Child Education in Islam

the meaning of Allah's saying,

~ ~p r-WJ y:j\i(

"And there is (a ¥u.illK of) life for you in AI-QisllS (the LQ'" of

Equality in punishment), 0 men of umlers/unding, (Illd you mlly

become AI-MUI,aqin (Ihe piom - see V.2:2). (AI_Baq.rah, 179)

This is what is intended by the Prophet's saying, " By lie Who has

my soul ill Ilis hultd. if Fu!imah, the daughter of MI,~ammad Hofe, I

would CUI off her hand. "

Whether the penalty is a sct or a discretionary one, it is the

decisive treatment for reforming people and nations, and

consolidating peace and stability throughoullhc world. A nation

that has no penalties for criminals is an immoral, spoiled and

debased nation, which lives in continuous social chaos, and in

criminal confusion. The best example of this is America where

most sholars of modern education frown upon punishment and

hate to even mention it. This has resulted in a debased. spoiled,

irresponsible generation that craves for corruption and crime. It

was this situation which incited the late Amercian President

Kennedy to declare in 1962 that the future of America was in

danger because its youth are debauch, spoiled, lustful, and

irresponsible. Among every seven youths who arc would-be army

recruits there aTe six who are unfit because of lust. irresponsibility.

and immorality have destroyed their physical and psychological

well -being.

When AlIiih 16 legislates penalties for His bondmen, He is the

Most Knowledgeable of that which He has laid down for them.

U n les.~ he knows what penalties achieve security for the individual,

and stability for the community, He would not legislate them or

include them in His Divine legislation.

The punishment given by parents or educators dirrers III

quantity. quality, and method from that given to people III

general. Here is, my brother educator, the way of Islam in

punishing children:

I, Dealing wi th the child tenderly and mercifully is the basis: AIBuk

hari narrated in Al-Adah AI-Mufradthat All iih's Messenger tt

said, "Be lender and avoid violence and obscenity_"

2. Taking into account the nature of the child to be punished:

Children vary concerning intelligence, flexibili ty, and responsivness.

Their temperaments also differ, they can be quiet, peaceful,

and the moderate, or nervous and violent. All these kinds of

temperaments are determined by beredity, the influence of the

community, and the facton; of upbringing and education. A

frowning look at some children is sufficient to deter and rdorm

them, while another child may need to be reproached. An educator

may resort to striking if il will be beneficial for the chi ld.

Many scholar-s of Islamic education, including Ibn Sinii, AIAbdari

and Ibn ~ald[jn, are of the opinion thai an educator

should not resort to punishment e~cept in case of extreme

necessity, and not to resort to beating except after threatening

and intercession. The intention is 10 reform the child and to form

him morally and psychologically. In his book "Muqadimah"

(Introduction), Ibn Khaldun states that excessive violence towards

the child develops in him a weak will, cowardice, and escaping

from hfe's resposibilities. Among his statements is the following:

'The one who was brought up wi th violence and submission,

whether a learner, a Marnluk, or a servant, humility will se ize him,

will make him displeased, inactive, and lazy. It will force him to lie

and be cunning for fear of hands stretching out to subdue him. II

wi\1teach him trickery and deception which will become habitual

and such qualities will spoil his humanity."

3. Gradation from the lighter punishment to mOTe sever pUlllshment:

the Messenger tj; outlined to educators clear methods for

dealing with a child's bad behaviour, making him polite, and

274 Pan Th"",

setting his behaviour alright. These methods which " 'ere clarified

by the first eduC

I. Calling allention to the wrong doing through direction: AI·

Bu~~firi and Muslim quoted 'Umar Ibn Abu Salumah as

sa~i n g, " J was a little bo~ in the lap of Allah's Messenger 3:

[i.e, under his care] and m~ hand used to go everywhere in

the dish, so AII>1.h's Messenger said to me, "0 boy mention

Alhih 's Name, Cal willi your right hand, and from Ihe IIearellt

place 10 you. "

II. Pointing out the wrong doing with gentleness: AI~Bu~~,ir\ and

Muslim narra ted Ihat Alliih's Messenger lii$: brought a drink

and he drank from it. There was a bo~ on his right side and old

people on his left. Allilh's Messenger said 10 the bo~, "Do you

allow me 10 gil'e 10 those?" 'This is gentleness and a clear method

% rientation. " The bo~ said, "B~ Allah, no. [would not prefer

anyone to myself drinking immediately after you."' The

Messenger of Allah ~ put the drink in the boy's hand. This

boy is 'Abdullah Ibn Abbfis.

III. Pointing out the wrong doing by means of gesture: Al-Bukhan

quoted Ibn Abbiis'" as saying, "AI-Fad I was in the company of

Alliih 's Messenger $ when a woman from ~~ atham came. so

AI·Fadl started to look at her and she started to look at him.

Allilh's Messenger * began to turn A l-Fa~\'s face to the other

side. She said, "0 Messenger of AlHih, Allah has ordained

Pilgrimage on His bondmen. and my nlther is an old man who

cannot stay on an animal of burden, should I perform

Pilgrimage on his behalf? The Prophet said, 'Yes'. This was

during the farewell Pilgrimage."

Thus, we see that the Prophet 6: dealt with the wrong action of

looking al women by turning the man's face to the other side.

which affccted AI-Fa~1 positively.

IV. Pointing OUi the wrong deed by rebuke: AI-Bu~~ar\ quoted

Abu Oharr as saying. " I swore at a man, trying 10 make him fccl

ashamed of his mother. He said, "0 son of a black woman:'

Allah's Messenger .$ said, "0 AbU Dharr, did you Iry 10 make

him f eel ashamed of his moillef? You are a man who sl il/ has preIslamic

ways." Thus Allah's Messenger ~ dealt with Abil

Dharr'g wrong deed when he tried to make a man fccl ashamed

because of his means of dark complexion, by means of rebuke

and reproach.

V. Poinling out the wrong deed by desertion: AI- B u ~ ~ari quoted

Ka'b Ibn Malik when he did not join the Prophet $: in "the

battle of Tabuk, as saying. "The Prophet #. prevented people

from tal king to me for fifty nights," until Allah revealed our

forgiveness in the Noble Qur'an. Thus we see that the Prophet

(f;: and the first generat ion of his Companions punished by

means of desertion fo r the sake of redressing wrong deeds and

straightening deviation from pie ty so Ihal the person may return

to the straight path.

VI. Pointing out the wrong deed by means of a light bealing: Abu

Oiiwud narrated that Alliih's Messenger .$ said, "Command

your children 10 per/rom prayer ... hen Ihey are seven years old,

allli beallhem/or not per/arming il ... hen Ihey arc len. Wid keep

male (/Ildfemale childr~n apart ill beds. " In Slirah An-Nisii, there

is a Verse that reads as follows:

" ... As 10 Ihou ",omen on whose part )'ou su ill-ctIl1duct, admolliJh

them (first), (II~Xt) , rt'fuse to share thl!ir beds, (olld losl) heat

them (liglrlly, ifil is uuful) ; hUI iflhey relurn to ohedil!nce, serk

not oguinst IIrem mealls (of 0""0),U"Ct) ," ("n·Ni,i, 34)

276 ~======================================== PanTh~

VII . Pointing out a wrong deed by means of appropriate

punishment: the Noble QUT'an has ordained Ihe principle of

admonishing punishment in Allah's saying, "And in rtrafiation

there is fife for you, 0 men Il'ill! intellu t." This TCtaliation leads

to prevailing peace and security and reali zing tranquility and

stability, and deterring evil souls from going too far in injustice

and criminal activity.

When Islam ordained the punishment of beating, as mentioned

above, It surrounded Ihis penally with a circle of boundaries and

conditions so that the beating may not be transferred from rebuke

and reform to vengeance and revenge. We deal with these

conditions of the penalty of beating in the following order:

1. Thatlhe educator should not resort to beating except aller using

all the aforementioned methods of discipline and reproach.

2. That he should not beat when he is in a state of anger lest he

should inflict hann on the child, in abiding by the command of

the Prophet $ , "Do /lot be angry ", as narrated by Al-Bu~~iiri.

3. That he should avoid beating vulnerable places such as the

head, face. chest, and abdomen, in conformity with the saying

of the Prophet ~ as narrated by Abu Dawud, "and do /10 /

slrike the face. '"

4. That the first beating times should be light and unpainful. It

should be on the hands or feel with a flimsy st ick. The beatings

a rC between one and three if the child has not yct reached

puberty. If the child is about to reach that age and the educator

thinks that three strikes would not deter him he may strike him

up to ten III conformity with Allah's Messenger trad ition, "No

one .,!wuld be give/l more (hall /ell lashes except III a pUIiIshmelil

for breaching OM of AlI6h's bounds."

5. That he may not beal a child who in under ten years of agc.

according \0 the aforementioned Hadiih: "Command your

children to pray when they are seven yellf$ old. ami bf!(J/lhemfor

not perfo rming il when they (Ire len."

6. If the wrOllg deed is done by the child for the first time, he

should be given the chance to repent fo r that which he

committed and apologize for what he did . He should be given

the chance for people to intervene and prevent the punishment

in rcturn for a promise from him that he will not do this wrong

deed again.

7, That an educator should beat the child by himself, and not leave

It to a brother or a peer so as to preyent grudge and disputes

from arising.

8. In the case where the child is approaching the age ofpubcrty and

has wet dreams, and the educator thinks thaI ten lashes are not

enough to deler him, he may increase the number, and even

make them more painful. and may repeat the beating.

Finally, I would like to say that an educator does not lack

efTeclive methods of rcbuking and deterring the child. The

aforementioned methods are among the most important de terrent

fo rms of disciplining and reforming. It is necessary that the

educator uses wisdom in using them and choosing the most

appropriate method.

Chapler Two

The 8asic Principles or Education

Before dealing in detail with the basie principles educators

should use to form the chi ld's personality and prcpan: hIm to be a

straight, well-balanced person, it is important to deal, however

brieny, with the basic qualities that should characterize the

educator so as to heighten his innuence on the children, and to

make their response to his advice better,

The Essential Qualities or the Educator

i. SillCerity

The educator must be sincere to Alliih in every educational act

he undertakes in education, whether It is a command, prohibition,

advice, observation, Or punishment.

Sincerity in word and deed is one of the bases of belief, and a

requirement of Islam, wilhout which Alliih does not accept any

deed, It was also inequlvocaHy commanded in Allah's Ik>ok and in

the words of our Prophet 3;, Alliih Ifl sa ys,

~l .ii!:,; ijS)1 ~~..; ;),,:.11 ~',.l~ ~;,~~ ~i A ~,4 il ~?P! 111;.;J \::; ,

,"",w, i

"And tltey wue commanded nor, hut rhar ,hey should worship

Affah, alld "'orship nOne bur Him Alolle (abuaining from " scribing

panllers 10 Him), and perform A!l-Snlm (Iqmm-as-Salt) and give

Zakat. and thut i~ tlte right religion." (AI·llayyinah, 5)

He also says,

"""t c;:!A.;I. ',.T~ , J!t:'!' .j.'} ~, ~ j':-'~ .,'.:J' ;UI• i't'v". ~f o"r, }T"

",.,so ",houer hopes for Ihe Meeting wilh his Lord, let him 'Mrk

righteousness {lnd tI.Isociute none U.l {I porrn~r in Ihe "'o~$ltip of his

Lord." (AI,Kahf. I to)

The Prophet 3: says. as narrated by AI-Bukhiiri and Muslim,

"Verily deeds are by in/ell/imlS. and every indil'idaallVil/ be rewarded

according 10 his inlell/ion." He also S

Diiwud and An-Nasai, "Allah fft doe.l nOI occepl any deed unless it

is sincere olld in/entred for His sake."

ii. Piety

Among the most important qualities of an educator is peity,

which is defined by eminent scholars as "Alliih not ~ing you

where He prohibited you to be, and not missing you where He

commanded you to be." We find this principle in a conversation

which took place between 'Umar Ibn AI·Kh

Ka'b it in which 'Umar asked Ubayy about picty. He said to him,

"Have you ever gone along a thorny road?" He sa id, " Yes." He

asked "What did you doT' He replied, " I got ready and did my

!)est." He said, "That is piety." Qur'anic verses call for and

command piety:

~ .!

"0 )'011 who befie~e! Feur A!falr (by doing u!f tlrut He hll3 ordered

and by ab$taining from aff that lie has forbidden) as lie should be

feuud. (Obey Him, he rhunkful /0 Him, und remember lIim

u/wuys) .. ," (AI 'Tmran, 102) And:

~ r.,( -1) iJ;~ ~i ~i l:X ~~i ~b; ,

"0 YOll who belie~t! Kup YOII' dary /0 Afliih und feur Him, und

(ul,,'uys) speuk the /,utlr. " {AI_A~ ""b, 70)

Piety was also called for in many of the tradit ions of the

Prophet *_ AI-Bu~~ ari and Muslim quoted Abil Hurairah .. as

saying, " ' t was said to Allah's Messenger, " Who is the noblest of

people?" He said, "The most pious." Muslim also narrated that the

Prophet ~ said, "This life is £\I'UI and glfen; Allah hill made you

vicegerents in ;/ ami sees whal yOll arC doing, so beware of Ihis

world, und beware of women, since Ihe firsl lemplalion of BanI /s"m

WQS in women .,

iii. Kno\O lcdgc

Among the mailers which no two people would differ about is

that an educator should be knowledgeable of the principles of

education on which Islamic Shur/Qh "Jurisprudence" IS based. He

should also be knowledgeablo aoout the lawful and unlawful, the

principles of morality, the Islamic system, and the rulings of

Juri sprudence. This is becausc knowledge of these things makes an

educator a wise scholar who places things in their right place, rears

children on their principles and requirements, coincides with

refonnation and education on the firm ground of the teachings of

the Qur'an, the guidance of Mu~ammad 3-, the noble model of

the biographies of the first generation of the Prophet's Companions"

and those who followed them in piety, However, if the

educator is ignorant. the child will become complex, morally

unstable, socially weak and helpless person, Hence, Islam calls for

knowledge and scholarly formation and reform. Therc are

numerous verses and traditions which command Muslims to

acq uire knowledge. Among these verses are:

~ t;l;: -i 4J~ Sp;; i.4( .sF j:; j ,

"SIlJ''" Are those "'ho know equal to 'hose who kno ... nor!" (AzZumar.

9) And:

.I. '. ,--' , ! ii i! j < '\("t' WI~ ' ,;li ~l , ., }.

"I: ~ ""1 ~-' "'-"!':> ~..... V!, ~ r

"Alliih wiff exalt in degree 'hose of you "'''0 believe, ilild rhose ... ho

haoe bu n grflllted kno,,·/edge." (At.Mujidatah, 1 t)

Among the Prophet's traditions are: " Whosoe ~er goes along {/ way

seeking knowledge, Alltih will make a way /0 I'a,ad~~e easy for him."

(Narrated by Muslim). " Whosoewf goe,1 out seeking knowledge. he

is in the way of Allah umil he returns," (Narrated by At-Tinnidhi)

iv. Patience

Among the basic qualities which help and make an educator

successful in his mission is equilibrium and patience, by which the

child is attracted to his teacher, and responds to his sayings

acquires praiseworthy manners and abandons hateful ones. For

this reason, Islam calls for patience and made it desirable in many

Qur'ilnic verses and Prophetic traditions so that people, especially

educators and callers to the way of AlHih, may reali7.e that patience

is one of the greatest psychological and moral virtues which help

man to achieve the best of manners and perfection. Among these

verses are:

"Thou "'ho spend (in AlI"h's Cuuse) in P~osM~ify und in

udrersity, "'h" repress ungu, and "'ho pardon men .. perily, AlI"h

IlJI'u A I-Muhs;n ;n (the g""d-doe~))." (AI ·Imran. 134)

~ ':::::"WI ;j .;.;lJ .,;.:::J~ ~t ~T ~ ,

"Shm" f"rKi.eneu, enjoin ... hut is good, and turn ""'''y fmm the

foolish (i.e . don't punish them)" (A I·A ·r;lf. 199)

Among the tradi tions are:

TIle Prophct tt said to Ashajj Abdul-Qays. "You Ill"'/! 1"'0

qou/ilies ,.'hiel! AI/"b likes: pUliene/! and an ul/hurried mWI!U!r."

Narralcd by Muslim

Abu Humirah reporled Ihal a man said to lhe Prophet ti:.

"Advise mc." He said, "Do 1101 get ongry." The In;1n repeated

the same req uest several limes and lhe Prophel said, "Do 1/01 gel

allgry." Narrated by AI-Bu~~iiri

Patience is a branch of kindncss in all matlers: 'Aishilh ~ said,

" Alliih's Messcngcr:; said, 'Allah i5 GCII/le alld likc5 gemlenC55

ill all mu/lers.· Educalors have to be patient. genlle and unhur ried

if they wanl to refonn a nalion. guide the gencrations, and

educate children.

v, Feding Res ponsible

Islam has given parents and all educators Ihe responsibility of

education in its widest sense, and has warned thcm that Allahia

will hold them accountable for discharging th is responsibility on

the Day of Judgment. Here, my fellow educator, is what Islam says

about shouldering I'l..osponsibility or ncgle.:;ting il. A1Jij,h fit ~ays:

~ ~ ~\; ;JI ;'I~ .ill.Ol ;~ ,

"And I'njoin AJ-Sillill (lhe prayer) on your filmily, ilnd he palienl

in offering them {i.e, prayus) ... .. (Ta-H§. 132)

The Ila$ic Pri"" J>k! of Ed""", Oo" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 283

.t. f.G Y,-r, t/~~ rj 1" \: '~( ,'!'t!; lr.

"1;" '7-!!''J -""....;{,,,, - r

"0 you wlro believ~! W"rd off/rom ~'OUTJ,!I.es and your families /I

Fiu (Hdl) "'/rose fuel is men rmd stonn ... " (Al-Ta!'rim. 6)

" But SlOp them, verily they au /0 he questioned." (As-SMlat. 24)

The Prophet $ says: "A man is" guardian. and is responsiblefo.

his subjects." Also, "A falher cannOI give his child beller Ihan good

manners." Narrated by At-Tinnidhi

Speaking about feel ing responsible [ would li ke to present to

you, my fellow educator, the plans at large to corrupt the Muslim

individual, the Muslim family, and lhe Muslim comm unity, so that

you may be enlightened and execr! more effort in saving your

children and re fo rming your fam ily. I mean lhe conspiracy made

by Zionists, Masons, the Crusaders, and Communism. These plans

aim at spoi ling the ereed of the Muslim Nation and destroying its

essential morality through atheistic principles, liquor, promiscuity,

and gratifying of lusts. Here are. my fellow educator, the plans of

the conspiracy one by one given in incidents and figures.

a. The plans of communism: In one of the secret documents

published by Kalimal Al-Ifaqq magazine in Mu ~arram, [1387 A.H.

1967 C.E.] we find the terrib le plan to eliminate Islam which was

prepared by commumsts in Moscow and which was presented to

their followers in one of the countries of the Muslim Middle East

so that they may carry it out. They took to implementing it

accurately. Here we quote Kalimar Al-I!aqq magazine about some

of the components of the communist plan to strike Islam in

Muslim coun tries. lbe document says:

" Although Communism has existed for about fifty years in the

Soviet Union, and despite the violent strikes which the strongest

socialist power in the world has given against Islam. the comrades

who watch the religious movement in the Soviet Union have

announced, acco rding to the Russian magazine "Science and

Religion" in the issue of January 1st, 1964 that: 'We, in the Soviet

Union, are facing internal challenges \0 Islamic areas because the

princi ples of Lenin are not absorbed by the blood of Muslims',

" In spite of the evil powers which fight against religion, Islam

remains, and is still powerful. The evidence for this is that millions

among the new ge ne ration in Islamic areas embrace Islam and

publicize its teachings."

The document also says, AmOng these plans is thaI Islam itself

should be used to destroy Islam. Therefore, we have decided to:

I. Make a truce with Islam so that we may over<:ome it and attract

Arab peoples to Socialism.

2. Defame men of religion and religious monarchs and aecuse them

of being agents to Imperialism and Zionism.

3. Propagate the study of Socialism in all institutes, colleges, and

schools in all stages and to crowd and besiege Islam so that it

may not become a power that threatens Communism.

4. Prevent the rise of religious movements in the country however

weak they may be, and work continually to eliminate any

religious revival, and beal mer<:ilessly, even to death, all those

who call to religion.

5. To support atheist writers and give them a. free hand to attack

religion, religious feel in gs, and religious conscience, and

implanting the idea in the minds of man that the age of Islam

has come to an end and that nothins remains of it except

ceremonial worship, which includes fasting, prayer, pligrimage,

marriage and divorce contracts, all of which will be subject to

socialist systems.

6. To kccp people busy with socialist motlos, and leave no chance

for them to thin k. Also to keep them busy with nationalistic

patriotic anthems, nationahstic songs, poli tical party organiza·

tions, sedarian lectures, while at the same time blaming

backwardness, imperialism, Zionism, feudalism, and men of

religion for any economic retardation, starvation, poverty, and

illness,

7, To continually rally support for the revolu tion, and inculcate in

people's minds that the revolution is the first and last savior of

the people from their backward rulers, The revolution promises

the paradise 10 the advancing public_

8. To declare that socialists believe in true religion, not in the false

religion which people embrace out of ignorance. Thi s. Irue

religion is Socialism and the false religion is the opium which