Child Education in Islam

We have these words of AlIiih G'j:

,~S;~ ~1 j1 fl~M.w j:.; ~i 'i ~1t

"I do " 01 "'Gste the dud of a"y dIN" among you, Gny mall! (>f'

f fmGIe-tlre one of you is as lire OIlrt . ... " (AI 'Imran, 195)

Again we have the Words of Alliih !ill:

..:I -~! ~'I < i,-~_, ,1, ~:, .,,~.~., ~~ 'r"'II'I-" -- l. 'J ~ ""-4. ~~~,:;O.. ... ~J.,,1 , ..----, ~ :'. -' " .:t.' ~...;./'J Y " ,., """ "t ~ "'........,

" Alld ... lroJoe.er does (elloaglr ) du ds of rig lrte

or female, and Ire is a be/ia u , then thou ... il/ enter fhe Garden,

Gild ",ill nnt hi! done Gn jllj u'

(An.Nis;i., 124)

Many fladiths prove Ihal Islam has attached great importance

to Ihe education of females . Here are some of them:

At-Tirmidhl and Abu D,iwiid relate that the Messenger iff;. said.

"A/lyone who has three dallShll:,.I, Qr Ihree sislers, or two tWugfllers,

or two sislers, who glll'l! th,'m proper educa/ioll. who brought them up

bellel'o/emly, IJnd 11'/10 provided /0' Iheir l1i11rritlge, wi/{ go 10 Ihe

Gardell (Pa,adise). Another phrasing of this lIadith says: "Ally

pusan who has a maid, whom he efficielllly edlleuled, and tal/ghl her

good mmlllers. then he emancipated and married her, will have double

reward, "

AI-Bukhii ri and Muslim rclate in As,SahihaYlithat the Prophet

3 used !() single out some days during which he taught lhe women

some of what Allah taught him, Once a woman said 10 him: "0

Messenger of Alliih, men have already taken most of your time for

their education, give us of your lime one day during which we

come to you 10 teach us some of what AlIiih laught you." So the

Prophet ~ said, "Lei your gallirring be on such "m} m ch days," So

they gathered on those days, and he taught them SOme of wh"l

Alliih taught him. All of these texts, besides many others, show

that Isllim has prescribed that useful knowledge and education

should be given to women.

Histori cally speaking, women in Islam achieved brilliant heights

in education lind culture during the early Islamic days. Some of

them were writers, poetesses and physicians: and some of them

related Ahadith.\·. AI-Hafiz Ibn "Asiikir even said that more than

eighty women, amongst other men, related Hadi/hs to him.

Such cultural and social congregations for women should be

kept apart from male congregations, to ensure their integri ty and

chastity, to always enjoy good reputation, and highly respectable

character.

Efidence forbidding intermingling: Here, evidences are many, some

of which are: Allah 1ft says,

."II.; ''"I c.... ''-r<1- ·" ! J<>. ; t~.:; ~ v"a.. "...i..t.." ""'Y~ l7r.'

"And ~'hen )'011 fuk fhem ("'omen) for an)' thing, then ask lhem

from behind a curtain ... ~ (At.A~l.Iib. H)

Of course. this 6)'oh (verse) was sent down about the wifes of

the Prophet ~, but the address is general. For, if the address is

about the Prophet's wives whose chastity and purity are definitely

above every blemish, and they are still commanded to be veiled and

forbidden intermingling with males, then other women, with all the

more reason, have to keep their veil; and that is what is called

conclusive evidence, evidential concept by legal theorists. Here we

have the Words of Allah WI:

~ :.+ ~( ~ P .:V ,¥ : ~~ ~,; ;;,; ~, ....... ,1 ~ ~ .'; 4;-~ j ,

G -1~ t"j1:-> 4';'. 1; U~ :,;~ ~ ·';,1 ~ ~ '. ';~ ; (&iJ j,; ¢> :.;' ''-;

- .I. ~,, -- < " :: ~:1- t:, . .: .' "I; ... ~...= .:F ~ ~ ~J ....=-.

"Tdl the Mlie ~inK men to lower their gau (from lookinK at

forbidden thinKS) , and profeet their prjvate parIs (from illegal

uxual acts). That ;! puttr for them. Verily, Alliih jJ Afl-Awart of

what they do. And telf the believing "'omen 10 lower Iheir Kau

Tbe ItQpO

(from looking al forbi.dd~n Ilrings) A fld p'/}tU I Ilrt i, pri.au ports

(from illegal IUlial aeu) ond flOI 10 tI,O,., off lilt;. IIdorfl",t fl'

txttpl only IIuII ,,'lIiell ;$ "pporenl Q"d 10 drIJw Iltti, PlilJ "II 0'"

bosoms ""d nOl 10 ' ereal IMi, ali(J'fltMnl ~XUpl 10 lilt ;, III1$btlllds.

(J' IIId, f" ,IIers ... " (An·Nur, 3O '}1)

So long as the ayah prescribes, ilmong other things, the casting

down of gazes, vei ling the head and bosom, and displaying

adornment only for ncar reLa tives, docs not t hi~ indicate that

Muslim women have to prese rve their decorum and chastity and to

keep from intermingling with st range men?

Again ~ have the Words of AIHih til:

~ J n~ ~~ ~ !.:F "! ~!-:k ~ ~i p; <¥"; .;i..x.~ j ~I c.~,

~ '" .~ ~ ~L:::.Ej ~~ ji

"0 Pr0PMI! Tt ll your wi.ts Ilnd J'OIIr d"Ullllu" "fld 1M ... omt n of

IIIr befie.ttl 10 dr" ... tilt ;. c1""k.~ ('1";11) 011 orn- IMi. bod;n . TIIoI

"'iff fit btll", thaI Ih~y should bt known (as{rtt rts~ctahlt womi n)

10 UI "0' to be .. nnoyed. And Allih ;1 Ert' 0ft· Forgi.i,,!:, Mosl

Mt .dflll." (A!·A~7.ab, S9)

How can ~ then imagine Muslim women intermingling with

strange men, and ~ already know that they are commanded to

be veiled and to ~ar full garments? Now we have the following

~od;th related by At·Tirmidhi that the Messenger of AlLiih ~

said, "No milit can ~ alone 14'illl a ftmole, but Ihat SlUllll IItW

Iht third,"

Again,lInother ~tStilih , related by A L , 8u~~ari, mentions that the

Messenger of AlLiih ~ said, "Bewart of tlllt!r;ng womtn's howtl,"

Here, one of the Companions said, "0 Messcnger of Alliih, even if

the male is an intimate relatiye!" The Prophet $; said, "Tloe

praenCt of such all infimale 'tlali~t mtaM dealh."

So alt or these texts, whether from the Qur'iin or Md;thJ

defin itely prohibit intermingling in a way that does not leave

room for doubt or disp ute. So those who allow intermingling and

claim that they have lawful justifications and social and

psychological reasons,

human in stmcts. and disregarding the despicable facts of

modern mtermingl ing societies:

a. Their falsehood is clearly opposed to the previous texts.

h. Their Ignoring human instincts is rebutted by the fact that Allah

IiJ:j has equipped ooth male and female with an instinctive

attraction towards each other; so do such proponents of

intermingling intend to ~han ge human instincts and sentiments?

Actually, if intermingling is allowed ever since child hood,

and if such IIItermingling is claimed to arouse no sexual

instincts, then we would expect that amity and mercy between

husband and wife, as inspIred by AIl"h, would be replaced by

cruelty and loss of sexual in~bnations. Of course, this is contrary

to what we see and observe.

As for those people who ignore the distressing situation related

to intermingling of the two sexes as a r~'Sult of the development of

human societies, then they should ask Western and Eastern

societies about the irresolute morality pervadIng there. [t is

noteworthy that intermingling of the two sexes is common among

all classes of the society on all levels. In this connection, I should

put before the parents and educators the following facts:

The plott ings of imperialism, J u d'li~m and Crusaders aiming at

corrupting Muslim societ ies by disrupting the religious principles

and moral values among male and female youths through

widespread licentiousness. Women are the fint goal in that

vicious plotting because she is the essential centre of family and

societal hfc. Those people who call for intermingling between girls

and boys in Muslim societies in fact mean to implement the plans

of the enemies of Islam. whether they intend to or nOL

The Res1"'lISibi lity r",. In toltec,ual Educa,ion ~~~~~~~~~~~ 111

It ;s the duty of parents, educators and a uthorities to not allow

intenningling between boys ,md girls in schools and other fields in

order to raise chaste and pure youth. Thus the society would be

devoid of the evil of licentiousness.

2. Intellcdual Enlighlcnmcnt

Ideological awareness means that lhe child should be loyal to

IsHim as a religion and stale, the Qur'an as a code of life, lsl:imic

history as an emblem for glory and pride, and Islamic culture as a

dynamic and enthusiastic activity. It is Ihe duly of educators to

leach the young the following facts:

a. Eternity of Islam as a religion for all places and times.

b. To inform the young about the plans and plots drawn by the

enemies: the Jews, Crusaders, the Communists, and In temali7.crs

in order to destroy belief and plant seeds of disbelief in Muslim

generations.

c. To present Muslim civi lization and its impact on human life. But

let us ask. what is the way to that awamess? The way 10

idL'Ological awamess may be th rough many a spect~:

- Intelligent teaching

- El:cellent examples

- Deep knowledge

- Good compallionship

Intelligent teaching meallS that children should be aware of the

principles and characteristics of Islam. Through such teaching the

child will undoubtedly be loyal 10 Islam, the Qur"1ln, active work,

and Jihiid (fighting for the sake of Alliih).

By excellent examples, children should be in the hands of

competent educators who understand Islam, arc enthusiastic for iI,

figh t in its way, enforce its prescribed laws, and are never afraid of

the reproaches of those who find fault . There is no doubt that

when children are within the close proimity of excellent examples,

that would raise their sense of piety, Jihad, truthfulness in worship

and in fighting the enemics.

Intelligent knowledge is to put between the hands of the

children, even small-book libraries containing many historical

narratives aOOm Isliim, dealing with Muslim heroes, history,

righteous conduct and news of pious people. Such booh should

include books about Islamic principles and battles against the

enemies. Magazines about Islam should also be there.

l! is the duty of educators to select for every age group those

booh, magazines and stories which are suitable for its age and

culture. Good companionship means that the educator should

select for their children righteous companions with proper

understanding of lsliim. intelligence, and awareness of the

comprehensive nature of Islamic culture. At last, I want to

whisper this fact in the ear of the educator:

Is it not sorrowful and painful to see our youth attain the age of

puberty while they have little knowledge about IsHlm and its

characteristics?

Is it not painful to see our children learning at school so much

about western philosophers and eastern scholars while they know

little aoout the lives of our heroes and our great thinkers?

Is it not shameful that our children have graduated from their

schools while their thoughts have been so distorted by western

culture that, many among them, may be enemies to their religion,

history and culture?

Is it not shameful that our children of these generations read

books on atheism, indecent magarines and amictions of immoral

stories? At the same time, they are uninterested in reading books

about the principles of Isliim and books that show the faces of their

enemies?

It is the full responsibility of educators towards their children to

promote intelligent ideas, right understanding and preservation of

belief.

3- Mental Health

This responsibility concentrates ()n the health of the minds of

children. This would also mean fighting the spreading evils which

try to destroy intellect, memory and the body. We have already

dealt in full detail in the chapter of" Responsibility fo r Physical

Education'·, with such evils and as drinking wine, masturbation,

smoking and promiscuity.

To sum up what we have mentioned in this chapter; education,

ideological awareness and mental health, present their main

responsibility. Then, it is the duty of parents and educators to

uphold these responsibililcs so as to raise the ideological awareness

of the educated generation.

Chaptcr FiI·c

Thc Kcs pollSibility ror Psychological Education

Psychological education means tmining children from an early

age to be bold. frank , having thc capacity for goodness to others,

to be self-disciplined when angry and of sound moral behavior.

The aim of this education should be to keep the personality of the

child steady and balanced. It is thc duty of educators to tnlin the

child to avoid all factors which may alIcet his honor and dignity or

harm his human personality in a way which may lcad him to

pessimism and envy.

Among the most important factors which educators should try

to do is to free their children and pupils from such phenomena:

- Shyness

- Fear

- Inferionty complex

- Envy

_ Anger

I will first discuss these phenomena, then show how they may be

remedied in the light of Ishim.

Shyness

It is well known that shyness is usually part of thc nature of

children_ [ t may be thai the first symptoms start the fourth month.

After the oomp[etion of a year, shyness becom<.os evident in the

child turning away his face, closing his eyes, or covering his face

wi th his hands when a stranger talks to him. Starting from the

th ird year, the child fcels shy when he goes to a st range house,

where he sits calmly in his mother's lap or sits beside her, all the

time remaining silent. (I)

(1) From the book: " A/· MoWtkiw.1 As>S"hikiYY"n 'indo A/_AI/"" p. t53.

Inheritance may play its role in the child's shyness, II cannOI be

denied that his environment also has a great innucncc on either

increasing shyness or regulating it. Surely those children who mix

with others will be less shy compared with ot hers who do not.

The remedy ror this problem will be 10 encourage children to

meet people and be rriendly wilh them by accompanying their

parents when they visit rriends and relatives, or by asking them

kindly 10 speak with olhers, young or old. Such vi sits help to

eradicate shyness and increase the child's selr-confidencc_

Here are some historical precedents, as well as Prophetic

Ho"'ths which provide ed ucators with goou examples relaled to

the means our ro rerathers adopted to teach their children

boldness, and overcome shyness.

AI-BukMri narrates rrom Abdullah Ibn 'Umar .:too thai the

Prophet ¢ said, "Verily. among trees there is a Iree ... hosc Icaves

do IIOlfoll sJlch Iree is like a Musilm. So lell me .... hal it is ." The

companions named some desert trees, then Abdullah said, " I

guessed that it was the palmtrce, but I was shy to speak." 'Iben

the companions said, "Tell us 0 Prophet of Albih" Then he $.lliu;

"II i1 {J palmlree." (I) In another narration, 'Abdulliih said, '" did

(I) AI'Ru~~ri. Kilob AI,'lIm, vol. I, p. 145.

Ibn [-[ajar said in Alr'l!,>: lhi' I!adl)h ofT .... many hinlS'

I Scholar, , houtd make" ,est for 'heir student. and .houtd clarify to them

whatev~r thoy could nOl grasp

2. It urges Ih<:m I(} IT}' to under,tal>

l. Il commend •• hyne,. unit .. it will lead I(} the loU (}f a b,mef'L Tha, i. 'he

IUMln why 'Urnar hOl"'d ,hal 'Abdullih would nol have remained silent.

4. It provide. tho proof tha, Ihe [>lItmlr~ and it' fruil are blessing.

S. II seU .xamples of giving e>ptanalion. and gi"'" conere'e imago. to .lIow

bell .. unde .. tanding.

6. h ,hows that a minor .houtd respect those who are old .. ,,,, thai he would

give priority to hi, f't hor. Il i$ the duty of a minor Itot to forestall with whal he

ul>

11' ~========================================oPanTwo

want to say that it is the palmtree, but I was the youngest one

amollg them" In another narration. 'Abdullilh says. " I saw Abu

Bab and 'Umar silent so, I did not like 10 talk. But when I told

my rather about this he said, 'If you had said it, that would have

been more valuable to me than reddish livestock."

Muslim narrated after Sab! Ibn Sa'd As-Sa'idi <;/to that the

messenger of Alliih $. was olTered a drink. He drank for it. On

his right was a child and on his left was an old men. He asked the

child, "Would you allow me 10 give Ihese people 10 drink?" But

the cbi ld said, " By Alliih, no. I would never give up my share

from you \0 anyone else."

• Al-Bu~ari narrated from Ibn Abbas" that when he was under

the age of puberty, he said, 'Umar ... accredited him as

consultant among olher wise men who had fought at Badr. II

seems that some of these wise men fell unhappy aboul Ihis. so

some of them said, "Why is this boy alone allowed to be with us,

while we have ones of similar agc?" 'Vmar replied, "You are

well aware that the Prophet had given the blessings of his

invocation when he said, '0 Allah may you grant him legal

k.nowledge and religious interpretation!'" On another occasion,

'Umar invited the same young man to the same company 10

prove the validity of his opinion . So 'Umar ask.ed them about the

interpretation of these words from the Qur'fin:

1: C:' ' TI; ~I ;.::. :8;: Ill,

" WMII Iller., comel tlu! Help of Alllih (to YOII, 0 MIlAammpd ~

agflilli t j'OIlT en~mit'J) and tM conquest (of Makkah), "(An-Na_sr, I)

= 1. h pro_lhat a gre.o.t ocholar may be out.tripped in uDdcrslaDding by minors.

8. tl points oul that the world i. hetd in conlernpt, by ·Urna. who judged the

understanding of hi, $On on an iss"" that «1",,10 ., II"",,,, A ~·Nd''''''~ a reddish

ti¥e ,look, that was highly valued and ""'1 .'pen,ive. FmAu AI· lIa,;. vol. I., p.

t46, t47.

So some of them said, ,. AII1ih has ordered us to praise Him and

pray for His forgiveness, since He is bounteous to us with

victory and conquest." Others remained si lent and did not say

anythmg_ Then 'Umar said, " Is that so, Ibn Abbiis?" I said,

"No." 'Umar said. "What would you say?" I said, "This verse

means the end of the Prophet's life, as indica ted by AlIiih.'·

Thus, AlIiih said, "When the victory of Allah and the conquest'·,

That was a sign oryouT tenn appointed for you; so, celebrate the

praises of your Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness, for i-Ie is

Oft-Relenting" (in forgiveness). Then 'Umar said, " I have no

knowledge about it except what you say."

- As the Commander of the faithful, 'Umar Ibn AI-Kha!..tiib.:G;. was

passing along a road in Madinah, when he saw children playing.

Amongst them was 'Abdullah Ibn Az-Zubayr. Then all the

children ran away, being afraid of Umar. But Ibn Az-Zubayr

was the only one who remained where he was and did not run

away. When 'Umar reached him; 'Umar said, "Why did you not

run away like the others?" Ibn Az·Zubayr promptly said, " I

have not committed any offense to make me run away. and the

road was not too narrow for me to make way for you."

When 'Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz '*' was chosen as caliph.

delegations came to congratulate him from everywhere, among

these delcgations was the Hijaz delegation. A child of ten in that

dc legation took the initative to talk. Thcn 'Umar said 10 him,

" You should wait until a more malure person has spoken." Thc

child said, "May Alliih support you the Commander of the

faith ful wi th His help. A person is judged by his smallest limbs;

his heart and his tongue. A person has a right to speak when

Alliih has graced him with a fluent tongue and a knowledgeable

heart. If the criterion for worth was age; 0 Commander of the

faithful, some older person would be worthier of presiding over

our present meeting" So 'Umar was sllrprised at sllcb audacity

and then commented in verse: "Scck knowledge, for no one is

born a seholar. And a person with knowledge is different from

an ignorant one. Surely the senior of a community who has no

knowledge is really a minor, in case he is in a congregation ."

These instance~ prove that the children of our forefathers'

genemtion (tala]) were reared to be far from shy, cramped, or

dcpressed, because they were Imined 10 be daring, and they used to

attend congregalions in the company of their fathers, and to visit

friends . In addition, the fi rst gencmtion encouraged their

intclligent, eloquent childrcn 10 address their elders, and were

even consulted on public affairs and scientific questions in thc

pfC!;Cncc of scholars and thinkers. All of that helps 10 train

children in eloquence. So it is the duty of cducators nowadays to

encourage children \0 be frank but respectful, bold but give full

credit to seniors.

It is OUT duty to distinguish between shyness and diffidence, for

diffidence leads to a feeling of loneliness lind alienation, whereas

shyness leads to sound morals and commitment to the teachings

of Islam.

FeaT

It is a psychological trait that may eXlsl in both young or old,

and male or female. This phenomcnon may be commendable as

long as it is within natunl limits in chi ldren, bci:ause it will be a

means for protecting the child from lIccidents and risks. But

excessive fear would cause anxiety to children and hence il may

become 11 psychological problem.

Psychologists say that to the first few years, a child may be

frighte ned by a sudden noise or the sudden fa ll of something. The

child may be afraid of strangers starling wLth the first six months of

age approximately. But at lhe age of three. he will be afraid or many

things such as animals, cars, slopes lind waler. In general, fem ales

are more afraid than males. Again, fright may also come as a result

of the child's imagination, So the more imaginative the child is, the

more easily frightened he becomesYl There are many factors behind

the increase of fear; important among the~e factors are:

. Fear caused by mothers when spea king abouljinn, darkness and

strange creatures.

- Too much fondling by mothers, excessive care and preoccupationwith

children.

- Raising children in loneliness, and seclusion.

- Telling fairy stories concerningjinn and devils.

To treat this phenomenon, the fo llowing arc 10 be taken into

consideration;

I. To raise the child from the very beginning on belief in Allah and

worshipping him. The Qur'iin lells us about this:

1; Gl ~J.:'. ~ ~ lit} Gl ,£,. ~( ~ ill C!) ~~ '*" ;;:''ji 4 1

~ s~ rt'L j;, r:. :Jr 0 :rij

" Vfrily, nutII ( disbefin-t r) "'as Cleated rery impatient; I"itabk

(dircontented) ",hen evil touchts him; And niggurdly ..,hen good

touches him. Except thou ..,ho are deMted to Sa/iit (prayers).

Thore ..,ho remain conrttl/fl in lheir Sa/iit (prayus)" (Al-Mi'rij, 19.23)

2. To give the child suitable amounts of freedom concerning his

behaviour, bearing responsibility and acting according to his

growth and developing capacity.

3. Restrain from frightening the child-especiaHy when he cries- by

stories about hyenas and demons, Jinl! and devils, if we want him

to be free of fear and to train him to be bold and brave.

4. To enable the child to mix with others and to give him the

(I) See " AI· MushkilJ.1 A .... Sulukiyya 'i~da AI'Aljar (Problem. Concerning

Chikl', Behavior) by Dr. Nab;h AI-Ghabrah.

opportunity to make friends and acquaintances. Psychologists

also recommend that the child knows more about things that

may ftighten him, such as darkness. So there is no harm to

switch ofT the light suddenly at times. If he fears water, there is

no harm if plays with a little water in a small container; and if he

is afraid of electrical appliances, there is no harm if we show him

some of their parts and then allow him to see the whole machine

and similar ones. ( 1)

5. Introducing them to the battles of the Prophet 3. and of the

herioc ea rly generations and prompting them to follow the

example of the great companions, followers, leaders and

conquerors, in order to inspire in them a sense of bravery,

heroism, and Jihtid (fight in the way of Alhlh). Sa'd Ibn Abu

Waqqas ., said in this regard, "We (the Companions) used to

teach our children stories about the battles of the Prophet 3, as

we used to teach them verses of the Noble Qur'an." In this

respect, we should refer 10 the conduct of the sons of some great

companions and their heroic historical achievements, which

serve well as noble examples for all generations.

Al-Bu~~ ari and Muslim have reported that Abdur- R a~man Ibn

'Awf * said, '·While I was standing on que on the day of Badr

battle, I looked 10 my right and my left, and saw Iwo young boys of

the helpers (AI- AI'ISor). Then one of them signalled to me saying,

"0 my uncle, Do you know Abu Jahl?" 1 said, " Yes, What do you

want him for?"' The young boy said, ' ·1 have been to ld that he

abuses the Prophet g;, by Allah, in whose hand is my soul, if J see

him, I will not part from him until one of us meets death." I was

surprisd, at the boy's resoluteness. Then the other boy also

signalled to me saying the same thing. SO{)n, my eyes fell upon Abu

Jahl walking among his p¢Qple. Then I said to the two boys; "Can

(1) ibid p. 152.

The Rosponsibility r"" Po)'Ci>oIosical Edocal;OO =========~ IZI

you see him? That is the man about whom you were asking." At

onc<:, they lifted their swords and attacked him unawares and killed

him. Then they went to the Prophet # and told him what they had

done. Then, he said, ,. Who is the otle who killed him?" Both of them

said, "I killed him." The Prophet said, "Did you wipe your swords!'"

They both said, 'oNo." So The Prophet looked at the two swords

and said, " Bolh Qj you have killed him." After that, the Prophet

offered the belongings of Abu Jabl to Mu'adb Ibn 'Amr Ibn AIJamuh

and Mu'adh Ibn afra 40.

Again Ibn Sa'd in his book, " Tahllqrir 'btl SIl'd" narrates from

Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqii~.:30 who said, "I saw my brother Umayr Ibn

Abi Waqqa~ before the Prophet $. marshalled us on the day of

Badr trying to hide. So I said, '0 my brother, what is the matter?'

He said, 'I am afraid that the Prophet ~ may see me, then he will

reject me, and I like to go to fight, perehanc<: Allah will honor me

with martyrdom: Sa'd said, 'So my brother presented himself to

the Prophet ~ who rejected him because of his young age. Then he

began to ery, so the Prophet accepted him. Saod Ibn Abu Waqqas

#0 said, "I used to blow the knots of his sword due to his young

age. So he was then killed when he was sixteen.

When the Muslim army went to U~ud to meet the disbelievers,

the Prophet #. was marshalling the army. Then he saw some

minors who were among the men to be with the Mujailidill (fighte rs

in the way of Allah) with the desire of exalting the word of Allah.

The Prophet" had compassion for them and did not allow them

to fight. Among those who were rejected by the Prophet #; were

Riifi'e Ibn Khudayj and, Samurah Ibn Junduh. But later he

accepted Rili'e, when be was told that Rafi'e was an e~pert archer.

Then Samurah began to cry, and said to his rather-in-Iaw, "The

Prophet «: accepted Rafi'e, hut he rejected me although I won

against Rafi'e.'· When the Prophet #p: was informed of this, be told

them to fight each other. When Samurah won, the Prophet #-

122 ~="="="="="="="="="="="="="="="="="="="="= ~rtTwo

accepted him.

[ t may be deduced from these historic examples and others that

the sons of the Companions were very brave, rare and hcrioc ideals

for Jihad, That was due to their good education, which was taught

to them at the Prophetic school, Muslim homes and Islamic society

of believers, and the fIIujahidin . Furthermore, even mothers

encouraged their sons to Jihad and sacrifice. One mother who

was informed of their martyrdom said these immortal words:

" Praise be to AIJilh, Who has honoured me by their sacrifice, and I

do pray Alkih to get together with them on the Day of Judgement

in the abode of His MeTey."

This distinguished generation was raised honoring these

characterstics, because they were Illught from the very beginning

archery, swimming and horse-riding. They were not reared on

excessive loneliness; they were accustomed to mingling with others

of kin of the same age. They were t.!Ught lessons on the history of

heroes and conquerors, in addition to this, they benefited from the

ideals they cherished in their childhood.

Thus on the day parents and educators raise their children to

adopt these values. the new generation will be uplifled from

anxiety to confidence, from fear to courage and from humility to

honour and glory.

Infcciority Complex

Inferiority is a psychological stale that afTects some children as

an inborn illness, as a disease or as a result of ill-treatment or

economic factors. The factors which cause such a complex are:

]. iking de~pi scd and insulted

2. Being over-indulged

3. Unjusttrcatment by family members

4. Phys ical deformities

5. BClng an orphan

6. I'o~erly

fk>ing despised and insulted are unf"ir reasons for the child's

sense of inferiority and psychological disorder. So, we sometimes

hear that the mother or rather condemn a boy publicly when he

shps the first time and label him immorHI.

If he lies once, Ihey call him a liar. If he happens to slap his

yo unger brolher, we call hIm wicked. If he convinces his young

sister to gi~e him her apple. "'e call him deceitful. If he takes

something from his father's pockel, we can him a thief; and if we

ask him for a glass of water and he is not ready 10 respond quickly,

we call him lazy. So we chide him publicly before his siblings and

the family at the ~ery fi rst fault.(l) Sometimes such chiding may

take place before his p~rent's friends or before strangers whose

child ren had been seen and met before. This may make a child look

down upon himsclfand lack se lf-respect. This may also cause him

psychological problems and may develop en~y and hatred towards

olhers. How can we hope from our children obedience and

benignity as wen as respect, when we have inculcated in them the

seeds of deviation such ~s di~obedience ~nd revo lt?

One day, a man came to 'Vmar Ibn AI-Kha_t.l:lb • to

complain about his disobedient son. SO 'Umar had the boy

brought to him and he blamed him for his disobedience. Then

the boy addressed ' Umar by saying, "0 Commandcr of the

faithful! Are the re no rights for a boy against his father?" 'Um"r

said, " Yes." Then the boy said, "What are these rights 0

Commander of the faithful?" 'Umar said, "To choose a good

mot her fo r him, to select a good name fo r him and to teach him

Ihe Qur·ii n." Then, Ihe boy said. "0 Commander of the fai thful.

(I) S« in "'AkhlJll"nti AJ.fjlimfj ·iyyah'" (Our So

p. 159.

my fa ther has not aC\:omplished nny of these rights. As for my

mother, she was a black slave for a Magian; As for my name,

he has named me Jual (beetle); and he has not taught me even

one letter from the Qur·an."' Then 'Umar turned round to the

man and said, "Y ou came to me complaining about disobedience

on the part of your son, whereas you have not given him

his rights. So, you have made mistakes against him before he

has made mistakes against you."'

or course, such bad words said by a father may have come only

for disciplining the young. But we should know that the treatment

for such minor mistakes should not be of such severity ru; to have

serious effects on the psychological well·being of the yo ung, or

make him aC\:ustomed to abuse and cursing. But what is the

trea tment according to Isliim for a child when he commits mistakes

and minor sins?

The right treatment is to tell him his mistakes in a lenient and

kind manner, and to remind him that what he did is not

satisfactory. Then, if he understood that and promised that he

would act properly, then we have achieved the goal of rectifying his

deviation. Otherwise, the treatment will be dealt with in other ways

as indicated under the topic of "Treatment by Punishment" in the

third section of this book, "Education of Children", if Alliih wills.

To sum up, we should know that despising or being cruel to

children, particularly in the presence of others. is a major factor in

breeding humility in him, and immoral !x.havior. The best

treatment is to draw the attention of the child to his mistake in a

gentle and persuasive way by means of eltplanation. It is the duty

of educators not to rebuke children in the presence of others. If this

should be done it must be in a gentle way. This is the way of the

Prophet $. in reforming, rearing and reconstructing their deeds.

Qvrr indulgwee may be a se rious factor in psychological as well as

moral deviation. Among its expected results is shyness, seryility, lack

of courage, confidence and gradually going toward unsteadiness,

The result is that this may produce a sense of envy and hatred

for others. Thus he begins to see that other people are steady while

he feels cowardly and fretful. A chi ld sees people active and are

occupied while he keeps silent and feels apathetic. Such a child sees

people meet and cooperate with each other, while he lives in

loneliness away from people. How can a child with these traits be a

normal human being? Will he be a productive member of society?

Will he be a person who has an independent personality that has

confidence and trust in himselll Since the reply here will be, "No",

then, why do parents, especially mothers, exaggerate in indulging

their children?

Among the evidences of incorrect education by mothers is that

some of them do not permit their children to do jobs they are able

to do out of supposed mercy and kindness_ A mother may take her

child in her custody permanenlly. A mother may not allow her

child for a moment out of her sight. A mother may not deter her

child when he damages lhe furniture of the house, or when he sits

on the table or when he wri tes on the wall with his pen.

The phonemenon of excessive fondling may have very negative

results when Alh'ih bestows upon parents a child after long yeaNi of

deprivat ion or when the mother gives birth 10 her child after many

miscarriages or when a mother gives birth to a male after many

females or when Allah cures a child after a serious illness. But what

about the treatment which Islam prescribes for doing away with

this phoneme non?

Islam prescribes here deep faith in Divine Det:ree and

determina tion on the part of parents. So they should believe

that nothmg will happen to them or to their children as regards

to health or sickness, favours or disfavours, offspring or sterility.

126 !'an Two

richness or poverlY, except what AlUih has decreed and

according to His Will.

To educate children in a gradual manner. If advice and

admonition prove to be effe<:tive, then it is wrong for a

guardian to ignore him. If ignoring is helpful, then, it is

unbeo;;oming of a guardian to resort to beating. And in case of

the inability of a guardian to achieve compliance on the part of

his child, then he has the right to light chastisement.

- To rear the child from the very beginning to be self-confident and

have moral courage.

- To follow the good e:tample of the Prophet 3 from boyhood

until maturity when Allah sent him the Message.

Now let us give some examples from the life of the Prophet's

childhood up to maturity as a source of guidance for educators and

en lightment for the new generation. The Prophet ~ was a

shepherd in his youth for the people of Makkah. He also played

with other children. He carried stones with the elite of Quraysh in

order 10 build the Ka·bah . The Prophet ~ Imvelled twice for trade.

The first was with his uncle AbU !Jilib before he attained maturity.

The second was his trading for Khadijah, was after he had attained

maturity. The Prophet $. was so bold that, when a person asked

him to swear by Uit, and Una, he said, "Do 1101 ask me IQ s ..... ear by

them,!or , by Allah. 1 detest l10thing more than them." The Prophet

tj: participated in the war of AI-Fuijar helping his uncles by

col1e<:ting fallen arrows for them. The Prophet ~ was equipped

with wisdom and sagacity, that is why Qunlysh asked his opinion

about placing the Black Stone.

These glimpses from the life of the Prophet ~ in his childhood,

indicate the educational methodology to be followed by educators

with their children. It is well known thatthc Prophet 4: is the best

example for us all through his childhood, youth, and from his

malurity, 10 Ihe end of his life.

To sum up, over indulgence is one of the d~isi ve factors in

causing children to deviate. Thus, it is the duty of parentsespedally

mothers to adopt the principles laid down for rearing

children; among these principles, is moderate arrection for

children, and teaching them compliance with the Commands of

Allah. Among these is chastisement of children in case of

misconduct. Also, teaching children to be mdependent.

Finally, among these principles is to teach the child to follow

the Prophet's example at all stages of his life. The day when

cducators adopt the above concepts, they will help avoid damaging

their children's personalities and help in promoting moral

standards_

Unequal treatment or cllildren is considered the gravest factor in

the psycllological deviation of ellildrcn, in addition to tile resultant

sense of self-abasement, envy and hatred. The greatest educator ~

guided parents to be just in dealing with their children:

AI-BukMrl and Muslim narrated after An-Nu'man Ibn Bashir

that his father came to the Prophet ~ and sa id, " I have given this

child of mine this servant who was in my service." The Prophet $

said, "'Have you given each of your children a servant like Ihal,?" My

father said, ·'No.'· The Prophet then said. 'Take back what you

gave him." In another narration, the Prophet $ said, "Did you do

the same wilh al/ ),our cltildren?"' The father said, "No." Then the

Prophet 3 said, "Fear Allah alld do justice be/ween your childrell. "

Then my father went baek and took back that gift. Another

narration says, the Messenger of Alliih .1;. said, "0 Hoshi;. do you

have any cltildren olher IIt(J.n Ihis one' " My father said, '·Yes."

Then the Prophet $ said, "Did you gire eaclt olle of Ihem Ihe

same?" He said, "No," the Prophet $ said, "Do nOI ask me 10

testify becuuse. I do "o1 testify 10 i"juslice.·· After that the Prophet

said, "Would J'oulike your children 10 be equally benign 10 you?"

128 P:ut Two

My father said, "Yes." The Prophet ,:j: finally said, "Then no,

" You should give equal gifls 10 all."

We may deduce from that Hadith the principles of justice,

equality, and love for all children without any distinction between

them. However, there may be evident reasons for a father's giving

more care to some of his children than othen. For e~ample, a child

may not be a favorite, because of being less beautiful or intelligent.

A child may suffer from physical infirmity, but in fact, all of

these physical or moral reasons do not justify lack of care for the

child or giving more care to his siblings. What is his crime if he is

not beautiful?

Definitely the only solution to such problems is the order of the

Prophet #.. "Fear Allrih and implement justice between your

children." This is what Alliih has decreed. It would also be faithful

to act justly between children, males and females alike. All

children then, should enjoy the spirit of love, equality, mercy,

kindness, and just treatment.

Physical infirmities are also among the facto rs of deviation,

because they lead in most cases to a feeling of inferiority and

depression. So, when a boy or girl is affected with a physical

infirmity like being blind or deaf or slow, or stammering, then he

or she should find all kindness, love, care, and mercy from all the

people who live with him or her, like parents' siblings and relatives.

This is in line with the saying of the Prophet #. who said as has

been reponed by At-Tirmidhi and AbU DiiwGd, "'The pt!ople who

have mercy on 0lher5. Allrih will have mercy ()n them. Ifave mercy on

people an earth then A/frih will have mercy on you."

But when we address anyone suffering from such defects calling

him "one-cycd", "deaf', or "stammerer," then it is natural for

these children to get all sorts of inferiority comple~cs, pessimism.

and envy_ SQ, it is the duty of educators 10 treat such children

129

wisely and mercifully. That kmd of treatment would alleviate their

inward feeling of inferiority and depression_

The second stcp is that educators should give advice and

warning to every person that deals with such children, whether he

is a relative or not, that he should be aware to not show them

contempt, or to insult, or mock them.

lbe third step by educators is 10 choose for those children good

companionship of moral integrity. who would help them feel that

they are the obje<:1 of their love and compassion. To ~um up what

was aforementioned, educators should deal with children with

phy~ical infirmities with love and mercy, look after them with care,

and guarantee them good companionship.

Being an orphan may be a faclor for a chi ld 's psycological

deviation, especially if the orphan is living amongst people who do

not take care of him, and do not treat him with kindness, mercy

and love. Here, we find that Islam is the religion that prescribes

taking care of orphans in regards to livelihood and treatment, so

that the child grows as a sound member of society, capable of

performing his responsibilites.

Thus, Islam entrusts looking after an orphan and caring for him

to his kindred by blood and relatives. It is Ihe duty of these people

to give children kindness and to deal with them as they deal with

their own children. In case of lack of guardians or relatives, then, il

is the duty of the Islamic Slate to provide care and resp~>nsibility

towards those children to supervise their rearing and guidance. Thc

Islamic State should likewise look aneT foundlings and guarantee

their livelihood.

Poverty is an important factor in the psycological deviation of

children. Possibilities of deviation increase when the children find

that their family lives in misery and deprivation. Mailers will be

worse when the child finds some of his relatives, children of his

neighbours or his colleagues at school, in beautiful apparel and

happy circumstances, while he does not find provision or clothing.

Islam has dcah with povcrty in two ways: First, it pays special

reSpeI;t to hum"n dignity and care for the weak and poor. Second,

Isliim has ordered social security, so it decreed Zaktih, (poor-dues)

for lighting hunger and destitution . Islam docrces that the ruler

should offer jobs to each person who has the ability to work. It also

ordained family gU3Tdianship for each child that is born as a

Muslim, whether he is son of a ruler, official, or a simple craftsman.

Here. we read that Abu Ubayd, in his book, " AI-Amll'a{"'

(Property) narrates that 'Umar Ibn AI.Kha_t_tab ~ imposed for

each child a hundred dirhams plus the father"s share from the State

Treasury. That share increased with the growth of the child. This

system was followed by Uthman, Ali and other Caliphs.

Furthermore, Islam lflsists on implementing in the heart of

every Muslim, the need for cooperation, solidarity and good will.

So when the cITorls of the state, together WIth the efforts of the

society and lfldividuals, fight poverty, it would be eradicated from

Muslim society. Then the Muslim Ummah (nation) wi ll enjoy

security, solidarity and stability and lhe children of this society wi ll

be free from all psychological imbalances.

En~y

Envy is a desire on the part of one person to sec the

disappearance of another person's wealth or privilege. It is a

dangerous psychological phcnomcnon which teads to lhe most evil

results. Such a phenomenon has 10 be seriously dealt with by

educators.

Before dealing with precautions a nd remedics for this

phenomenon, it would be better to mcntion the reasons that

kindle jealousy and envy in the hearts of children. Among these

reasons are:

131

_ The child may fear losing ~ome of his privileges such as love and

kindness, especially when another child h:u been born to the

same family. He may imagine that this child would compete with

him for love and kindness.

Inciting jealousy between children, by mentioning Ihal one IS

intelligent and lhe other is not.

Favoring a cerIum child more than others, by fondling and,

playing with him while neglecting, depriving, or bealing the

other.

_ Forgiving one child's misdeeds and punishing another child for

the least misdeeds.

_ The child may live in severe poverty, while the community lives in

luxury.

These are some of the reasons which lead \0 envy and hatred.

Here we lind that [sliim has dealt with the phenomenon of cnvy

with wise educational principles as follows:

- Making the child feel he is loved, for that was what the Prophet

tj: did and always recommended to his Companions. Here arc

some examples:

At-Tirmidhi narratt-d from 'Abdullah Ibn Baridah after his

father, '*' who said, "While the Prophet 3- was delivering a

sermon. AI-Hasan and AI-Husayin ... came to the Prophet.

They were weari ng two red shirts and walked with difficulty.

Then the Prophet 4- came down from the pulpit and C

both of them between his hands. Then he said, Allah tells the

truth. "And know thot your possessions and your children are hut

a "ial aad r"at surely ..-it" A II"" ;s (J mighty te lO'ard" (At.Anrat,28).

I looked at those infants walking with difficulty, [ could not

pursue my talk and [ took them both between my hands."

AI-Bu~1].ari reported that 'Aishah ~ said. "A bedouin Arab

came to the Prophet $ and said. 'Do you kiss your children! We

certainly do not kiss them,' Then the Prophet it said. 'whal CO" 1

do for yOIl. if AlIlilr ha!! lake" away mercy from your hear'?'"

It should not be forgotten by educators. especially mothers, that

measures should be taken to avoid provoking envy when 11 new

ehild is born. In Ihis case, measures should start many months

before the birth of a child in the way of changing the bed of the

older child, or sending him to a nursery. [I is also recommended

thaI the older brother may help his new brother in dressing,

washing and fccding. It is also rl'(;ommended that the older brother

may play wilh his younger brother under Ihe supervision of Ihe

mother. When a mother carries the Ixtby for suekhng, then it is

commendable thai the father plays with the older child, converse

with him. and be gentle with him 10 make him fccl that he is still

the object of love and kindness.

Justice betwccn children: educators should deal with justice

between children, for this will help allay envious fcclings among

them; so children will live with their siblings and parents in love

and kindness.

Educators should do every thing possible to get rid of envious

feelings. So, in the case of a new baby, older children may feel their

loss of love and kindess from their parents. The duty of the parents

is to make the olher child ren feel that their love and affection have

not changed. It is the responsibility of parents to keep away from

blaming and chastising. It is also the duty of parenls to observe

justice and equality belwccn children. Thus, it is the duty of

educators to be aware of arousing envy and jealousy. for the

Prophet 4: warned against envy and prohibited it. AbG DiiwGd

reported from Abu Hurairah thaL the Messenger of AlIiih II: said,

"Beware of envy, because envy ems lip Ihe good deeds lIS Ihefire eal!!

"p wood." At-Tabaralll narrated that the Prophet.$ said, "Peop/I!

IIrl< good twlie'ws so long os they avoid envy."

Anger

Anger is a psychological and emotional stale lhat a ch,ld may

feel during his fi rst days and continue to accompany him

throughout all the stages of his life. Sincc anger is inherent m

human nalure from the day of his birth. it ,s a mistake to consider

it tota lly evil, for Allah 1ft created man and gave him these

natural instincts, inclinations and feelings. In fact. It has been a

favor of Divine Wisdom for man's social in terest. Among the

benefits of anger is defense of self, religion, honour, as well as

keeping Muslim lands from the plots of aggressors and

conspiracies by imperial powers. H:ld not that phenomenon been

provided by AlljJh in humiln beings, Muslims would not have been

able to fight the violations of the Commands of AIl£lh and His

religion; nor would they have been able to repel the enemies of

Islam when they attack Muslim lands. This is, without doubt,

commendable anger, which was manifested through some deeds of

lhe Prophet 3. If some sociologists and educators have included

anger among evils, they were referring to the sort of anger for

personal interests and scllish motives

The Qur'an has commanded male and female believers to

repress anger, repel ev il with good acts. and turn away from

ignorant people so that societies can achieve happiness, affection

and Mushms can preserve their unity. Here AlIjJh !a says,

~ G:L.!)~ ~(r "i J( ~ G;' >t"jii J; ~~ .: di .p;1 ~~.:; 1-

"And Ille (fuilllf al) sla oes of,IIe Moot GTtICiaa .• (A llfi ll ) are ,IIou

K'II0 wulk on tile earth in IIumility and seduteness, and K'hen ,IIe

f oofu.II addruJ tllem ( wi,II bud K'O/'dJ) ,IIty reply back K·itll mild

wards of gentleness." (AJ-Furqlin, 63)

.I. U' : 't ___ ' jj ~~ > ~f~~ ~• oi ;.f --~< ·Ht:W) ';:_"' ~i "'. "~s -ir.J Tl..

"wllo up.e,·s anger, and N,II" pardnn men; l'er;ly, AI/till loves AIMullsinin

(Ille good-doe •. _), " (AI 'Imran, 134)

.1. [", :- ., 1' _< G(I' 1.. 't ~ r" ~ ->J,J r

"and ",hen 'hey au angry, 'hey /"rgil'c ." (A,h_Shil'nJ 37)

The Prophet $. praised those who repress anger and who

restrain themselves in ease of anger. Al-Bukhan narrated that once a

man said 10 Ihe [>rophet $ , "Favor me with your counsel." Then the

PrOphel said, "Dn no/ be angry." He repeated il again, saying, "Do onl

be angry. " Imam A~mad n:ported in his M'lsnad lhat Ibn 'Umar"

asked the Prophet *,,"What makes me far away from Allah's angerT'

The Prophet 3: said, "Dn nm be angry_" Al Bukhar, and Muslim

narrated from Ibn Mas'ud .;;. who sa.id that the Prophet *' said,

"Whom would YOII consider brave?'" They said, "A person who

could not be defeated." Then he said, "No! A brave person is he whn

restrains himself ",Ium ongry."

In fact, since the phenomenon of anger has its bad eITcrts on the

human personali!y, the mind, sdf-restraint, the cohesiveness and

unity of society, then the duly of the people who rear up children is

to deal with that phenomenon among children from the very

beginning till they attain maturity.

The best treatmcnt for the phenomenon of anger in a child is to

keep him away from the rcasons for angcr. For examplc, if the

reason and motive of anger arc hunger then, it is the duty of

educators to feed the child adequately because negligence here may

lead to physical or psychological imbalance.

If the causes of anger are sickness then, it is the duty of

educators to seck medical treatment for the child. If the causes of

anger are blaming the child or insulting him then, it is the duty of

educators to tell him never to use insulting words. If the causes of

anger arc that a child may try to imitate his parents then, the duty

of parents is to give the child good example in forbearance,

patience and selF-control.

When the causes of anger are over indulgence and a life of

lu~ury then, the duty of educators is to be moderate in their love

for the children and reasoni.ble in spending upon them. In case the

causes of anger are being despised and ridiculed, then, the dUly of

educators is to avoid such causes. Among the effective means of

combatting anger IS to provide him with the Prophetic example in

fighting anger. Here are Ihe stages of this method:

l. Change in the position of the angry person. Imam Ahmad

narraled Ihat the Prophet 3; said, "When anyone among yo"

frrls (lngry while he \\"(lS slw,d,,,g. Ihrn. he mlly sil dOl..,,: in case

(Inger lUI., 1101 "hated. lei him lie down. "

2. The child may resort 10 ablu tion in C.1SC of anger. Abu Diiwud

narrated that the Prophet 3: said, "'Anger ;s insligaled by

SaIlin. Indeed Salan h(J.,· been crealCd from lire fire. Ille fife is

e:r:li"guished willr \\"ater. So wlren anyone of ym, is allgry. Ihen.

Ire sholiid make ahfrtlion."'

3. The child should rewrt 10 $ilence when he is angry. Imam Ahmad

has reported that the Prophet 3:: said, "' Wlren wryone of you is

angry. he should kcrp sUell/."'

4. The child should seck refuge with Allilh from Satan. It has bet:n

narrated in As-Sllhilrayn that two men abused each other in the

presence of the I' rophet ~ and one of them was red-faC<.."

the Prophet ~ sa id, " Verily. I do know Ihat ifhe Irad said. '1 seek

refllge wilh AI/iill from SalmI.' indeed. onger ,,"ouid Iw ve bee,r

gone." Those are the most important recommendations of the

Prophet ~ in order to alleviate anger iLnd to case its severity.

Finally, il is the duty of educators to show children that anger is

hateful, since the person who ;s angry, would have red eyes, his

ve ins would be innatcd, and all his features would be changed His

fiLce would be red and his voice would be loud. Tbat is why tbe

Prophet $ warned against anger. Imam Ahmad narrated that the

Prophet 3: said, "Verily, anger is a fire brand bllmillg ill Ihe hearl

of Ihe sons of Adam. No doubl you ",i/! see the injIalion of his veins

and Ihe redness of his eyn. So whoel'er feels any of these symploms,

then he has /0 change his sianii (by silting or lying down )."

We can sum up that educators have to be carerul to keep

children away from the causes of unger, by observing the Prophetic

concepts in dealing with anger and trying to alleviate it. Then

children will leurn patience and self- controL So educators should

teach children to be steadfast and courageous.

_ Children should also be free from fedings of humiliation and

should try to develop a sense of duty and optimism.

- They should be free from envy and try to develop a sense of

unselfishness.

- Patience and deep thinking should replace anger.

By freeing children from the negative efTects of anger through

following the advantages of Muslim principles, educators will

prepaTe their chi ldren for life. This is the way to educate the youth

of tomorrow and the men of the future. Indeed, the personality of

the children will be sane, their ethies will be high, and hence they

will be free from psychological deficiencies.

137

Chapler Six

The Respo nsibility for Social Education

The concept of social education is to rear a chi ld on good social

moral~ and noble psychological principles based on Islam. So a

chi ld will acquire good breeding, politeness, and sound behaviour.

There is no doubt that social education is the most important

responsibility in rcanng children, and it represents a combination

of all of the above mentioned aspects of education. So, what arc

the practical means leading to a good social education? These

means may be summed up in four essentials:

l. Implanting psychological principles

2. Takmg into consideration the rights of others.

3. Adhering to the general social morals.

4. Supervision and social criticism.

L Implanting Psychological I' rinc iplcs

Isl5m implants the principles of good within the hearts of

mdividuals whether they arc young or old, male or female. These

psychological principles and deep-rooted educational rules foml

the foundation of the human perwnality, In order to plant these

psychological fundamental s, [sl~m has laid down its tenets aDd

guidelines for social education_ In tho following, we oITer these

psychologiC'dl principles wh'ch Isl;'im sl,:eks to implant:

A, Pi ety: it is the defmite result of man's deep Ixlief in AIHih and

fear of Him, fear of His Wrath, His PuniShment and hope for His

Forgiveness and His Rew

AlIiih should not sec you wherever He has prohibited you, and

AlI

Other scholars have put it this way, " Piety is safeguarding oneself

from the torment of Almighty AIJ;,h by good d~-eds and fearing His

punishment in secret and in public:' Here, we find the Qur'an

stressing the advantages of piety, in many evident vcrses. Here

also, we find the noble companion~ and the great early generatioM

endeavor for piety, striving to Ix pious, and lIsking the Prophet ~

about ,t. [t has been reported thai 'Umar Ibn AI-Khat tab. asked

Ubayy Ibn Ka'b about piety; so Ubayy s

thomy way?" " Yes" 'UmaT said, "Then what did you do?" 'Umar

said, " I accomodated myself and did my best" Ubayy s-:!id, "That

is piety."

So piety,s sensitivity of conscience, transparency of feelmg,

continuous fe~r, permanent awareness 'lnd precaution along lhe

thorny way of life. It is a way of contention betw~'Cn the thorns of

desire and p..1ssion, the thorns of hope and ambition, the thorns of

fear and misgiving, the thorns of false hope from the hopeless, false

fear of those with no power for Ixneflt or harm ,md tcn~ of other

lJ9

thomsOJ So, piety for the sake of Allah, apart from the fact that il

fiUs the heart of (he believer with fear of Allah, helps the individual

acquire moral behavior for the sake of Allah which is the source of

all social merits. This is the only way 10 combate corruption und

evil. so, because of the importance of these psychological principles

for social education, we should rear our children on being plOUS to

AlJ5h and fear Him.

2. Brotherhood: \\ is a psychological bond that implants the feehngs

of love for .,11 who associate with the individual under Ihe banner

of lsl:im and Ihe bonds of faith . This truthful feeling of

brotherhood generales. in the hean of a Mus lim, the deepest

affection \0 adopt positive altitudes of cooperation, unselfishness

mercy and clemency in case of ability. Brotherhood also means

that the indtvidual avoids all that hurts people In themselves. their

property and their honour. (sliim recommends this sort of

brotherhood. Alliih has prescribed its requirements in many

Qur'anie verses as well as ill the Hadiths of the Prophet $ . So,

Allah says,

"The believer! are nOlhing du Ihan h.",hus (in blamic

religion} •• , " (Al-J::I ujur';l. 10) Again Allah m says,

~ (~~ '!:;:;, ;;:'."I;.?;J!;; Jt ,~, 1%;\ M !~I : - :-~ l.(;tii; t

"and remember Allah's Fa vor on )'01',10' y"u were enemit'S OnC 10

anMher but lie joined you, heurlS logelher, so Ihal. by lIis Grace.

)"01' hecame hulh,en (in Islamic Fuith)"' (AI · Imriln. 103)

AI-Rukhiirt and Muslim reponed that the Prophet $. sitid,

" Verily, no one among )"011 believe. unlil/,e do<'S {o;oe lor his brolher

,,·halner he loves for himself" A~mad and Muslim reported in

(t) s.,., in " Fi Zi!,,! AI-Qur'm'" by S

another haJith saying: "The parl/ble of the believers in their

affection. their sympalhy and their mercy. i$like the body af a human

being. If some limb suffers, the whole body will be fallen wilh fever

and sleeplessness." Muslim also reported that the Prophct ti: said,

"A Muslim is brother of every other muslim, N(me of them would

inflici injustice 0'1 the Olher, or abondon him, betroy him, or despise

him. II is odiously eril for a Muslim to hold another Muslim in

comempt. Any Muslim's belongings are Ultlawfulfor anolher Muslim:

his blood. his prnperly and hi$ hanour." Then thc Prophet said,

"Piety is here" three times and pointed out to his chest.

As a result of this brotherhood and love for the sake of Allah,

each individual in the Muslim community. throughout history,

dealt with each other on the basis of compassion, unselfishness,

cooperation and solidarity. Indeed, it is on thIS basis of

brotherhood and love that we should raise our children.

3_ Mercy: it means tenderness of heart, sensitivity of conscience

and gentleness of feeling. with the aim of haVing compassion for

ot hers, sympathy with them and relieving their sadness and pains.

The Prophet $ considered mercy among human beings as the

means for Allah's mercy. At-Tirmidhi AbG D:iwGd and Ahmad

reported the saying of the Prophet 3, "Those who have mercy on

others. will have mercy from Allah. So ha~e mercy on those on the

earth for then mercy will be bes/Owed on you by Alliihfrom heaven."

The Prophet oj: judged that the people who are void of mercy

would be among the wretched ones. Thus, At-Tirmidhi, Abu

Diiwud and others reported that the Prophet ~ said, "Mercy i$

'101 eliminated except from lire heart of II wrett'hed person."

Mercy in Islam is not confined only \0 Muslims. but it is a

spring that flows \0 "n people. Nay, it goes beyond rational beings

endowed with spe,.'ch, [0 dumb beasts. Here we give somc examples

which indicate some or the effects of mercy in Muslim society.

Here we have Abu Bah while he sees orT US[lma Ibn Zayd's

army addressing him by saying, "Do nol kill a woman, or old

man, or a baby. Do not cut 01T plam-trees or any fruitful tree. You

will find some people who have dedicated themselves for wor: