Praise be to Allah.
We ask Allah Most High to strengthen you and guide your family to enter this religion.
Abdullah ibn Omar (PA) said he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say:
“You are all shepherds and every shepherd is responsible for his flock; the imam is a shepherd and he is responsible for his flock. The head of the family is a shepherd in his family and is responsible for his flock. The woman is a shepherdess in her household.
(Reported by al-Bokhari, 853 and by Mouslim, 1829).
Ibn al-Quayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“He who does not teach his children what benefits them and takes responsibility for them, will have done them the greatest harm. Fathers are responsible in most cases of juvenile delinquency because of their negligence, including the abandonment of their instruction in obligatory and recommended religious practices. They were disinterested in them during their childhood so that they did nothing for themselves so that they could be useful to their fathers when they grew up.”
Touhfatoul Mawdoud, p.229.
Regarding education aimed at making Islam known and loved, we provide the following advice:
1. Teach them the Arabic language and instill in them its love since this language is an important key to understanding and loving Islam.
2. Find them friends of their age and nationality among practicing Muslims. It is also necessary to ensure that the friends chosen demonstrate good morals marked by righteousness in order to be able to positively influence your children and serve as a model for them of righteousness, observance of religious law and in their way of treating with father and mother. Regarding this, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
Good and bad companions are respectively comparable to the perfume seller and the blacksmith; the first can only sell you or transmit the smell of its perfume to you while the second could either burn your body or clothes or transmit a bad smell to you.
(Reported by al-Bokhari, 1995 and by Mouslim, 2628).
3. Ensure that boys develop a sense of attachment to the mosque by urging them to go and pray there daily and attend teaching circles. It would be even better if you could add the granting of gifts and incentive prizes to be awarded to those among them who stand out for their attendance at said circles. There is no harm in accompanying them to the mosque to instill in them the love of the houses of Allah and prayer. If they cannot go to the mosque due to its distance or insecurity, do not tire of teaching them at home the modalities of prayer and its times. You are ordered to teach prayer to your children aged 7 and to initiate them in its practice. As for those who have not yet reached this age, we must teach them without forcing them to practice it. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
Instruct your children aged 7 to practice prayer. If, at the age of ten, they do not practice it spontaneously, correct them. Make sure they lie down separately.
(Reported by Abu Dawoud, 495) and considered authentic by al-Albani in Sahihi Abi Dawoud).
4. Make them hear the holy Quran recited in a beautiful voice that makes them love it. This is able to instill in them its importance. The book of Allah Most High is a book of guidance and light for people; He illuminates the path for them and strengthens their steps on the straight path with the permission of Allah Most High.
5. Have them watch cartoons with Islamic content in order to get them to compare what they find there to what they see in other cartoons because it is from there that they will attribute an important role in clarifying differences (established by Islam). For they will understand that Islam exhorts people to do good, to maintain their ties of kinship, to cultivate piety and compassion as it warns them against evil, the breaking of ties of kinship, corruption and brutality.
6.Introduce them to useful Islamic sites, taking into account their respective ages and while avoiding giving them complete freedom to access the Internet. They have to go through you.
7. If there is one thing that you should think carefully about as it helps you achieve your goal, it is to accompany them to perform the rites of minor pilgrimage and therefore visit the sacred house of Allah. Such visits have been found to leave a profound impact on young children as they do with adults.
8.Teach them the principles of the faith in an easy way adapted to their respective ages. We begin by explaining to them that Allah is absolutely unique, that He hears them, sees them and rewards the one among them who applies the provisions of Islam. The young age of Abdullah ibn Abbas did not prevent the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) from speaking to him these very touching words about the oneness of Allah and faith. Abdullah ibn Abbas said: “One day I was behind the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he said to me:
Boy! I will teach you a few words: stay with Allah, Allah will stay with you; stay with Allah, you will always find him in front of you. If you want to ask (something), ask Allah. If you want to seek help, seek it from Allah. Know that if the entire community mobilized to achieve a benefit for you, it would only bring it to you if it had been predestined for you by Allah. If she mobilized to cause you harm that is not part of your fate, she would not succeed. The feathers are removed and the leaves dried out.
(Reported by at-Tirmidhi, 2516 and considered authentic by al-Albani in Sahih at-Tirmidhi. Given the importance of the question, see the answer given to question no. 22175).
9. Find them stories adapted to their ages drawn from the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the lives of his noble companions (PAa) to make them aware of their belonging to the best religion, to the best prophet and to the best community. Given the importance of this aspect, even the answers given to question no. 21215 and question no. 22496.
10. Enroll them in Islamic schools and avoid them attending bad schools because the former are intended to take care of their faith and their conduct. The choice of the best of these schools is left to your discretion.
You must not lose sight of two important things. The first is to ask Allah to make them good, to guide them and to assist them. Your prayer for them is an important means that it is up to you to use to make them good and guide them. Don’t forget to use it and don’t underestimate it. The second thing is that you model the right role for them through the way you deal with them and show compassion towards them. You will not act in this direction moved by a simple maternal feeling but as a Muslim committed to observing the law of Allah Most High.
We ask Allah to assist you in your good endeavor and to guide your children towards what He loves and is pleased with. See for more information the answers given to questions no. 10016, no. 22150, no. 4237 (very important), no. 22950, and no. 10211.
Allah knows best.
