Children are the seeds of life, the seeds of hope, and the apple of man’s eye. They are the builders of tomorrow, and they are its men: its thinkers, its forearms, the shields of its nation, and the protectors of its stability. For this reason, Islam directed its attention to their upbringing. So that the community can be happy with them, and they will ascend the society. Islam’s care has included all aspects of the individual’s life; To grow in an integrated way, a growth that includes: his body, his soul, his morals, and his mind, and by preserving this high style of refined education, a good citizen is brought up, who knows his rights and duties, and builds the strong Muslim individual, who lives with his correct faith, his conscious mind, and his strong morals.
And we – the nation of Islam – if we want to honor, glory, and supremacy for ourselves, we have to return to the essence of our religion, we have to educate the Muslim generations on a pattern of true manhood and generous humanity, the pattern that we felt in the first Muslims when they were: strength in the mind, and strength in the spirit, strength in creation, and strength in the body.
We are to raise children with high and integrated upbringing; We must formulate them in a formulation that is consistent with what we believe in in terms of beliefs and noble ideals, derived from the Book of God – Glory be to Him – and from the Sunnah of His Messenger – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – one of the writers says:
The most delicious fruits of life for man are children. Those who have tasted their sweetness know this, and those of them who are afflicted with deprivation, and the severity of the bitterness of deprivation knows the extent of God’s blessing upon man, and children in the building of the earth, which is the purpose of God’s creation of the universes; He – the Almighty – said: “Wealth and children are the adornments of the life of this world, and the enduring righteous deeds are better with your Lord for reward and better for hope.” [Al-Kahf: 46].
Abraham pleaded with his Lord to grant him offspring, and he said: {My Lord, grant me from among the righteous * So We gave him good tidings of a gentle boy} [As-Saffat: 100, 101].
And Zakariya – peace be upon him – supplicated and said: {And I fear the freed slaves behind me, and my wife was barren, so grant me a guardian from Yourself * He inherits from me and he inherits from me. the family of Jacob, and make him a well-pleasing Lord.” [Maryam: 5, 6]
Many writers and poets portrayed their feelings of love for children, and these images – despite their diversity and color – emanate from one emotion and one nature, which is the nature of pure love and sincere affection.
Al-Ahnaf said to Muawiyah when he was angry at his son, Yazid, who deserted him: O Commander of the Faithful, our children are the fruits of our hearts and the pillar of our backs. And they love you forever and do not look at them angrily, and do not be heavy on them. They wish for your death, hate your closeness, and fill your life.
And the child is not only owned by his parents; Rather, he is the property of the nation, and his parents, and the nation, are happy to the extent of their success in raising him well and preparing him for his mission in life physically, morally, and mentally. Raising a child is a joint duty, between parents and the state, at home and school. However, the first duty, and the fullest burden, falls on the shoulders of the parents, and the mother, especially in the case of infancy and young age; Because the child’s influence on his mother in this case is strong.
Islam has appreciated the seriousness of this influence, and it is forbidden for a polytheist Muslim to marry; Fearing that the boys will be tempted in their religion by following it.
Imam Al-Ghazali said: “A boy is a trust with his parents, and his pure heart is a precious, naive jewel, devoid of every inscription and image. And share in his reward with his parents, and every teacher and educator for him, and if he returns to evil and neglects the neglect of the beasts, he will be wretched and destroyed, and the burden will rest on the neck of his guardian, and God has said – the Almighty -: {O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire and drive it The people and the stones have angels over them, harsh and stern. They do not disobey God as He commands them, and they do what they are commanded.” [At-Tahrim: 6]
Islam has guided general rules for raising a child physically, scientifically, and morally, so it has guided what strengthens his body and strengthens his habit by practicing types of sports, such as competition, wrestling, archery, and swimming, and the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – was the practical example in that. On the authority of Salamah bin Al-Akwa’ – may God be pleased with him – he said: “The Prophet – peace be upon him – passed by a group of those who embraced Islam and they were racing, and he said: ((Shoot from Banu Ismael, for your father was an archer. Shoot while I was with Banu So-and-so.)) He said: So one of the two teams grabbed. With their hands, he said – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him -: ((Why don’t you throw?)) They said: How do we throw when you are with them? The Prophet said: ((Throw, for I am with all of you))”[1]
On the authority of Abu Hurairah – may God be pleased with him – he said: “While the Abyssinians were playing with the Prophet – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – with their spears, Omar entered and fell on the pebbles and threw them at them, so he said: ((Leave them, Omar)), and the Prophet – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – wrestled. Rukana slapped him.”
On the authority of Omar – may God be pleased with him -: “Teach your children swimming, and order them to jump on horses.”
And Islam called for the education of children in affirmation, and he said: ((Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim)), and he did not limit them to one color of it without color, except that he believes that the first science in education is religious science; Because it is the means to happiness in this world and the Hereafter, and with the teachings of religion souls settle down, hearts reassure, and they strive in their affairs satisfied, not being overwhelmed by success, nor humiliated by failure; Because she entrusts the fate of matters to God, and makes education the right of the child to his father, and each of the male and female takes what is appropriate for him and helps him in his message and his job, so the woman should take from him what he prepares to be a good husband, who pleases her husband, and does well in the affairs of her house, and a good mother who improves Raising her children, directing them to a virtuous and happy life, and the man may take from her what he prepares for the message he chooses for himself, and help him to collect his livelihood.
Islam has guided general rules in virtues and social etiquette, which are the highest that etiquette reaches in the most prestigious societies, represented in the verses of the Noble Qur’an, the work of the Messenger – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – and the work of his companions, and he called on parents to take their children to them. to bring them up as a righteous generation endowed with morals and virtues; so that the family may be happy with them, and the nation will be happy with them, and it will be, as God wanted it, the best nation brought forth for people; He said – the Almighty -: } And We have enjoined on man his parents: his mother bore him in weakness and weaned him in two years. Give thanks to me and your parents. To the destination * And if they strive with you to associate with Me that of which you do not know, do not obey them, and their companion in this world is kind and Follow the path of the one who turns to me, then to me is your return, and I will inform you. What you used to do * My son, if it is the weight of a mustard seed, it is in a rock, or the heavens, or in the earth God brings it. Indeed, God is Kind, Aware. * O my son, establish prayer and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what afflicts you. That is from the firmness of affairs * nor Turn your cheek towards people, and do not walk on the earth happily, for God does not love every proud arrogant * Be careful in your gait and lower your voice. Indeed, the lowest of all voices is the voice of a donkey.” [Luqman: 14-19]
And He – the Highest – said: {O you who have believed! Before the Fajr prayer, when you put off your clothes at noon, and after the Isha prayer, you have three private parts, you don’t have to. And there is no blame on them after they circumambulate you, one upon the other. God is the Signs for you, and God is All-Knowing, Wise.” [An-Nur: 58]
In this verse, God instructs parents to accustom their children to asking permission to enter upon them at three times, which are the conditions for comfort, non-adherence to propriety in dress or sitting, and the expectations that the cost between the man and his family should be lifted. So that the child does not see what he should not be aware of at these times, namely: before the Fajr prayer, when resting at noon, and after the Isha prayer.
And on the authority of Umar bin Abi Salamah that he was a young boy in the lap of the Messenger of God – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – and his hand was bouncing around on the plate when he ate – i.e.: moving in the plate without regularity – so the Messenger of God said: ((O boy, name God, and eat with your right hand, And all of what follows you))[2], to many manners that were elaborated in the Sunnah, and proven by the correct transmission of the Companions.
Islam has guided kindness to children in education and guidance. So that they do not become alienated from her, and do not become discontented with her, and so that it is instilled in their souls in an outpouring of pure paternal sympathy, and on the authority of the Prophet – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him -: that if he saw Fatima – may God be pleased with her – coming, he would stand up for her from his seat, and take her hand and kiss her, and he came to him Bedouin, he said: Do you kiss boys, so why do we kiss them? He said to him: ((Do you have the hope that God will remove mercy from your heart?))[3]
And on the authority of Umm Khalid bint Khalid bin Saeed – may God be pleased with them both – she said: “I came to the Messenger of God – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – with my father, and he was wearing a green shirt. Well, she said: So I went to play with the seal of prophecy, but my father rebuked me, and the Messenger of God said: ((Leave it)), then he said: ((wear out and create, then wear out and create))
Islam called for the obligation of fairness between boys in giving, so that they grow up loving and cooperating, and it denied that it distinguishes between boys and girls. So as not to carry their differentiation on the indiscretions of parents and Gvthm.
And the father should eat with his children; to make them human, and to guide and care for them; On the authority of Sufyan – may God be pleased with him -: We have been informed that God and His angels pray for the people of a household who eat together.
With these teachings, Islam calls on parents to take their children to make them happy and the nation to be happy with them, and this happiness is the goal of Islam aims at.
