
½ can Evaporated Milk
Pinch of Salt
Teaspoon of yellow colouring

Method to make batter

Beat the egg and milk in a bowl.

Gradually sift the flour and stir well.

Add water as you go along.

Make sure the consistency is not too watery or too thick.

Then add the yellow colouring and leave aside for 30minutes.

Method to make pancake

Heat crepe pan and grease with some butter

Pour some batter into the mold and transfer the mold to the pan.

As the batter flows through the holes of the mold, make circular rounds around the pan to form the netty patterns.

Once the top is set and done or when the bottom turns light brown, transfer the pancake out and fold it into triangle shape.

Serve with chicken/beef curry.

To save this free printable recipe in PDF format, please download the link below:

Lacy Pancake/Roti Jala

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The main ingredients in this recipe is the really soft and tender beef and the dark soy sauce. Make sure the beef is thinly sliced and marinated with oil at least one night, but best after 2 nights. There is no egg in this recipe.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

500g thinly sliced beef (marinate with lots of oil, garlic and pepper)
1 packet Hokkien noodles
1 packet fish cake, sliced
1 Onion, sliced
2 Garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon Oyster sauce
2 tablespoon Dark Soy sauce
Vegetables (bok choy, carrots, baby corn, broccoli etc)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Pre-heat pan/wok and add the oil to fry the onions, fish cakes and beef.

Then saute your garlic along with the vegetables.

Add hokkien noodles, sauces and salt/pepper.

To save this free printable recipe in PDF format, please download the link below:

MONGOLIAN NOODLES

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>> Plan your dinner a week in advance!

By planning out your weekly dinner, you can do all your shopping needs in one go!

>> Cook in bulk and freeze, freeze, freeze!

Freezing your food comes in very handy especially for those lazy days when you just cant be bothered cooking. It saves you time, energy + money (gas/electricity/water).

>> Go out with your family; be it once a week or once a month!

Get rid of routine,take your family out for a nice meal and enjoy not having to cook.

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We should all get into the habit of drinking water and that means, getting your kids drinking water at a very young age! I have seen many families, where they give sugary drinks to their kids but regret doing that now because their kids have grown to love sugary drinks and have ditched the ‘pure water’ which is meant to be very good for their health.

Pepsi, juice and all sugary drinks are not considered healthy drinking! Although, there is nothing wrong with minimum consumption of sugary drinks, if given on special occasion or as a treat.

Water is crucial to your family’s health and wellbeing. It makes up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water.

Some benefits of drinking water are:

• Improve Your Energy

• Increase Your Mental and Physical Performance

• Remove Toxins & Waste Products from your body

• Keep Skin Healthy and Glowing

• Help You Lose Weight

• Reduce Headaches and Dizziness

• Allow for proper Digestion

• Help to keep you more Alkaline

Sometimes, people find drinking plain water is boring…”there is no taste”. Well, spice it up! You can always add some drops of lemon, orange or whatever fruit you like and InshaAllah once your kids get the hang of it, they probably don’t even need the extra taste anymore. And remember, make sure you keep a bottle with them at all times. It definitely comes in handy especially when they have been running around.

Wassalamualaikum.

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Furthermore, salah was the first act of worship that was made obligatory by Allah. Therefore, due to its extreme importance to the Believer, salah should be one of the first acts of worship that parents should teach their children.

When discussing teaching children how to make salah parents typically ask when is it necessary to begin teaching their children. Let us be realistic; learning how to make salah is not easy for children or in some cases adults. It can take a lot of work to master even the simplest elements of salah. The learner must memorize the various du’aa and Surah’s of the Qur’an- not to mention the other required portions of the salah. Furthermore, there must be work on proper pronunciation and rules on how, when, and what makes salah valid. This is not an overnight process but rather one that takes times. Therefore, this leaves us with the question-when should children learn how to make salah?

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, narrated that the Apostle of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said,

“Command your children to make salah when they become seven years old, and spank them for it (salah) when they become ten years old, and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.” (Abu Dawud).
This does not mean that parents can only start teaching their children how to perform it when they reach the age of seven. Rather, informal instruction should start when a child starts to show an interest in salah, which usually occurs around the age of two. It is only human nature that children love to imitate their parents. In fact, this is one method that Allah has provided us for teaching our youth.

Therefore, it is important for parents of small children to let them “pretend” to make the salah along side of the parents. The benefits for this are twofold. First, it teaches children that it is necessary to make salah everyday five times a day. And second, it helps children learn the physical movements of the salah. It really is amazing how fast a two-year-old will learn the phrase Allahu-Akbar when he performs salah along side of his parents!

The next step is to teach your child al-Fatihah. This should begin around the age of three or four. When teaching children Surah’s or any other portions of the salah that must be memorized; it is important to remember to break down the instructions by using a reasonable number of verses or small segments. In other words, teaching a child how to perform the salah should be done progressively in small steps. It is important to practice reciting the previously learned material consistently everyday along with any new material. These practice sessions should only last between 5 to 15 minutes. At this age, length of practice is not as important as consistency. Also, it is important to note that not everyday will your child be ready to learn new material. Work on mastery of material not quantity. The other question many parents ask is whether or not to teach Surah’s using Tajweed. Actually, many parents find it helpful to combine the two. Children have an amazing ability to remember songs in commercials or various children’s song. For many children, the act of singing actually makes it easier to memorize. However, at this age it is important not to focus on the rules of recitation but rather on the content.

While the presence of a teacher or parent teaching children the proper method of making salah can not be underestimated, many parents find supplemental materials helpful in teaching their children how to make salah. Every year new educational products are being introduced into the Muslim market. Today, Muslim parents have available coloring books, storybooks, developmentally appropriate teaching videotapes, audio tapes, and computer programs to enhance the learning process. Generally children learn new tasks best if teaching material is presented in a variety of formats. The use of such material will only help increase the speed and amount of learning for your child not to mention that it will make the experience more enjoyable.

Lastly, one of the most important aspects of successful teaching is praise and encouragement. Remember that children like to please their parents. Also, it is really important that parents praise and celebrate their children’s accomplishments. This is especially true for learning how to make salah. After the mastery of a section, children typically feel a strong sense of achievement. Praise motivates the child to continue to learn and accomplish new goals.
By Maysoon Zaza
http://sisters.islamway.com

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A child can also be taught to understand the bounty of Allaah and the blessing of good health that He has bestowed upon him. For example, you could say to him, “Who gave you your hearing, sight and mind? Who gave you strength and the ability to move?” and so on. The child can also be encouraged to love Allaah and to thank Him for this blessing and bounty. Making a child love Allaah and the things that Allaah loves is a good action which will bring educational benefits sooner or later, by Allaah’s Leave.

A mother opened a window on the second floor of the house to let some air in, but her child came and quickly closed it. When his mother asked him why he had done that, he said, “I saw the dish on one of our neighbours’ roofs and I don’t want to look at anything that my Lord does not like.”

A child may ask about his Lord, whether He eats or sleeps. In that case we have to answer and tell him that there is nothing like Allaah, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing; neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. Allaah is not like us, He does not need to sleep, eat or drink.

If these meanings are made simple for a child and explained to him in a way that is suited to his age, then the veneration of Allaah in his heart is one of the things that will help him to be aware that Allaah is watching him in secret and in public.

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My question is in reference to the sunnah of shaving the underarms and the pubic region. At what age should we instill this practice with our children who may have reached the stage of puberty?

Answer:

The child – male or female – needs to know about this ruling when he or she approaches the age of puberty and when you think that this hair, which has been made one of the signs of puberty, and which we have been commanded to remove for the sake of tahaarah (purity), cleanliness and good health, has started to grow. You could introduce this idea gradually in the context of other points and ideas that the child needs to know and be reminded of as he or she approaches the age of puberty, such as the meaning of takleef (accountability), the rights of Allaah over a person, the duties of the person who has reached the age of accountability, the fact that his or her evil deeds will be recorded from puberty onwards, and the rules of ghusl for janaabah (impurity), etc. If the parents find it embarrassing to talk about this subject directly with the child, they can give him or her a book or pamphlet about the rules that have to do with puberty. And Allaah is the source of strength.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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Recipe for Double Choc Chip Muffins:

2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (125ml)
1 cup milk (240ml)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups plain flour (240g)
1/2 cup sugar (85g)
1/4 cup cocoa (35g)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (85g)

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 C and prepare muffin pan with muffin liners.

In large bowl mix well the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla.

In smaller bowl mix well the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips.

Combine wet and dry mixtures and fold together gently until just mixed. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake at 200C for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

To save this free printable recipe in PDF format, please download the link below:

DOUBLE CHOC CHIP MUFFIN

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2. In most Muslim countries Eid is a time for buying new clothing. It’s spring time anyway.

3. Eid is a time to go on farm for udhia/qurbani and talk about Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice. Remember to stress that it was Ismail (Ishmael) who was tested, not Ishaq (Isaac) as Bible says.
4. Talk about Hajj in your story night. Recount the memories of your experience or you may want to discuss when you want to go for Hajj or Umrah

5. On Hajj day talk about why millions of Muslims run between Safa and Marwa.

6. Have an open book competition in your home about Hajj and Prophet Ibrahim with prizes for all participants.

7. Take your children to see off an Hajji from your community or receive him or her when S/he comes back.

8. Involve them in loud takbirat while going and returning from the Eid Prayer.

9. For children ages 2-8 “Take Me to the Kaba” is an excellent video choice on or before Eid. Many public schools show this episode of Adam’s World in their schools.

10. For ages 8 and up, software like “Hajj & Umrah” CD-Rom might provide some new information. It also includes a game.

11. Give out a gift of any of the above items if you don’t already own
them.

12. For THE collective family study circle verses from the Quran.

13. For story telling or reading a book for them, tell them the story of Ibrahim, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

14. Have 2 Eid dinners: one for the family on Eid day and one with neighbors. Or maybe you just want to share some dishes on Eid with your neighbors.

15. What about a family trip to some place of enjoyment.

16. But please no TV or Movies on Eid break.

17. Nothing wrong with decorating the home for Eid.

18. The whole family can get involved in preparing a school presentation about the Hajj, Prophet Ibrahim, the Kaba, or Eid. You would be surprised at how many Muslims don’t know how central Prophet Ibrahim is to Islam.

19. In some parts of the Muslim world a small amount of money is given to children as Eidi. You can do that or give a small present. Please avoid the commercialism.

20. What about helping children make gifts for one another?

21. What about marking Eid with a new family project? For ex. Start of a family library.

22. Children in need must be remembered by sharing something with them

23. If you are the family member responsible for food on Eid day consult other members of the family. Consultation may help you involve them in preparation and cleanup as well.

24. At Eid place, where a lot of hugging goes on, you will find some Muslims standing alone. They are either new Muslims or new immigrants without relatives and friends. Do hug them and greet them. If possible invite them to your home for a meal. Also inform them of any planned Eid celebrations at any community center.

Have a great Eid everyone. May Allah bless you with more and the best of this world and the real best in the everlasting life.

By Abdul Malik Mujahid

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25 Reasons Why You Should Start Your Teenagers Drinking Green Tea Now instead of Acidic Drinks!

Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits.
It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health.
And if you’re not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you’re definitely NOT doing your health a big favour.

Here Are The 25 Reasons Why Your Teenage Children Should Start Drinking Green Tea:

1. Green Tea and Cancer

Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.

2. Green Tea and Heart Disease

Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells.

3. Green Tea and Anti-Aging

Green tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight against free radicals. What this means it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.

4. Green Tea and Weight Loss

Green tea helps with your body weight loss. Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally.
It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day.

5. Green Tea and Skin

Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging. Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer.

6. Green Tea and Arthritis

Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.

7. Green Tea and Bones

The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea. It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density.

8. Green Tea and Cholesterol

Green tea can help lower cholesterol level. It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level.

9. Green Tea and Obesity

Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you’ll be obese.

10. Green Tea and Diabetes

Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate.

11. Green Tea and Alzheimer’s

Green tea helps boost your memory. And although there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer’s.

12. Green Tea and Parkinson’s

Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson’s. People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with Parkinson’s.

13. Green Tea and Liver Disease

Green tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that green tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers.

14. Green Tea and High Blood Pressure

Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure.
Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.

15. Green Tea and Food Poisoning

Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causes food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria.

16. Green Tea and Blood Sugar

Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood sugar level.

17. Green Tea and Immunity

Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections.

18. Green Tea and Cold and Flu

Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu. Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold.

19. Green Tea and Asthma

Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.

20. Green Tea and Ear Infection

Green tea helps with ear infection problem. For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea and clean the infected ear.

21. Green Tea and Herpes

Green tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment of herpes. First green tea compress is applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.

22. Green Tea and Tooth Decay

Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases. It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath.

23. Green Tea and Stress

L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety.

24. Green Tea and Allergies

EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea.

25. Green Tea and HIV

Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells. What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus from spreading.

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“Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world . . .” (Qur’an 18:46)

If their education and upbringing are neglected, they will become bad characters, a burden on their family, community and society as a whole.

She understands the great responsibility that she has towards her children

The Muslim woman never forgets that the mother’s responsibility in bringing up the children and forming their characters is greater than that of the father, because children tend to be closer to their mother and spend more time with her; she knows all about their behavioural, emotional and intellectual development during their childhood and the difficult years of adolescence.

“O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones . . .” (Qur’an 66:6)

The Prophet (PBUH) also referred to this responsibility in his hadith:
“Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock; a man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock; a woman is the shepherd in the house of her husband and is responsible for her flock; a servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for it. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.”

She uses the best methods in bringing them up

The mother hastens to correct them and refine their thoughts and feelings, taking into account each child’s age and mental level. She plays and jokes with them sometimes, complimenting them and letting then hear words of love, affection, compassion and self-denial. Thus their love for her increases, and they will accept her words of guidance and correction eagerly. They will obey her out of love for her, for there is a great difference between sincere obedience that comes from the heart, which is based on love, respect and trust, and insincere obedience that is based on oppression, violence and force. The former is lasting obedience, strong and fruitful, whilst the latter is shallow and baseless, and will quickly vanish when the violence and cruelty reach extreme levels.

She demonstrates her love and affection for them

The Muslim woman is not ignorant of the fact that her children need her warm lap, deep love and sincere affection in order to develop soundly, with no psychological problems, crises or complexes. Thus the caring Muslim mother demonstrates her love and affection for her children on every occasion, flooding their lives with joy and happiness and filling their hearts with confidence and security.

The true Muslim woman is compassionate towards her children, for compassion is a basic Islamic characteristic, one that was encouraged by the Prophet (PBUH) in word and deed as Anas (RAA) tells us:

“I never saw anyone who was more compassionate towards children than the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). His son Ibrahim was in the care of a wet-nurse in the hills around Madinah. He would go there, and we would go with him, and he would enter the house, pick up his son and kiss him, then come back.”

Undoubtedly the wealth of emotion that the Muslim mother feels for her children is one of the greatest causes of her happiness in life. This is something which has been lost by Western women, who are overwhelmed by materialism and exhausted by the daily grind of work, which has caused them to lose the warmth of family feelings.

She treats her sons and daughters equally

The wise Muslim woman treats all her children fairly and equally. She does not prefer one of them over another in any way, because she knows that Islam forbids such actions on the part of the parents, and because of the negative psychological impact that this may have over the child whose sibling is preferred over him. The child who feels that he is not treated equally with his brothers and sisters will grow up with complexes and anxiety, eating his heart out with jealousy and hatred. In contrast, the child who grows up feeling that he and his siblings are treated equally will grow up healthy and free from jealousy and hatred; he will be content, cheerful, tolerant and willing to put others before himself. This is what Islam requires of parents and urges them to do.

According to another report:
The Prophet (PBUH) asked, `Have you done the same for all your children?’ [My father] said, `No,’ so the Prophet (PBUH) said, `Fear Allah (SWT) and treat all of your children equally.’”

She does not pray against her children

The wise Muslim woman does not pray against her own children, heeding the words of the Prophet (PBUH) who forbade such prayers lest they be offered at a time when prayers are answered. This was stated in the lengthy hadith narrated by Jabir in which the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Do not pray against yourselves, or against your children, or against your wealth, in case you say such words at a time when Allah (SWT) will answer your prayer.”

Praying against one’s own children is not a good habit. No mother does so at a time of anger, but she will regret it later on after she has calmed down. I do not think that a mother who has truly sought the guidance of Islam would lose her mind and her equilibrium to such an extent that she would pray against her own children, no matter what they did. Such a woman would not allow herself to indulge in something that is done only by foolish, hot-tempered women.

This article was taken from “The Ideal Muslimah” - The True Islamic Personality of the Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur’an and Sunnah by Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi.

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Firstly:

Many issues of childrearing in fact are based on sound customs and human experience, with the possibility of fine-tuning it in accordance with the general teachings of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. As for specific, binding guidelines, they have to do with specific commands and prohibitions. Apart from that, the experience of specialists in childrearing are the reference point from which people should learn and strive to benefit, because childrearing nowadays has become a science on which studies are carried out and to which much effort, money and time are devoted. This is by the bounty that Allaah has bestowed upon people. The Muslim should not neglect to learn methods of raising and dealing with children, whilst also paying attention to the guidelines of the Qur’aan and Sunnah.
With regard to newborn infants there are some rulings which have to do with acts of worship, such as it being mustahabb to do the ‘aqeeqah, circumcise boys, rub the inside of the baby’s mouth with some chewed-up date (tahneek), shave the infant’s head and give the weight of the hair in silver as charity, and so on. This has been discussed previously on our site in the answers to questions no. 7889 and 20646.

With regard to how to take care of the ordinary physical needs of the infant, one should follow the advice of doctors and educators, and some general concepts that are mentioned in sharee’ah, which will be discussed below.

Secondly:
Among the early well known Muslim doctors is Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d. 751 AH), the author of a famous book called Tuhfat al-Mawdood bi Ahkaam al-Mawlood. One of the most important chapters of his book is the sixteenth chapter, which is entitled Fi fusool naafi’ah fi Tarbiyat al-Atfaal tuhmad ‘awaaqibuha ‘ind al-Kabr (Useful advice on raising children which will have good consequences when the child grows up). You can benefit from its contents, whilst paying attention to the fact that what he mentions are matters that are subject to ijtihaad, based on his level of knowledge and medical experience at that time. You can benefit from it in general terms and by studying similar books of modern medicine.

I will quote here a summary of what he said, because it includes useful medical information about dealing with newborn infants.

1.
The child should be breastfed by someone other than his mother, two or three days after birth. That is better because her milk after that time will be thick and contain different ingredients, unlike the milk of one who has been breastfeeding for a while. All the Arabs pay attention to that, and they give their children to desert women to breastfeed, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was given to Banu Sa’d to be breastfed among them.

2.
They should not be picked up and carried around until they are three months old or more, because they have only recently emerged from their mother’s wombs and their bodies are still weak.

3.
They should be given only milk until their teeth appear, because their stomachs are weak and unable to digest food. When the baby’s teeth appear, his stomach has grown strong and is able to be nourished by food. Food should be introduced gradually.

4.
When they approach the age where they will begin to speak and one wants to make it easy for them to speak, a little honey and salt should be placed on the infant’s tongue, because they contain substances that will reduce the excessive moisture that prevents speech. When the child begins to speak, one should prompt him to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Muhammad Rasool Allaah.

5.
When the time for the teeth to appear comes, the gums should be rubbed every day with butter and ghee.

6.
Parents should not get upset when the child cries and yells, because he benefits greatly from that crying. It exercises his limbs, opens his intestines and chest, keeps his brain warm, warms his moods, provokes his energy, creates suitable conditions for expelling waste matter, and helps rid the brain of mucus and other waste.

7.
The child should be protected against everything that may scare him of harsh and terrifying noises, frightening scenes and disturbing movements.

8.
Complete breastfeeding lasts for two years. This is the right of the child if he needs it and cannot do without it. The Qur’aan confirmed that by adding the word kaamilayn (meaning complete or whole, in the verse “The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years” [al-Baqarah 2:233]). If the one who is breastfeeding the child wants to wean him, she should wean him gradually, and not wean him suddenly in one go; rather she should get him used to it slowly because of the harm that may be done by changing the child’s food and habit in one go.

9.
It is mistreatment of children to allow them to eat their fill of food, and to eat and drink a lot. One of the most beneficial ways of training them is to give them less than their fill, so that they may digest well and be in good health, there will be less waste in their bodies and their bodies will be healthy, and they will have less sickness because of having less food waste in their bodies.

10.
One thing that the child needs most urgently is close attention to his moral well being. He grows up with whatever the one who is raising him gets him used to when he is small. [If it is] resentment, anger, arguments, haste, being easily led by whims and desires, foolishness, hot-temperedness and greed, then it will be difficult for him to change that when he grows up. Hence you will find that most people are deviant in their character, because of the way they were brought up.

11.
The child’s guardian should keep him from taking from others because if he gets used to taking, that will become natural for him, and he will grow up as one who takes and not one who gives. If the guardian wants to give something, he should give it by his hand [i.e., give it to the child to give away] so that that he will taste the sweetness of giving.

12.
He should keep him away from lying and treachery more than he would keep him away from lethal poison. Once he lets him get the habit of lying and betrayal, he will have corrupted his happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, and deprived him of all goodness.

13.
He should keep him away from laziness, idleness, a life of ease and too much rest, and he should force him to do the opposite. He should not let him rest more than is sufficient to restore his energy so that he can do more work, for laziness and idleness bring bad consequences and lead to regret. Yahya ibn Abi Katheer said: Knowledge cannot be attained by letting the body rest.

14.
He should get him used to waking up at the end of the night, for that is the time when reward is allocated and prizes are awarded; some will take less and some will take more and some will be deprived. If he gets used to that when he is little, it will be easy for him when he grows up.
End quote. Tuhfat al-Mawdood (194-203).

Thirdly:
With regard to what you asked about, namely the child sleeping in his parents’ bed, there is nothing wrong with allowing that occasionally. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), when he was small, slept in the bed of his maternal aunt Maymoonah; he lay across the bed and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Maymoonah slept lengthways on it. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (138) and Muslim (763).

It says in ‘Umdat al-Qaari (3/66):
This hadeeth shows that it is permissible to sleep in the same bed as a mahram even if her husband is there. End quote.

But this is not what is usual; what is usual is for each person to sleep in his own bed most of the time.

With regard to the Prophet’s methods of disciplining and punishing children, he taught that smacking in order to discipline a child should only be after the age of ten.

That is because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Teach your children to pray when they are seven years old and smack them if they do not pray when they are ten years old.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (495) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not give permission to smack a child for falling short with regard to the greatest pillar of religion, which is prayer, before the age of ten, it is more apt to say that this also applies to all other issues of life, behaviour and upbringing.

Al-Athram said: Abu ‘Abd-Allaah was asked about teachers smacking children and he said: It should be commensurate with their misdemeanours but he should refrain from smacking as much as he can. If the child is little and does not understand, he should not smack him.
Al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah by Ibn Muflih (1/506).

The maximum number of smacks is ten:
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one should be given more than ten lashes except in the case of one of the hadd punishments prescribed by Allaah.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6850) and Muslim (1708).

Al-Qaadi Shurayh said that a child should be smacked no more than three times for neglect in learning Qur’aan, and ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez used to send letters to the regions saying “The teacher should not (smack the child) more than three times, because it scares the child.” Narrated by Ibn Abi’l-Dunya in al-‘Iyaal (1/531).

Hitting the face must be avoided in all cases. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade saying “May Allaah make your face ugly” and he enjoined us to avoid hitting the face. This was narrated by Abu Dawood (4493) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

You can use threats of smacking, which may be more effective than actually smacking the child. There is a report which speaks of hanging up a whip or stick in the house so that the child will understand that there will be a punishment in the case of a misdemeanour that is deserving of punishment, and that is because it is overstepping the mark of etiquette and good attitude.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Hang up the whip where the people of the household can see it, for it will discipline them.”
Narrated by ‘Abd al-Razzaaq in al-Musannaf (11/133) and by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer (10/284); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (4022).

In the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) he said: “Spend on your family from what you can afford and do not lift your stick from them so as to discipline them.” Narrated by Ahmad (5/238). Al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Targheeb (1/138): It is hasan li ghayrihi.

What we have mentioned – as you can see – is just a little, which indicates that in principle, discipline means teaching, directing and guiding with a good word, good example, encouragements and threats. As for resorting to punishment, that should be the last resort, and should only be done in a way that achieves the aim and does not go beyond that to causing physical or psychological harm to the child.
And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/83278

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Ingredients:
1 chicken- cut and leave skin
3 tablespoon garlic mince
1 Lemon squeeze
1 Cup Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
3 stalks Thyme
1 Medium Carrot
2 Medium potatoes

Method:
Marinate all ingredients in a large bowl for an hour.

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Separate potatoes and carrots and leave aside.

In a baking tray, put the chicken pieces onto the foil and cover with an extra foil on top. Pour the juices from the bowl on top of the chicken to prevent chicken from burning.

After half an hour, put the vegetables in and bake for another 30 minutes.

Lastly, to brown the top, put the oven on grill and leave the door open. Grill for 5-7minutes.

Serve with some yummy gravy.

To save this free printable recipe in PDF format, please download the link below:

BAKE CHICKEN PIECES

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Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs – cut to bite size pieces
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy
2 tbsp light soy
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 tsp cornflour
1 inch ginger (julienned)
1 tsp of salt
½ tsp of pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 spring onions (chopped finely)
2 cups rice
3 cups chicken stock

Method:
Mix the chicken with all the ingredients except the rice, spring onions and stock. Leave to marinade for at least half an hour.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and stir-fry marinated chicken meat for 1 minutes. Dish out and put aside.

Put the rice and chicken stock in the cold claypot and place it over a medium heat with the lid on. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer, then leave the rice to steam for 15 minutes. The rice should be nearly cooked, with little holes in the flat surface.

Spread the chicken mixture all over the top of the rice, and put the lid back on. Continue to steam over a low heat for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is white and cooked through. Give it a few stir and sprinkle the spring onions over the top and serve piping hot.

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CLAYPOT CHICKEN RICE

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Ingredients

Olive oil for frying1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, mince
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 litres water
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
A bit of vegetable stock
A handful of Chickpeas
A handful of macaroni pasta
A handful of kidney beans-cooked
4 Tablespoons tomato paste

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and fry the onion until golden. Add the garlic, carrots, tomatoes and celery and fry, tossing well, for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste.

Add potatoes, beans and pasta as well as a generous amount of salt and pepper and vegetable stock. Simmer for 20 mins.

Simmer for a further 10 mins or until thick and soupy.

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MINESTRONE SOUP

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Praise be to Allaah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

It is a duty on man to be kind to his parents, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…be good and dutiful to your parents…” [al-An’aam 6:151];

to show gratitude to them in all kinds of ways, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…give thanks to Me and to your parents…” [Luqmaan 31:14];

and to show them all kinds of good treatment, because of the command of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to treat them kindly. The ways in which one can show them kindness and respect are many, e.g., visiting them, speaking kindly to them, lowering to them the wing of humility, giving them gifts, and so on. When you go to visit them with the hope of earning reward from Allaah, this is a great form of worship.

A son should not neglect this type of worship, and he should appreciate the joy that his parents feel when they see their son and spend time with him. He should not let his work keep him away from seeing his parents, because it is very important and precious for them to see their son. If a person is aware of some negative things when he visits them, he can reduce these negative aspects, or cut the visit short and make up for it in other ways, such as sending letters, making telephone calls or others ways of keeping in touch and maintaining ties, like giving gifts, and so on.

We ask Allaah to help us to honour our parents. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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InshaAllah this post will be of beneficial to you and your prospective spouse. You may choose as many as you wish, out of 100 questions - what you would ask your potential spouse.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to ask these questions so you may be able to understand your prospective spouse and to find out if you are compatible with each other.

You can download and print a PDF copy here :

100 Premarital Questions

MARRIAGE

1. What is your concept of marriage?

2. Have you been married before?

3. Are you married now?

4. What are your expectations of marriage?

5. Why have you chosen me/other person as a potential spouse?

6. What are your goals in life? (long and short term)

7. Identify three things that you want to accomplish in the near future.

8. Identify three things that you want to accomplish, long term.

RELIGION

9. What is the role of religion in your life now?

10. Are you a spiritual person?

11. What is your understanding of an Islamic marriage?

12. What are you expecting of your spouse, religiously?

13. What is your relationship between you and the Muslim community in your area?

14. Are you volunteering in any Islamic activities?

15. What can you offer your spouse spiritually?

16. What is the role of the husband?

17. What is the role of the wife?

18. Do you want to practice polygamy?

FAMILY

19. What is your relationship with your family?

20. What do you expect your relationship with the family of your spouse to be?

21. What do you expect your spouses relationship with your family to be?

22. Is there anyone in your family living with you now?

23. Are you planning to have anyone in your family live with you in the future?

24. If, for any reason, my relationship with your family turns sour, what should be done?

FRIENDS

25. Who are your friends? (Identify at least three.)

26. How did you get to know them?

27. Why are they your friends?

28. What do you like most about them?

29. What will your relationship with them after marriage be?

30. Do you have friends of the opposite sex?

31. What is the level of your relationship with them now?

32. What will be the level of your relationship with them after marriage?

33. What type of relationship do you want your spouse to have with your friends?

SELF

34. What are the things that you do in your free time?

35. Do you love to have guests in your home for entertainment?

36. What are you expecting from your spouse when your friends come to the house?

37. What is your opinion of speaking other languages in home that I do not understand? (with friends or family)

38. Do you travel?

39. How do you spend your vacations?

40. How do you think your spouse should spend vacations?

41. Do you read?

42. What do you read?

43. After marriage, do you think that you are one to express romantic feelings verbally?

44. After marriage, do you think that you want to express affection in public?

45. How do you express your admiration for someone that you know now?

46. How do you express your feelings to someone who has done a favour for you?

47. Do you like to write your feelings?

48. If you wronged someone, how do you apologize?

49. If someone has wronged you, how do you want she/he to apologize to you?

50. How much time passes before you can forgive someone?

51. How do you make important and less important decisions in your life?

52. Do you use foul language at home? In public? With family?

53. Do your friends use foul language?

54. Does your family use foul language?

55. How do you express anger?

56. How do you expect your spouse to express anger?

57. What do you do when you are angry?

58. When do you think it is appropriate to initiate mediation in marriage?

59. When there is a dispute in your marriage, religious or otherwise, how should the
conflict get resolved?

60. Define mental, verbal, emotional and physical abuse.

61. What would you do if you felt that you had been abused?

62. Who would you call for assistance if you were being abused?

HEALTH

63. Do you suffer from any chronic disease or condition?

64. Are you willing to take a physical exam by a physician before marriage?

65. What is your understanding of proper health and nutrition?

66. How do you support your own health and nutrition?

MONEY

67. What is you definition of wealth?

68. How do you spend money?

69. How do you save money?

70. How do you think that your use of money will change after marriage?

71. Do you have any debts now? If so, how are you making progress to eliminate them?

72. Do you use credit cards?

73. Do you support the idea of taking loans to buy a new home?

74. What are you expecting from your spouse financially?

75. What is your financial responsibility in the marriage?

76. Do you support the idea of a working wife?

77. If so, how do you think a dual-income family should manage funds?

78. Do you currently use a budget to manage your finances?

79. Who are the people to whom you are financially responsible?

80. Do you support the idea of utilizing baby sitters and/or maids?

CHILDREN

81. Do you want to have children? If not, why?

82. To the best of your understanding, are you able to have children?

83. Do you want to have children in the first two years of marriage? If not, when?

84. Do you believe in abortion?

85. Do you have children now?

86. What is your relationship with your children now?

87. What is your relationship with their other parent?

88. What relationship do you expect your spouse to have with your children and their parent?

89. What is the best method(s) of raising children?

90. What is the best method(s) of disciplining children?

91. How were you raised?

92. How were you disciplined?

93. Do you believe in spanking children? Under what circumstances?

94. Do you believe in public school for your children?

95. Do you believe in Islamic school for your children?

96. Do you believe in home schooling for your children?

97. What type of relationship should your children have with non-Muslim classmates/friends?

98. Would you send your children to visit their extended family if they lived in another state or country?

99. What type of relationship do you want your children to have with all their grandparents?

RELATIVES

100. If there are members of my family that are not Muslim, that are of different race or culture, what type of relationship do you want to have with them?

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One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded,

“Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.”

The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather’ s hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day that building blocks are being laid for the child’s future.

Let us all be wise builders and role models. Take care of yourself, … and those you love, … today, and everyday!

“And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents”
[Soorah al-Ankaboot (29): 8]

“And your Lord has decreed (commanded) that you worship none but Him.. And that you be dutiful to your parents…” [Soorah al-Isra (17): 23]

“The Lord is pleased with the pleasing of the parents, and the Lord is angry with him who angers the parents.” [Saheeh al-Jamee (3500) ]

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Ingredients
20g unsalted butter, melted
2 tbl firmly packed soft brown sugar
440g can pineapple rings in natural juice
90g unsalted butter, extra, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup self raising flour

Method

• Preheat oven to moderate 180 deg. C. Grease a 20cm ring tin. Pour the melted butter into the base of the tin and tip to evenly coat. Sprinkle with the brown sugar. Drain the pineapple and reserve 1/3 cup of the juice. Cut the pineapple slices in half and arrange on the base.

• Beat the extra butter and the caster sugar with electric beaters until light and creamy. Gradually add the egg, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla essence and beat until combined. Fold in the flour alternating with the reserved juice, using a metal spoon.

• Spoon the mixture evenly onto the pineapple and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave in the tin for 10mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

To save this free printable recipe in PDF format, please download the link below:

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

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Ingredients

For the base
100grams Nice Biscuits, crushed
60grams unsalted butter, melted

For the filling
100g full fat ricotta
1/4 cup thickened cream
125g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
Lemon zest (grated from 1 lemon)

For decorating
1/2 cup Whipped cream
Mixed berried (simmer a bit over low heat)

Method

For the base, mix biscuits and butter and combine well.

Line 2 x six muffin tray with muffin cups (It makes 12 cheesetarts) and press the biscuit mixture into the base. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.

In the meantime mix ricotta, thickened cream and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Gradually pour in the eggs one by one, caster sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat until mixture becomes a bit thick.

Take out both the muffin trays and pour the cheese filling on top of the biscuit base. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Allow cake to cool, then refrigerate overnight until set.

Once set, using a teaspoon, spoon a wholeful of whipped cream onto the tart gently making a hole in the middle. Put the mixed berry mixture in the middle.

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MIXED BERRY CREAM CHEESE TARTS

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Ingredients

125g full fat ricotta
125g cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
5 sheets square filo pastry (I used puff pastry)
80g clarified butter, melted
2 tbsp packaged dry breadcrumbs
680g jar morello cherries, drained
1 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
Pure icing sugar, to serve

Method

If time allows place the ricotta into a nylon sieve over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven 200°C (fan forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine the ricotta, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add egg and beat well.

Place 1 sheet filo onto clean work surface. Brush with melted butter, top with a second sheet, brush with butter and repeat layering filo so you have 5 layers. If using puff pasty, only use one layer.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the filo/puff. Spoon cream cheese mixture along 1 long edge, leaving a small border. Top with cherries and sprinkle with almonds. Fold the ends in and roll up to secure filling, brushing exposed edges to ensure they stick.

Brush strudel all over with remaining clarified butter.

Place onto prepared tray and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C and bake a further 5 minutes until pastry is crisp and deep golden.

Allow to stand 30 minutes to cool. Dust heavily with icing sugar and serve.

To save this free printable recipe in PDF format, please download the link below:

CHERRY CREAM CHEESE STRUDEL (PUFF OR FILO)

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4. Strawberry Cheesecake I've made this a few times and now I...
5. Berry White Tiramisu Ingredients +   300ml thickened cream +   250g tub mascarpone...