Child Education in Islam

all aspects: faith, in tellect, moral, physical, psyehological, and

social aspects. If th is is observed then education may be fruitful in

forming a sound, integrated, balanced Muslim individual, who

gives everything its due in this li fe.

Obsc:ning the aspect of b(> licf in children

- The educator should I3ke of the principles, ideas, and beliefs that

the child is taught and who undertakes the orientation of the

child and his or her education at school or elsewhere. If he finds

these to be suitable, he should praise Alliih. If he fi nds them

defective, he should shoulder his great responsibility in implanting

the principles of monotheism and consolidating the bases of

belief, so that the child may be saved from sinful atheistic

teachings and dangerous secular orientation.

- He should take note of the books, magazines, and publications

which the child reads. If he finds that they include ideas of

misguidance, principles of atheism, and of missionaries, he must

confiscate these books, then show for the child how such books

and ~imilar ones corrupt the pure belief of Muslims.

_ The educator must also observe the companions and peers the

child befriends. Ir he fi nds the child'~ company one of atheism

and misguidance, he must severe their relation with them, and

secure virtuous and pious companions who Will refonn him and

make him strong in belief and inner peace.

- The educator should also observe Ihe groups and organilations

Ihe child is affi liated with. If he finds Ihat these groups are

alheistic in principles and orientat ion, he should be strict in

preventing him, should persevere in observing him, and sei7,C one

chance after another 10 convince and orient him until he sees thaI

it is wrong to be inclined towards other than what is right. He

should ensure that the child has returned 10 guidance, and is

continuing on the straight path.

Observing the moral aspect of the child

- The educator should observe how truthful the child is. If hc finds

that he lies, plays and appears in the commumty as a hypocrite

and a liar, he must lake care of the child the fi rst time he tells a

lie, and show him in great detail the consequences of lying and

liars, and hypocrisy and the hypocnles, so thaI he may never tell

lies again .

. The educator should also observe how honest his child is. If he

finds that the child is stealing even trivial things such as coins

from his siblings or a pen from his friend , he has to deal with this

very quickly and make him understand that this is prohibited

because it is usurping money unjustly. Hc also .has to sow the

seeds of observing A1Hih and fearing Him so that he may return,

be reformed, and make his manners straigh t. If this is not done,

the child will become dishonest, get accustomed to deceit and

theft, and even become wretched, betraying, and a criminal of

whose bad deeds prople and the community will complain.

- The educator should also pay attention to hi~ child's speech. lfhe

finds that he swears at people, calls them bad names, and utlers

impolite words. he has to deal with this wisely and give it due

attention and care. He should try to discover the reasons why his

son speaks rudely so that he may severe him from the causes,

then he should show him in an attract ive way the attributes of a

well-mannered child, and the merits of a polite person, so that he

may be attracted to the grace of the soul and to noble morals.

- The educator should also observe the psychological will-power of

the child. If he li nds that the child imitates others slavishly and

exaggerates in easy luxury, listens to music and un-Islamic

singing, has an effiminate appearance, behaves suspiciously,

mingles with women, watches improper tele vision movies. goes to

the cinema, reads indecent magazines, buys 5exy pictures and

love novels, he has to deal with this immorality by means of kind

admonition sometimes and threatening at other times, and by

ofTering incentives or innictmg punishment.

Obsen"ing the intellectual and acade mic aspect of the child

- The educator has to observe the child's academic achi evement

and his cultural formation, whether this education is an

individual duty or a common one. He should observe if the

child has learnt that which is an individual duty, such as reciting

the Qur'an, the rulings of worship, the l;.wful and unlawful, the

ballies of the Prophet tj., because he is responsible to learn these

things and will be accountable to Allah if he fell short of them.

However, if the child is learnin g that which is a sufficient duty

such as medicinc, or engineering fo r example, the educator

should ob5eTve hIS perseverance, excellence, and progress so that

when he gmduates he would benefit his nation th rough h,s

specialization and establish the bases of civilization in the

Muslim community th rough his scholarship and talent.

_ The educator must also ohserve the intellectual enlightenment of

the child regarding his association with [slam both as a religion

and as a State, with the Noble Qur'ii.n as the creed and

legi,lation , with the Messenger 3. as the !cilder and example to

be foHowed, with [slamie history as the source of pride. with

Islamic culture ,I, the spirit and thought, and with calling \0 the

Way of AI1ii.h enthusiilstically. This cannot be achieved except by

keeping the child's company, orienting and arousing his interest

in reading intellectual books, religious magazines, Islamic

brochures. listening to useful Islamic lectures and effective

orations. The educator's heart is broken when he finds that the

child is memorizing the biographies of Western philosophers at

school, knows much about great Eastern figures and their

opinions and theories. but knows only very little about the

hIstory of Muslims, the life of greal pious people men,

conquerors, and disting uished Muslim scholars.

- The educator should also observe the mental health of the child,

paying attention to the corruption of drinking intoxicants and

us ing narcotics because they ravish the body and cause hysteria

and madness. He also has to watch fo r thc secret habit of

masturbation because it is a sin.

OlJ,;crving the phy~ica l sta tus of the child

- The educator has to make sure that he provides for his children

adequately, including good food, shelter, and clothing, so that

their hodies are not prone to illness and disease.

- The educator should also take note of the hygenic rules which

Islam ordained regarding eating, drinking, and sleeping. The

educator should make sure that the chi ld does not overeat, eat

more than what is normal or more thun what he really needs. He

should muke sure that the child drinks in two or three gulps,

prevent him from breathing into the drinking vessel, or drinking

while standing up. He should also make sure that the child sleeps

on his right side, and docs not go to bed immediately after eating.

- The ducator, especi311y the mother, should take procautions if her

child contracts an in fectious disease, through sec luding the sick

child from the rest of the children so that the disease may not

spread.

- The educator has to watch for the preventive means of preserving

his child's health through directing him not to eat unripe frUlt or

unwashed vegetables. He should also wash his hands before

eating, and not blow into the food vessel, and observe other

hygenic instructions ordained by Islam,

. The educator should watch for all the factors tbat attack the

body, ham health, and cause diseases, such as intoxicants,

narcotics, smoking, masturbation, adultery, and homosexuality,

which have many negative affects on the physical and emotional

hcalth of the individual.

Obscn-iug the psychologiclIllIspect of the child

- Paren ts should watch for shyness. If he finds that the child suffers

from seclusion and shunning away from people and the

community, he has to encourage him to overcome his syhness

and to mingle with others, and to promote in him intellectual and

social understanding, enlightenment, and maturity,

- He should also observe the phenomenon of fear. H he finds that

he suffers from cowardice, fear, and low self-esteem before

incidents and tries to escape hardships, he should cultivate in him

self-confidence, steadfastness, forwardness, and bravery so that

he may be able to face life with all its problems with a satisfied

spirit and a smiling face, The mother, particularly, should not

terrify her child by talking about ghosts, dark, strange creatures,

jinn, to prevent the child from becoming fearful, so that fear will

not control him .

. Parents should also watch out for an inferiority complex in the

child. If he finds that h,s child suffers a litt[e from this reding, he

has to deal with it with wisdom and hnd admonition, and

eliminate the causes that led to it.

- He should also deal with the phenomenon of anger. If he finds

that the child gets angry for the slightest reason, he has to deal

with this by emdicating the causes. [f it is caused by sickness, the

parent should hasten to treat him medically. If it is caused by

hunger, he has to feed him at the proper timc_ If the cause is

unjust reprimanding, he has to punfy his tongue from the words

of insult and blame.

- If anger is caused by his being spoiled, he has to treat him

norma!!y, and get him accustomed to be satisfied with simple

things in life_

Obsen 'ing the social as[lC'Ct of the child

- Parents should make sure that the child is doing his duly towards

others. If he finds that the ehild is not doing his duly towards

himself or his mother, his sibhngs and relatives, his neighbors, his

teacher, or older people, he has to show him the negative

consequences of this, and the result of this treatment so that he

may understand, hcar, and stop not giving everyone his due, and

stop his carelessness aOout social docorum.

- The educator should also pay attention to the rules of docorum

concerning mixing with others. If he finds that the child fai ls to

observe table manners, or the manners of jesting, speaki ng,

sneezing, condoling, or any other social manners, he has to cxert

his best effort to acquaint the child with the manners of Islam,

and to make him accustomed to the best habits and manners.

- Parents should also be sure that his child has noble feelings

towards others. If he finds that the child is selfish. he should

guide him to preferring others to himself; and if he finds that he is

inclined to hatred. he should implant in him the seeds of love and

friendliness. If he finds him failing to abide by the lawful and not

avoiding the unlawful, he should command him to piety and

remind him of AlI iih's torture and the Hereafter, so that the creed

of observing Alhih and fearing Him would become deeply rooted

ill his soul. Should the p;lrent find that the child is affiicted with a

hateful situation or a disease, he should teach him to accept fate .

Thus an educator can implant in the soul of the child these

psychological bases of belief, piety, and being conscious of Alliih

fi , and implant in his pure heart the feclin g.~ of preferring others

to himself, sympathy, and punty so that when he grows up and

attains the age of ordinance, he gives Allah and people in general

their due.

Obsl.'ning the chi ld 's spiritual aspects

- Parents should observe in his child the quality of being aware of

Allah Sl!: through making him feel that AIEih hears him, sees

him, and knows his secrets. what he looks at, what his bosom

hides, and that nothing is hidden from Allah the heavens and the

earth. This cannot be achiev~-d except by guiding him to belief in

Allah, His miraculous Omniscience. His magnir~ent creation,

and submission to Him in all things. Thus he would feel the

Greatness of Allah 1l'II this observance while he is work ing,

th inking, and feeling. Observance would even become a deeplyrooted

principle in his inner feelings, and a basis of responsibility

in his heart, feelings, and emotions.

- Parents should also observe the aspect of submission, piety, and

bondage to Alliih, the lm d of the worlds. This can be achieved

through calling the chi ld's attention to the all -incl usive greatness

of AHah in the young and the old, the inanimate and the living, in

a fully-grown plant, a growing tree, a fragmnt colorful nower,

and in millions of millions of diverse, wonderfully and

magnificently-composed creatures. Thus the human soul cannOI

help but feci piety and submission to Allah 1ft. Among the

things which strengthen the child's submission to Allah, and

consolidate in his inner feelings the true essence of piety is to get

him accustomed, when he is at the age of reason and

discrimination, to show submission in prayers, and crying or

attempting to do so when hearing the verses of the Qur'an. If he

gets accustomed to these qualities and applies them, he will be

among those about whom All5h said:

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A. ./ ~~, '( ..;.;......,.

"No doubt! Verily, the Aufiya. ' of Alfih ( i.e. Ihos~ ",ho befie .. , in

the Oneness of Affih and f ear Affiih milch (ab.lfain from aff kinds

of sins and e"if du ds "'hieh He has/o,bidden), ond fo~e Aftlih much

(pe,fo,m oil kinds 0/ good du ds lI'hieh lie has ordained)) no feDr

sha.1f come upon lhem nOr shall tfrey K,iut!. Those ",ho belie.ed (in

the Oneness of Afflih - Islamic Monotheism), and used to feur

Alliih much ( by abstaining from evil du ds and sins and by doing

righteoo. duds)." (Yunu., 62.63)

- Parents should also observe how the child performs worship by

means of commanding him to pray at the age of ~evcn in

fulfillment of the saying of the Prophet $, "Command your

chiM'lm /0 pray whl!ll Ihey arl! seW'n years old:' By analogy,

through training h'm when he is still young to fast some days m

Ramadan if he is able to do so, and to take him to perfonn

pilgrimage if the parent can afford it, and also to get him

accustomed to spend m the way of Allah, even a small amount

every now and then, so that he may get used to the obligatory

worship of paying the poor-dues when he comes of age.

- Parents also have to strike a balance while bringmg up their child,

between the spiritual struggle and striving for the sake of Alliih,

so that he may fight rnjustice and disbelief as much as he resists

the e~il-inciting of the so ul. This is because if parents neglect to

arouse in the child the duty of calling to the way of Alliih, or the

duty of striving in His way, the duty of enjoining goodness and

fo rbidding evil, the child wi ll undoubtedly get used to seclusion,

inactivity, accepting the status quo, escaping from struggle, and

submItting to the power of tyrants and unjust people.

- Parents should also observe the application of supplication

through helping their children memorize the most import.1nl

supplications of the day and night, going to sleep and waking up,

eating, entering the house and leaving it, puning on clothes and

taking them off, as well as the invocation when travelling,

invoking Allah for guidance during the fall of rain and the time

of the crescent, insomnia, illness, and sadness, as well as other

invocations and sound, firm ly established supplications.

V. Education by Appropriate Puni~hm cnt

The ru lings of the Islamic Jarisprudence (Fiqh) with their

complete justice and comprehensive principles focus on guaranteeing

the necessities which man cannot do without. The scholars of

Fiqh concluded that they are five in number. They called them

"the five necessities" or "the five generalities." These are:

maintaining religion, self, chastity, mind and wealth. They said

that all that was included in the Islamic system of rulings,

principles, and legislations aim at securing these generalities and

maintaming them. For Ihe sake or preserving these generalilles.

Islamic Jurisprudence has laid down severe punishments for those

who trespass and breach them. These punishments arc known as

"hut/ud" or "prescriped punishment"· and "Ia'z ir" or "discretionary

punishments." The set !imits are punishments determined

by Jurisprudence as the rights of Allah !.ii. These arc:

1. The punisllmcnl for a poslacy: this is death if onc insists on

Icaving the religion or on atheism aner his rerusa l lo repent, [f he is

killed he is not to be washed, shrouded. pnlyed on, or buried in

Muslims' graves, The basIs for this punishment is what was

narrated by the six narrators and Ah mad Ibn Mas'tid 4;. quoting

Alliih's Messenger 3. as saying, " The shedding of II Muslim's blood

is 1101 lawful excepl in Ihree cases: an udullaer ",1.0 is Mu.lfim

married. life for life. ulld Ihe uposlille who departs fTllm Ihe

commrmily . ..

2. The punisllmenl for murder: If it was murder in cold blood, lhe

punishment for it is death, because of Alliih's saY'"I:.

:;:. '&'i\ &\iG ,.:;.i~ .t:it .J~ )S J!.ii ~ ;'l-::';ii ~ -; ;1; ~,; ~i c::~ ,

4. ~'~ ·\,.II ft~\· "::"\ ~'':ii !.~ .... ~ : ~ ' ,' 'I: r., "'. !J y~ <..""" .r' ,', ,,!, .J;"

"0 )"ou who fHliel'e! AI-Qislls ( rhe Law of Equufity in punishment)

is preserihed for )"ou in cau of murder: Ihe fUI! for Ihe frue, the

sla ~e for Ihe sla re, and Ihe female fOT the femule. Bul if/he killer

is forgh'en hy the brother (or the re/ati,'u, fl C.) of Ihe killed

against Mood-money t"en adhering to it "'ilh fairne ss. and payment

of the blood-money, 10 the heir should fH made in fairnus." (AI.

Baqarah. (78)

3. The punisllmenl for theft : tllis is cuUmg olT the tlliefs hand from

the wrist if lhe lheft was nOI motivated by need or compelling

circumslanccs. This is ordained by AlIiih's .aying •

.J. ~ !,' ~f ~{ "{ ., -l!t J , ~~ . .;n c_ r t:.• t;j.".I 'C ( ""J.' 1~-' (1l i ~~ t::J1J' "~. ....--:'LJI' T).

"And (aJ for) Ihe male thief and the f emale, cut off (from Ihe

"'risl joint) their ( right) hand a.< a recompense for that "'hieh they

committed, a punishment hy "'ay of I!xample fmm Alliih. And AI/iih

;s AII- Po,,'erful, All-Wise." (At -M.·j.dah, 38)

4. The punishment for slander: this is eighty lashes and non·

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acceptance of testimony, according to All:1h'$ saying,

'> .... ,, - "'i -., .• " ",. , " "'~ 7:" N ~ "t" '" ''''u ", 'J .. , u.,1;~ r ~ ~-'; ..... ~: .. ;>~ ;~';"..>\!i. J (';" .I ""'.:..: i.!:~ r

.I. "{ ~~) • ,'~-I "~: '..'.'..;.J. ·!1.'t

"And the "n~~ II'ho throw accusalion upon 1O'0mell in wedlock. And

thereafrer they do I/ot come up "'itll four "'itnesus, then lad them

with eighty /ru bes, "lid do not aca pt any /eslimony of theirs at all;

and thou aYe the ones who lire immoral." (An_Nfir, 4)

5. The punishmrnt for adultery: Ihis is onc hundcrd lashes if the

adulterer is unmarried, and stoning to death if he is married. The

QUI'an declares:

~ ?{ l;~ 1':=: ~5 J ~~ J)I~ ~3i ,

" The womun and the man gll;lly of illegal sexual inlerciJurse, jlog

each of them "'itb a ""ndu d stripes ... " (An-NUT, 2)

"Stoning to death is based on the Prophetic Tradition about

Ma'iz Ibn Mii lik and the Ghlmidi woman whom AlHih's

Messenger 3- commanded that they be stoned to death because

they were both married.

6. The punishment for spreading corruption on earth: this is to be

kIlled or crucified, or their hands and legs be cut alternately, or

exile from the land. The majority of religious scholars, including

Ash-Shiifi'j and Imam A~mad , arc of the opinion that if

highwaymen kill and take money they are to be Killed and

crucified, but if they only take money without killing, their hands

and legs are cut asunder alternately, and if they terri fy people but

do not take money they are to be exiled from the land. The basis of

this is Alliih's saying, j' IJV~ jll;:;;; J I~G J:j)i :;. ':'7!J ;1;.;;.if ':;;.,l~ ~Ji Ij'5.; Cl'

C•~ i <..! •... . ,-.- .."....",1 -/-."...h..~ '~.~ ·'- .Ji ~~.. >"r"

.I. .!.J.; ~ I~ . - . :Yr . _w '" _ .... I.J'; ~ ..-+' ..

"Tu recompenu of those "'ho ,,'all" "'lIr against Afliih and lIis

Messenger and du mischiefin the land i$ Qn/)' Ihllt they shllll be killed

Qr crucified 01' their hllnds lind their feet he cui off from 0ppo$i/t

sides, or he ailed from the /tmd, That is Iheir disgrace in this ,,'arId,

and a ~ rerlf lormenl ;$ theirs in the Hereafter." (At_Ma'idan, J)

7, The punishment for drinking intoxicants: this is for ty to eighty

lashes, based on the fact that the Prophet's Companions ~

estimated the penally during the time of the Prophet e to be fo rty

lashes_ Ash-Shawkani reported that the Prophet ~ lashed those

who drink in toxicants with two lashes about forty times,

'Urnar suggested eighty lashes after consullmg the Companions

and they made the penalty eighty lashes when they saw that some

people went too far in drinking intoxicants. Their reasoning for

this is that Ali " said, " If someone dnnks an intoxicant, he ge ts

drunk and if he gets drunk, he raves, and if he raves he WIll

slander," and they made thi$ analogous to the penalty for

slandermg women in wedlock.

Discretionary punishments an: undefined penalties which are due

to a human being for any wrongdoing for which Ihere is no dearly

stated penalty or expiation. They are similar to set punishmenlS in

deterrence and in reformation. If the quantity of discretionary

penalty is nol set a ruler has Ihe right to determine a proper

punishment, which may be reproach, beating, imprisonment, or

confi scation provided that il is nOI as severe as a sel puni'hment.

No two people would disagree about the f;'c t thl.t Is\;.m

legis lated these established and discretionary penalties for the sake

of achieving a happy life filled with security and stability so that no

one would show injustice 10 anyone else, no strong person would

hann a weak one, and no rich man would control a poor one. All

people lITe equal in fron t of Allah, with no advantage of an Arab

over a non-Arab, or a while over a black, except by piety_ This is

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