Child Education in Islam

the father. Besides, her responsibility is more important and more

serious on the grounds that she is milch closer to her child since he

was born and until he grows up llnd becomes mature. The Prophet

lifp: has assigned such a responsibhty 10 the mother, when he said:

" And II ... oman is Ihe gaardian of her /msbami's home, oml is

responsible for her sabjecl$_" If the mOlher and father fa il to

shoulder the responsihihty of educallllg their children, they,

undoubtedly, wi ll grow up as if they were orphans, and live like

vagabonds. How truth ful the poet was when he said:

"An orphan is not that who was left behind,

humbled and humiliated by his parents.

T he orphan is \ h1'\ who has" forsaking

mother and a preoccupied father."

Matters get even worse when parents mdulge most of their time

nl sins and corruption, alld ge t deeply involved in lusts and sensual

pleasures living a life of looseness and hbertinism. No doubt that

the children's perversion, in such a case, will be more serious. May

Allah show mercy to the poet who said,

'·The plant that grows in the green fictd is not li ke that

which grows 111 the desert,

How come we hope for perfection for child ren.

Who were fed by the breasts of impedecl (mothers)?

Islam holds both father and mother highly responsib le fo r

educating their children, and th reatened thcm with a gre"t

punishment if they failed to shoulder this responsibility. Allah

a'J says,

';1:;.:.lY.o !('..1' ....... ~ rl~ i r _ _ """T'"" 'r.'"" ~!} ""'"o f t;~C

1: ~~ (; .5;tr~ ~'::"1 t i f SJ '.~ y

"0 you ... 110 Iwlie~e! Ward offfrom yoursd~e~ ond your families a

Fi,~ ( llell) ... hou fueli! mtn and Jtone~, o ~e' K·hicll are (appointed)

angels jtern ( and) 5e .e~e, ... 110 dijoky nor, (from executing) the

Commo.ndJ they 'eui~e from Afliill, but do /lru/ ... hich they are

commondcd, (At-Ta!n'im, 6)

AI-Bukhari and Muslim related that the Prophet tj; said, "A

man is guardian 0/ his/amily (household) and is responsible for his

subjects and a woman is guardian of her husband's home, ond is

responsible for her suhjecls,"

J, The calamity facing ofphans

If an orphan who was bereaved of his father has not found a

sympathetic hand to embrace him, and a kind heart thut

sympathises with him, and if he has not found kind treatment

and full care from his guardians, he will undoubtedly be inclined to

perversion and crime, Islam has instructt"

of the orphan with gOQd manners and virtues. Here we have a

selection of the Islamic instructions that enjoins caring and

sympathising with orphans. Allah \8 addresses His Messenger

3: saying.

~ ;+;; :;; ;Ji C~ t

" TlurefOl"e, tutJt not the OI"phan with opprtssion"," (A~-J?u!",,9)

And He Iii says,

~ ~ .01 Li;,41 -{ ~~ CD y.~\ '-;"$< ,,)I ~::) t

"Ha ve you seen him "'ho denies Ihe Reeompenee? That is ,,·lro

,eputses tire o,phan lru,sM)'.,. (AI·Ma'oon, 1·2)

Allah rebukes the disbelievers whose hearts are harsh, and

therefore they do not honour the orphun by saying,

~ : .)11 S;.}3 ~ J ~ e p.1 ci;; j;.i Z1 ,;j; ;:ili a:,l ' I~l tt t

"Not at all, no indeed. In.t you do not tIOna", tire orphan, And

you do not .... ge on" unotlrer on 0f/l',in1: food to the intligent." (AI·

Fajr, 11>-11)

Also, Allah 'Ii warns of transgressing against the orphan's

wealth or eating up anythmg rrom them. He says,

" Verily, those who unjustly eut up the property of orph"tI5, they

eut up only fire iI/to their bellies, lind they wiff be bur", in the blllzing

Fiu!." (An·N;,;;', 10)

The Messenger tj. of Allah urged in many l¥Jdilhs to honour

and care for the orphan. Among them is:

Al-Bukhari related that Sahl Ibn Sa'd said thaI Allah's

Messenger 4: said, "/ ond Ihe sponsor of the orphan, a relative

or not, are in paradise like Ihal" and pointed with the index finger

and middle finger separating them slightly. Ibn Majah related that

Abu Hurairah said that Allah's Messenger 4: said, "The besl

house of Ihe Muslims is u house in IIIhich {»I orphan is honoured, and

Ihe wo.s/ house of Ihe Muslims is u house in which an orphan is

mis/rell led. "

These are the most important of the main factors that lead to

children's perversion. So, if the educators do not observe their

causes and do not uproot them and do not foH ow the effective

treatment laid down by Islam, children will grow up as corrupt

persons and will be tools for demolishing the society. How worthy

it is for parents and educators to closely follow the Islamic

methods in educating children. treating their perversion, their

behaviour, and reforming their souls!

Part Two

The Rcsponsibilitcs of Educators

1. Chapler One: the Responsibility for Faith Education.

2. Chapter Two: the Responsibility for Ethical Education.

J . Chapter Three: the Responsibility for Physical Education.

4. Chapter Four: the Responsibi lity for Mental Education.

5. Chapter Five: the Responsibility for Psychological Education.

6. Chapter Six: the Responsibili ty for Social Education.

1. Chapter Seven: the Responsibility for Sexual Education.

Introduction

Among the most apparent responsibili tes that Islam cared about

and urged is the responsibility on the part of educators towards

those whom they are responsible for educating, instructing and

teaching. It is certainly a serious and important responsibili ty. It

starts in the very early years of life and continues through the

stages of discretion and adolescence, unt il he becomes fully mat ure.

No doubt that when 3n educator accomplishes his task in its full

scope, a righteous person will be brought up. Hence. a righteous

family will be esta blished and will contribute to building up an

ideal society. This is the starting point of Islam towards

reformation. The QUr'iin and SWlr!ah call on people to fulfil the

duty of t-ducat ion. Among the Qur'iinic vefSCS are,

~ ~p r?1 ;)i; ,

"But stop them, ~erily they /Ire 10 he que .• 'ianed." (AI·~fIlt. 24)

~ z:r; i],i' ~ @ ~l .,:;; .:; -r~,

"So, by )'our lord, indeed we shall definitely /lSk ,hem all 10-

gether. Concerning wlrat they were doing" (AI·Hijr. 92·93)

~ 0; :r;;.t Y'i;t ij. !f.::1: ,;Ji ~~ ,

"0 ),ou ,../", helieoe! Ward afflrom ),ourseNes and ),our families a

Fire (Hell} ... " (At·T:t!'rim. 6)

Among the honourable prophetic tra ditions, or Hod{ths, are;

AI-Bukhiiri and Muslim related, "A man is a guardian of his

family. and is responsilbefor his subjects, and II woman is a g",mlian

in her husband's home and is responsible for her subjcts."

It is related that Abli Sulaymiin Miilik Ibn Al-f-:! uwayrith said.

"We came to the Prophet ~ as a group of peers and we stayed

with him twenty nights. He thought that we are homesick, and

asked us about whom we left behind of our fami lies. So we lold

him, and he was so kind and merciful, He said, "Go back 10 JlC'ur

families, teach them, and instroct them, alld pray in the same

manner you saw me pray. When the prayer is due, lei one of YOIl

declare Adhdn, and let your eldest lead the prayer." Related by AIBukhilri."

At-Tinnidhi related, "Nothing lias been gramed by a

father to a son beller tlran good mamlers.··

In addition to so many other Qur'anic verses and Hodi/Irs.

Setting out from this Qur'anic instruction and Prophetic

Guidance, educators cared about educating, instructing and

guiding their children. Moreover, fathers used to select for their

children the best teachers and finest educators. We shall talk in

detai l, with Allah's hel p. in Ihis section about the most important

responsibilities.

Chaptcr Onc

The Responsibility for Faith £.location

What is meant by faith education is to link the chi ld, from when

he starts to realize the principles of faith, and teach him the pillars

of Islam, and the foundations of Shari 'uh. By the principles of faith

we mean belief in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers,

the Last Day and Divine predestination. By the pillars of Islam we

mean, witness to Allah's Oneness without partner and thai

Muhammad ~ is the messenger, fasting, Zakah (alms-giving)

and pilgrimage to whoever can afford it. And by the fo undations

of Shartah we mean all that is related to Islam, as creed, worsh,p.

manners and rulings.

So the educator must inculcate such concepts of faith and

Islamic teachings into the child's soul, and the Prophet 3

recommended instilling the principles of faith and pi llars of Islam

into the child's mind during his early years of hIS life. Among the

Prophet's instructions and recommendaiions are:

I. His commandment to make the utterance ;'Ui /lfiha ilia Allah" the

first thing a child hears

Al-l".! akim related thai Ibn Abbas said Ihat the Prophet $ said,

"'Make 'Ld llaha !/fa Allah' Ihe first ward Ihal commence.! you,

children's life." The rationale behind this is making the word of

Oneness the first thing a child hear, the first word his tongue utters,

and the firsl word he comprehends.

2, Introducing h1m 10 the rulings of what is lawful and unla .. ru!

This is in order that he may grow up observing Allah's

commandments, keeping himself away from whatever He forbade,

and get closely bound to the rulings of Sharlah.

72 ~==========================================r.nTwo

3. Commanding him 10 lI'orship al the age of SetCo

AhC! Dawfid and AI· H-akim related that Ibn 'AmT Ibn AI· 'As. said

that the Prophet $ said, "Command your children /() pray at the

age of U"ell, and beal thrm for no/ praying 01 the oge of len. and

separate between lhem (males and females) in bedl . ..

In analogy to prayer, they must be trained to fast some days if

they can endure fasting, and make pi lgrimage with their father if he

can arford it, in order that the child may learn Ihe rulings of

worship at an early stage of his life and become familiar with

performing it.

4. Teaching lIim 10 Io~e Alliih's Messenger $-, and his family. and

Tceiling tile Noble Qur'in

A ~-Ta barii ni related that Ali,," said lhat the Prophet 3: said,

"Hobiluale your children /0 enlerlain Ihree traits: Loving your

Prophet, lo ving his family and relatiw's, and reciting the Qur 'un,

Surely th£ bearers of the Qur'un are in Jhe shadow of Allah 's Throne

on a day where there is no shadow but " is, Jogether with Allah's

Menengers and beloved ones ."

Related to thl' is teaching the children the battles of the Prophet

4: and the hislory of the Prophet's companions, Muslim leaders,

and the great decisive battles, in ordcr that thcy may follow the

modcl of their ancestors, and obtain a close affin ity with our Noble

Islamic history, Here are some of wha t Mus lim educa tors said

about the necessity of teaching children how to recite the Qur'an ,

to know about the !mules of the Prophct 4;, and thc great deeds

of our ancestors and he roes:

Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqa~ .. said, "We used to teach our children

about the battles of thc Prophet 3: as we teach thcm a Suroh from

the Qur'fm ,"

Imam AI-Gha7.iili rcoo!Umended in his book, "/~a 'U/um EdOeen",

teaching the child the Noble Qur'an, the sayings of

benignant people, the tales of the pure-hearted people, and some

religiou s rulings,

Ibn Khuldun pointed m his Muqaddimah (Introduction), to thc

importance of teaching the Qur';i.n to child ren and making them

memorize it, and he made dear that teaching the Qur'an is the

basis of education in all curricula throughout va rious Islamic

countries.

How important it is fo r parents to teach their children, early in

their lives, the principles of faith, the pillars of [sliim, and thc

rul ings of Shart'oh, and accustom them to loving Allah's

Messenger 3: his family and relatives, his companions, the

leaders and conquero rs, as well as reciting the Qur'5n,

It is obvious to the scholars of education and ethics, that a child

is born with the religion of oneness and belief in Allah, So, if he

entertains a discrete education at home, a righteous social setting, a

faithful environment, he wi ll grow up with an unequivocal faith,

noble manners, and righteous education, The Noble Qur'an has

confirmed th is fact, as Allah B says,

~ i;;1; ":8[ ;.c ..Ji ;'i ,s):,! ,

" A/bill', Firrall (i, ~, A/ftjll',!s/umir 1H00IDflld$m) ""itll wllick H~ IIu$

rr~aud mankind, .... (Ar,Rum, 30)

And AI- Bukbari rela ted that AbCi Hurairah said that All iih's

Messenger e said, "No child i! born but hllving Ihe Jailh of /S/O/ll,

bal ilS parents /Urn Ihan into 1/ Jew, Chri~'liun, or Mugan,"

Scholars or education and ethics proved th is fact, and it 1,

sufficient in th is respect \0 quote Imam Al·Ghaz;i li as saying: ·'The

young boy is a trust in the hold of his parents, and his pure heart is

a preciousjewcl, So ifhe is habituated and taught the good, he will

entertain it, and will be happy with it in th is world and in the

74~====================================~h"~

Hereafter. And jf he is habituated to the evil, and is neglected as

animals are neglected, he will experience misery and will be

destroyed. I'rotecling him can only be achieved by educating him,

and teaching him the good manners. ,-

From this presentation of mnate nature and its elTects, we

realize that if a child is brought up in a perverse house, and is

taught in a mischeivous environment, and mixed with a corrupt

group, he no doubt, will tum away from faith to atheism, and from

Islam to infidelity.

So long as educators in general, and parents 111 particular, are

responsible for raising Ihe child on the bases of faith, and

inculcating Islam into his soul, we must know the limits of this

responsibility, and the dimensions of this duty. The limits of this

responsibilty are represented as follows:

I. Guiding them to believe in Allah, His undefiable Might, and HIS

wonderful creativity through contemplating the creation of the

heavens and the earth during their age of discretion. It is

preferable to proceed with them from contemplating the

concrete matters to abstract ones, and from the part to the

whole, until they approach the issue of faith with ful! conviction,

evidence, and proof. When a child absorbs, from the very

beginning, the unequivocal issues of faith, and stable evidences

of the oneness of Allah, no destructive tool can strike his lively

heart, nor can evil advocates have any influence on his fait hful

mind, due to unshaking belief, well-establishcd certitude, and

full conviction he has acquired.

2. Inculcating into their souls the spirit of submission, piety and

servitude to Allah, the Lvrd of the worlds. This can be achieved

by focusing their atlention on the undefiable might and the

dominion which is great in every sense, in the sproull1lg plant,

the growing tree, the aromatic beautifully coloured flower,

myriads of wonderful creatures with magnificent formations.

The heart cannot help but submit to the magnificence of Allah

,.. What can the soul do but feel the piety towards Allah !i!I/.

and experience the pleasure of submission and sweetness of

servitude to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Among the means of

strengthening submission and establishing picty is to train the

child, during the age of awareness, to submit in his prayer and

during listening to the Qur·an.

J. Developing in them the spirit of remembering Allab l:.ft in all

their conduct and circumstances. This can be achieved by

training the child to know that Allah !iIii sees him and knows his

secrels and what he harbours, and He knows the treacherous

look of the eyes and whatever the breast conceal. The educator

must train the child 10 remember Allah in what he docs and

teach him to be sincere to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, in all his

utterances and deeds, and teach him that Allab does not accept

any deed from him, unless he does it only for His Sake. The

educator also has to train the child to remember Allah when he

thinks, that is, by training him to make reckoning with himself,

and Irain him to observe Allah when he feels so, so that he may

attain the rank of Ihsan (right action or goodness) and sincerity

to worship Alkih as though you are seeing him, and while you do

not see him, He truly sees you.

We conclude, from what has been mentioned above, that the

responsibility of faith education is Important and serious, as it is

the source of all virtue and the origin of perfection. It is the main

basis for entering a child into the domain of faith and Islam_

The parent and educator shouJd not re frain from seizing any

chance 10 provide the child with the proof of the existence of Allah,

and with guidance that consolidates belief and strengthens faith.

This way of seizing the chance of providing advice is the way of the

first educator, Muhammad t1t::. Here we present to you, dear

reader, this example of guidance and style or the Prophet 4:.

76 ~========================================~ PartTwo

At-Tirmidhi rdated that Ibn Abbas" said . "One day [ was

riding behind the Prophet ~. and he said to me: "0 young man. I

shall reach you .fome .... ords:"Be mind fill of Allah. and Allah will

pro/eel yau. Be mind/ul of Allah. and you willfimillim in /rom of

you, If yml rut, ask of Allah. if you seek help, suk help from Allah.

KnQw Ihal if 'he rlalion were 10 gather loge ther /0 benefil you wilh

already prescribcdfor )'ou, and if Ihey galher IOgether (Q harm you

wilh anything, Ihey would harm you ol1/Y wilh somet hing Ihm Allah

had already prescribed for )'ou. Tire pens have been Ii/led. and Ihe

pages have dried. "Ifthey band IOgether /0 cause you illj"'Y. Ihey wif/

never do you any harm except whm Allah has preseribedfar )'0"_ The

quills (Decrees) are Juspt'llikd, ami lire sc~olls are faMed. (DeslillY

i$ decided).

In another account, other than that by At-Tirmidhi we have,

"Obsen'e yor,r obligatiO/rs /lJYmrds A/liih, you will find Him j aci,rg

you: try /(j ackllowledf;1! Allah's Favors when ill prosperity, lie

ackllowledges you in ad''efsily: ami kllow Ihl/l ... hal you miss cwrnOI

indeed be your 101;

you. Leam ol.w Ihal viclory come .• through elldurance, alld relief

COml'S Wilh distress lind Ihat ... ilh hardship comes affluence."

Chapter Tl'fO

The RC!lJ>Onsibility ror Ethic~ 1 Edu cation

What we mean by ethical education is the set of ethical

principles and moral values that have to be inculcated in the child,

in order to be acquired by him as customary behavior from his

early years, through the time he becomes legally capable, up to his

full adulthood. Evidently, such ~th ical principles and moral values

are the product of deep belier and righteous religious upbringing.

So, it is clcar that when the child is brought up, from his tender

years, upon belief in Alliih Ifi, he will develop an innate faculty for

acceptance and pursuit of moral standards and values and noble

behavior. Similarly, if the child is brought up in an atmosphere

alien to Muslim tenets, void of all religious orientation, then such a

child becomes prone to dissolution and immorahty, or even error

and heresy. Thus, it is no wonder that Islamic Law has given

special priority 10 the moral education of children. Here are some

of these recommendalions and precepts:

At-Tirmidhi reported lhallhe Messenger of Allah ~ said, "No

b(H)n has been given by of ather w his children is more valuable Ihon

good breeding." Also, we have Ibn M5jah after Ibn Abbas,*" that

the Messenger $ said, ··Confer fwble-mindedne.

and provide for Iheir good breeding. U

All of these teachings of the Prophet 3 indicate the great all reaching

responsibility On the part of educators regarding bringing

up children on the noble, moral values of Islam. Such

responsibili ties involve educating them to be truthful, honest,

upright, and unselfish . Also included here is training children 10 be

respe<:table in word and deed, veering away from abuse and Insults

and similar faults. As opposed to thi s, they train children rcspei:t

for elders, generosity, living in amity with neighbors, benevolence

towards the poor and orphans, and alIcetion for the indigent.

78 =o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=o ~nTwo

As long as noble education in Islam depends on strict

observation and steady supervision, then it is the duty of fathers,

mothers, and teachers to be alert to such abuses:

I. Lying 2. Theft 3. Insults 4. Dissolution

1. Lying is one of meanest anributes from the religious point

of view. Educators have to observe children's behavior in Ihis

respect, and try their best 10 show the young the odious aspects

of the habit of lying. Thus, since upright education depends on

the noble model by educators, they (educators) have to avoid

lying to young ones, even if they are desirous of making chi ldren

stop crying; lying in such circumstances would eventually destroy

the confidence of the young in their educators. That is why we

see our first educator, the Prophet tj:, advised parents and

educators not to lie to children, even If they me~nt to just altract

their attention or for fun.

Here we have Ahu Diiwud relating on the authority of

'Abdullah Ibn 'Amir.:GO that he said, "One day my mother called

me when the Messenger or AlHih ii. was with us in our home. She

said, 'Come on, to take this!.' Then the Prophet said to her, 'What

do you intend gi~ing himT She said, ' [ am going to give him dates.'

Then the Prophet said, 'Beware. if you do "')/ really walll 10 gNe

anything. that would be Il lie foreordained on you "

Again Ahmad relates from AbO Hurairah ~ that the Messenger

of Allah $. said, "Anyone who says 10 a child .. 'Come on and have

this and does not actually gire il 10 him; then Ihis is a definile lie."

Z. Theft is no less dangerous th3n telling lies; and it is usually

rampallt in communities deprived of righteous upbrillging based

on the values of lshim. So il is imperative for parents and educators

to Implant in the ynung the sense of observance of religious

behavior and fear of Allah, together with the baneful results of

theft in this world and in the Hereafter.

Sometimes there arc cases where parents are not dissuaded from

their children's contrived thefts. especially when the child may

claim that what he got was not through thcft, but through having

gifts from friends or through leftovers. There are even cases of

parents encouraging their children to steal. and in such cases, such

youngsters grow into persistent criminals. An extreme case is

attributed to a youngster, who was convicted of theft by a Sharf'ah

court, and he was to have his hand cui 01T. So the boy cried to the

judges. "Before you cut off my hand, cut off my mother's tongue,

The first time I committed that crime was when I picked up an egg

from one of our neighbor's house; but my mother did not rebuke

me; nor did she order me to return it where it belonged. On the

contrary, my mother utte red the tr ill of joy (zaghnuhlh), and said,

'Thanks to Allah! My son is now a man!' 'So without tbese words,

I would never have become a thier" (I)

3, Abuses and Insults: these are some of the acts of misbehavior

that have been often currently heard for many reasons. Of these

reasons is that tile child probably heard the same abuses and

insults from adults, Another reason is loose upbringing where

children are left to mingle with children on the streets and alleys,

Thus, it is the founded duty of parents and educators to present

exemplary behavior to these young ones in the fonn of polite

speech, and in constant attempts to keep them away from offensive

and insulting companions, Together with this, they should tell them

to beware of loose talk, and to learn the Ah{,dilh forbidding such

abusive language. For here is the Hat/ilh , relaled by Al-Bukhiiri and

Muslim, which says,"Abusing a Muslim is an immoral aCI. and

fighting against him is disbelief ", Another Hadilh says, "One of the

most grievous offenses is Ihal a man should curse his parenlS", Then

the Prophet 3 was asked, "0 Messenger of Allah, how does a

(t) AkMtu;una AI-ljlfmlj'jyy~h (Our Social Ethics), by Ai-Sibii\ p. 162.

Muslim curse his parents?" Thcn the Prophct .t: answered, "A

man may abuse anorher person'sfather, Ihnl Ihe other person abuses

Ihe .!peaker'sfalher; Or II mllll may ahWie anolMr pef5on'J mOlher,

Ihen Ihe OIher perS011 abuses the speaker's mOlher.·' This liadilh is

related by Ahmad and AI-Bukhari. Another Hadilh related by AITirmidhi

says, "A belie"'!r should nOi be an offender. nOr should he

be one who curses. or be abominable, or 101lIhsome."

4. Indulgence and DiSSQlution: such behavior has become

rampant among our younger generation nowadays, boys and

gi rls alike, due to their preoccupation with blind mimicry, Ihus,

getting morc and more ,"elined 10 corruption and liC(:ntiousness.

To them, life now seems to be timely enjoyment, degrading lust,

and lawless activilies. If they miss such misbehavior, then life seems

to have no purpose. or course, we rind that the Messenger #. has

set for all parents and educators the practical principles and

righteous ideas for training children on upright behavior and true

Muslim morals. Among these are:

I. Warning Against Blind Mimicry

Here, AI·Bukhiiri and Muslim related that the Prophet it; said,

"Behaye differemly Jrom fhe alheists by .~having fhe mus/{Jehe and

keeping the beard", or aner the relation of Muslim, "CUi off the

mous/{Jche, ami keep the beard, and thus be different from the

Magan!". As related by At-Tirmidhi, the lIadith runs tb us.

"Anyone of Wi who dOll.'l the garb of olh,.rs is 1101 on/! of us; do no,

don the garb of Jews or Christians." Another Efadith also related by

At-Tirmidhi says, "LeI /lot (myo/le oj you be an opportunist who

would say, 'J go wilh my company; if they do good, J do the like; if

they behave bodly, I do the same.' But gel into tM hahil of doing

good if the people do good; (llld if they mi.

misbehavior. "

TIll: Rr;$ponlibilily fo' Etbical t:.doc.lIion ============="

2. Forbidding E"eessi~e Enjo)'ment

Here we have the divine words, "Thereafter, indeed YOII will be

definitely questiollel} aboU/ bliss." Also we have the lfadirh related

by Imiun A~m ad al"tcr MU1i'z Ibn Jabal 4;;, in a traceable Hwlilh ,

"Beware of excessive elljoymem./or the Irlte worshippers oJ AIMII do

nOl indlllg~ ill ~.1:t('.\'si\'~ enjo)'ment . ..

In the two authentic books, it is related that 'Vmar Ibn A I-~~auah

I.!:o wrOle to the Muslims in Persia, saying, "Beware of excessive

enjoyment and the garbs of polytheists." What is intended by

enjoyment here is to be immersed in what is delicious, and to roll

over incessantly in wealth and luxury.

3. Music and Dissolute Singing

In a Ha(H;h by the Prophet ~ related by Al-Bu~~ari, A~mad

and Ibn Miijuh, we read, "Indeed there will be in my nation some

peopll! who regard "'hlltery permissible, wearing silk, drink;,lg wine,

and playing mll:,.;e permissible." Another flad[th related by At·

Tirmidhi after AbCt Mus.! .;. says, "Anyolle who listells 10 songs,

will not be allOlwd 10 /isrell 10 Ihe rallhance/n (recilers 0/ the

Qtlr'an) in the Garden." Needless to say that anyone with

discernment would realize that listening to such prohibitions

leads the young to the abernltions of sex. luxury, depravity and

immorahty!

4. Effeminacy

In the two aUlhentic books after Sa'id Ibn AI·Musayyab, we

read. "Once Mu'iiwiyah came to Madinah and addressed us, and

then brought a ball of hair and said, 'I never saw anyone with his

hair like tbis, except the Jews. The Messenger of AlIiih called it

forgery." In thc words related by Muslim, MU'awiyah was

reported to havc sa id, "You have done mischief by adopting

such evil clothing, and the Prophet forhade such forgery."

Again, it is reported after A I-Bu~~ari, Abu Dfiwud, and AtTirmidhi

from Ibn Abbas. that the Messenger of Alhlh ~ said,

"May Ihe CU'.!e of Alliih fall upon Ihe effeminate men. a"d "irile

wome". "' In the wording of Al]mad, Abu D5.wud, and Ibn Miljah,

the Prophet G: said, " M II), Ihe cune of AI/ah/all on women acling

like me". u."d me" aCling like women."

Then Abu D,lwud relates after Ali ., ." saw the Messenger of

Allah ~ take a piece of silk cloth 111 his right hand, and a piece of

gold in his left, and said, 'Surely Ihis i~ forbidden I" IIIe moles 0/

my nalion.-·

So wigs, using gold ornaments, or si lk clothes for men is not

pennissible. Similarly, effeminacy, adopting virility, and being

partly-dressed but partly-bare on the part of women all of these are

elTeminate and dissolute manners, and lead to effacing virility and

humiliating the human personality.

5. Unveiling, flaunting, Intermixing and Prohibited Viewing

In Surah AI-Ahzab Allah SiiiI says,

T:': j g~l .;it~ ~ .....,...., _ u:. ._•.1 .' .... ~ , :\; &l ~-' :'t"i w' StC' SJ,..':'"!-i :: ~ 'Ii (~I£ _ ? __ '~'::'> _~ .JJ _ ~~ ""_

~ ( . ..f; ~j , ~I .;:;:,~ 0} -;.;

"0 P,opltert Tell )"our wi" es ilnd )"our daughlers and Ihe wOmen of

Ihe belie"ers 10 drilW Iheir cloilks ( reils) illl o~er Ihei' hodies. Thill

""ill be beller, Ihililhey s/rould he known (us free respec/Qble women)

so tU nol 10 be annoyed. And A/liilr ;, fi~er Oft-Forgi.ing, Most

Mt~tif"I." (At.A!"".ab, 59)

Allah Ifi says in Suralr An-Nur:

t;> ':4 ;,il ~ ~ &1 4-; : ;::-1) ~'i:<'; ~/i,1 ~ ~\;,: ~jjj j ,

0 ·',"-- /"., ,"" - " : ,:;.;:- - -.' . _ . ,- - "~ ' ..... -,--- "Y. '*'""-:i "'-'-!:I-. '.J"*,"..tJ . " ,,&a..-M1 ir.':' -• .. _ ~.j.J .... "~

"- , .. ' ''1';1 ":: . /" ., 1- ~ " --, , ~ -- .-"- ii','; .' 'I': ... '-"':::'~ • ~""'" ~:I-. ~ ...... ,r- do '1; ~~.J .

"Tell lire INlie"ing men to lo ... er tlrei, gaze (from looking ilt

forbidd~n Ihings), and prol~cl tMir private parts (from iJl~gal sexual

aeu). That is purer for Ihem. Verily, Alliih is AII-AI<'QU ofl<'hm they

do. And tell the be/iaing ,.'omen 10 lower lheir ca;e (from looking at

forbidden/hings) and protect their prif'ate parH (from i1f~gal sexual

acu) ano not 10 show off Iheir adarnment uupt only that which is

appaunt and 10 dral<' their veils Of'er Their bosoms and not 10 r"v~al

thcir adornment except to their husbanos,.," (An-Nur, 30-31)

As for nmuntin!;, we have the command:

~ ]}-1[ i ;tf;ii :e. .:::;;;. 1.; ZNf. -! ~.; ,

"And stay in your hOUse.l, and do not display yourseb'cs like thul

of thc lim~J of ignorance," (Al·Ahmb, 33)

Here, we have Imam Muslim in his ~{Ii~\ after AbU Humimh

4;0 that the Prophet 3: said, 'Two categories are desrinedfor Hell,

and I have nm seen Ihem, a category Ihol holds whips similar 10

cows' loils; wilh Ihese whips, they beat human beillgs. Another

cOlegory is a band of women portly-d,essed, parlly-bare, swaying

righl and left trying 10 al/ract men '.I allen/ion, Ih eir hair drooping

like camels' h"mps. These (people) will nOI enter Ihe Garden, lind

will nOI even smell ils scent, although ils scem nUl be smelled 01 a

dislallCe of jh'e hum/red seaSOM.

Forbiddillg Illtermillgiing of the $(,xcs

Allah IIIlI has forbiddell intermixing, for He says,

,J. ~ '!- !(". 'I';;, " 11 :~i" ~ - , " 1, .: , '.~ ' :'. '~LI ' " l. "' .Jt'?'-' ("~ A'" ,...,''> 'i1..t- .'.u ~ ...:.,.~ ..:;.. ,,"~L- l>1.o ,.

"A"d "'he" you ask ( hi .• ",ives) fo, any,MIIK you ",an" ask Ihrm

f~om be/rirld a .Iueen: ,h", is pure~ for your he",1S und for l/reir

/rearts." (At-Ahzab, 53)

Here we also have the lIadllh, related by At-Tinnidhi Ihat the

M es~ ngcr :i: said, "Lei 110/ any man have I'ri"acy wilh a ,,"oman,

jar rlten, Solan will be Ih eir third."

84 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PartTwo

Again, in the two authentic books (AS'-Sa~i~ay,,), the Messenger

of Allah iJl; is quoted as saying, "Beware of emer;ng places where

women rt;>Jide! "Then a man said, "0 Messenger of Alliih, even ir he

is a relative of the husband?" Then the Prophet answered, "A

re/alive (in this cas!!) is tkoth." Finally, we have the lIadiih related

by Imam Muslim, that the Prophet i!; said when he was asked

about an unintended sudden look, "Turn your look away."

SO II should now be understood that when human communities

and nations adopt such Divine principles, and adopt such modes

of behavior and avoid all attributes alien 10 righteousness and

virtues such as: unveiling, intermingling of the sexes, and all sorts

of prohibitions, then such communities will undoubtedly lead a

life of purity and ~irtue, enjoy peace and securi ty, and could

aspire to achie~e happiness and glory. Such are, dear parents and

educators, the main educational principles and practical methods

set by lshim for ethical behavior, the growth of personal morality,

and good manners.

Finally, we have to remind ourselves of the role of close

observation and the heavy responsibility on our part to ensure

the righteous beha~ior of our children If we search for the causes

for dissolute morality of children and their de~iant beha~ior, we

shall find it resulting from our disregard of the trust on the part

of parents, and neglecting their education and guidance.

Some Causes or Children's Deviation

I. A father that may show laxity in observing that his children

should not mix with evil associates, from whiCh they acquire

many of their pauerns of devious and immoral behavior.

2. A father who allows his children to attend shows that otTer

scenes of dissolute behavior, or that prescnt films of violence.

Such a father is actually pushing them into an abyss of perilous

destruction.

3. A father who does not stop his children from buying immoral

papers and magat.incs, or from readIng erotic books, will not

stop his children from 1lbomlnation and vicco

4. A fat her who is lenient about veiling his spouse and daughters,

and i~ ht-edless of their unveiling and flirting, or their minghng

WIth other flirting companions, such a father is helping h,s

children to fall into vice and dishonor; and this may end up with

delilcment. and voiding their chastity. Then neither remorse nor

lears would be of any avail. It wo uld be necessary for a father to

have a look at his children's desks and observe thelT writings: fo r

It m1ly be that these children acquire wh'Hever they like in the

way of pornographic pictures, wa nton papers, or love-letters;

and here strict supervision is badly nceded.

To Parents and Educators

With all that we have presented of the Messe nger's insistence on

the right behavior of c hildren, with a1lthat has been said that right

behavior is an outcome of true belief, with all of the vicious

influenccs to which your children arc subjected, with all that has

been presented aOOut the reasons for deviant chanlctcr, and

dissou lte behavior, it Sf..'Cms now there is no other way, except that

you adopt a resolute stand fo r all religious values in the upbringing

of your children . II is towards them whom you have to shoulder

your responsibili ty for their education, teaehmg and care. You

have to know that any negligence in this rcspt'Ct, would lead them

to grow impotent, dissolute. and vicious.

So be apprehensive of the warnings rrom Allah. and be very

observant of their behavior. Such observance will definitely help

towards Sf..'Cing your c hildren flourishing before your eyes, as

brilliant youths in society, as if they were angels tread"'g on lhe

earth, se<:ure and serene.

Chapter Three

The Responsibility for Physical Eduealion

By responsibility for physical education, we mean the parents'

and educato~' responsibility for bringing up the children healthy

and sound in body. He re is presented the sound di scipline

presented by Islam for such sound upbnngmg:

I. PrOliding for the Family:

The Qur'an gives us the Words of Allah lEI,

~ :,..t,:l.~ ~~ ~~ ~ J;il ~-' ,

"but the fathe~ of the ehUd shall bear the e05t oJ tM motMr s Jood

and dOlhing on a reasonable basis ... " (AI. flaqarah , 233)

Here, we have lm:im Muslim relating that the Prophet i!6: said,

"A diniir paid in the way of AI/iih. and a dinar yo" paid for the

freedom of a 5/0>1', and a dintir you ga~e as dona/ion 10 an indigent,

and a dindr you paid for your family-the grealesl reward will be for

the dfntir >'011 paid for your fam ily."

Thus, we find that the Prophet S: condemns the failure to

maintain the rights of children, and avarice in providing fo r them.

Hence, AbU Diiwud and others relate that the Prophet ~ said "II

is enQugh vice far a person to destroy those whom he sustains." The

same lIl11/illr was related by Imam Muslim, saying, " II is enough

viet for a person to keep back provision f rom Ihose whom he is /he

Oil" rl!sponsible for." Provision here includes healthy food, sanitary

housing, sui table clothes to make sure that they grow up sound,

and safe from di5ellse.

2. Follol'l'ing the Precepts ror Healthy Food, Drink and Sleep

One of the leading precepts of the Prophet $ is not 10 be

excessive in feeding and drinking; for it is related by A~ad and

At·Tinnidhi that the Prophet llt. said, "/n no .... ay does the son of

Adam (0 hllman being) fill a I'essel worse than hefills his belly. It is

enough for Itim 10 eal afel\' morsels to keep his backbone steady. If

ever he needs more, tllen one third (of Itis stomach) would be for

food, anO/ha lhird for his beverage.~, (lnd one third for brealhillg."

Concerning beverages, "Drinking shoaid he Iwice Or three limn;

and respiration in Ihe drinking I'essel is 10 be forbid/len: and drinking

while slanding is also fo rbidden. "

For sleep, he prescribes, "Sleeping should be on Ihe righl sideJor

sleeping on lire Ie/I .• ide may hUrllhe hearl. and hamper respiralion.·'

Here, AI-Bukhan and Muslim relale that AI-Bara Ibn 'Azib ~

reported thallhe Messenger of Alhlh ~ said, " When you inlmd 10

go /0 bed. Ihen perform abl!nion for prayer. alld sleep On your righl

side, and soy, 'Supplicaled be You. Alliihi I submi/ myself 10 You: I

set my/au towards You: Ilrave entrusled my affairs 10 Yorl: l/rllve

resorted wilh my back 10 You , wilh all longing allli awe 10 You.

There is 110 refuge or delivertmce exceptio You. I believe in Ihe Book

You have Ilenl do .... n , amllhe Prophet You haveselll·. So, le/lhese he

lire final words you say before }'OU sleep_"

3, Caution Concerning InreelioLIS Diseases

Here we have Imam Muslim and Ibn Majah and others relating

Jabir Ibn 'Abdulliih's narration thai in a delega tion from Thaqir

that came to the Prophet 3 there was a leper. The Prophet 3: said

to him from afa r. "Go back, we have already accepled your

allegiance."' Again, we have in the ~atl0 of Al·)}ukhari that the

Messenger of Alhlh 4: sa id, "Flee away/rom Ihe leper as much as

you flee f rom a Iion. '-

In A~-$atli~aY/J, we have the Haditlt narrated by Abu Hurairah

that the Prophet $ said. ··Be .... are af lire inlermixing of lire sick " ",/

Ihe heallhy.·· So it is incumbent on educators to seclude anyone

suffering from a contagious sickness from the rest of the children,

to avoid the spread or Ihe disease, and Ihe danger of an epidemic.

88 ~========================================~ r."Two

4. Treatment by Medication

Imiim Muslim. A~mad , and others related after labir Ibn

'Abdullah that the Prophet said. "For every ailment there is a

remedy: so if the remedy is righl. recovery is sIt,e with the permission

of Allah lit. Also in the Musnad by Imam A~mad. after Usamah

Ibn Shurayk, who said, "I was in the company of the Prophet 3-

when some Arabs came, and said, "0 Messenger of Allah! Shall we

take medicine? So he said, Yes. 0 YOII bondmen 0/ Allah, do lake

medicine; for surely Alliihf'Jihas "Her prescrim-d any sickness

WilhlJrll prescribing the cure for iI, except Jar one sickness." So they

asked, "Whlll is ilr' He said, 'Sellilily' ,"

Thus, parents and educators have to accept these directives by

the Prophet :t to take good care of their children in case of

ailment. and treating their sickness. since taking precutionary

measures is one of the principles of Islam.

5. The Concept or "No Harm and No RtX:iprocating Injury"

In this respect, we find Malik, Ibn Majah and Ad-Daraqutni

relating after AbU S5.';d AI-Khudr; that the Messenger of Allah 3:

said, "No harm. alld 110 reciprocQ/ing injury."

This l-fadith has been considered by jurists and lega l lheorists as

one of the important legislative pn.'CCpIS prescribed by Islam.

According to this concept, educators, and especially mothers, have

10 make sure that their children ohserve samtar), instructions and

precautions for their sound upbringing. and healthy physical

growth. Some of these instructions and concepts arc:

I. Eating ripe fruits , and avoiding unripe ones.

2. Washing fruits and vegelables before eating them.

3. Eating meals al regular limes.

4. Washing hands before and after meals.

So observing such instructions is a guarantee that the children

will grow up healthy and sound in body.

6. I'hysical Education and Hor~manship

Allah ~ says,

"And mab ready against th~m all you can of POK'I'r, induJing .teds

of .. ·ar (tanks, plaMs, missiles. wlille. ),} ... " (Al.Anfil. foO)

Here we find Imam Mushm relat ing that the Prophet ~ said,

"A strong belie.-u is more gracious anti more helMed by AI/ah tban a

weak belie.-er. ··

That is, Ishim I, always calling upon Muslims to learn how to

swim, archery and horsemanship.

7. Leading a Simple, Moderately Pleasureable ute

Thus we have Imam A~mad relating after Mu'adh Ibn Jabal

this traceable Had,'h, "Beware of immoderately pleasurable Ii/e,for

tbe true bondmen of Alliih are nOI of that .wrt." Here, the

Messenger e is the model and exemplar in his very simple but

tough life as regards to food , clothing and housing. How

becoming it is for our Muslim generations to follow his example

and adopt his rulings and mode of life!

8. Srriousnl'SS, Diligence. and Keeping Away from Laxity and

Dissoluteness

Again, we find imam Muslim relating that the Prophet *

said, "Uphold what is uufulto you, seek help from Alliih , and do

no/ feel impOlenl. "

Of course, it is self-evident that if the child is brought up in an

atmosphere of laxity and dissolutelless. he will grow disrupted alld

of an intricate character. Hence, educators have to make sure that

the children are brought up with a sense of diligence, simplicity,

confidence, and self-respect, and to be kept away from disruptiOll

and r~'ebleness in body and mind. These are the basic concepts

offered by Isl5m for child education.

Through the upholding of these concepts, the young generation

will enjoy healthy and sound bodies 3nd characters; and in this

case, you have fulfi lled your trust and perfonncd the duly thaI

Allah WI has put into your charge. Howevcr, the re are olher

seriolls problems we can observe among the young and old,

especially adolescents; and these problems must be taken care of,

so that they can be remedied, and their harmful efTects can be

e~plained. These serious problems facing the young and old may

be summed up in the following:

I. Smoking 2. Masturbation

3. Drinking and Narcotics 4. Adultery and Sodomy.

I, The Problem of Smoking

One of the most disconcerting phenomena nowadays is

smoking, which has become widespread. At some length, this

phenomena may be discussed as follows:

a. Dangers resulting from smoking.

b. The laws of Shari'ah as regards to smoking.

c. How to deal with the problem.

a. Physical ~nd psycbologic~1 dangers: it is now proven beyond doubt

that smoking results in the disastrous effects of lung disease, as well

as the loss of memory, loss of appetite, paleness, problems with

respiration and nervous systems and physical ill health.

b. Financial dangers: of course, smoking as a daily habit does

eventually le3d to financial problems, which would then lead to

family conflicts since, )fl most cases, smoking may mean

encroachment on daily provisions for the house and its inhabitants.

The laws or Shari'ah against smoking

a. [\ is a ruling unanimously agreed upon that anything thaI leads

to harm or ruin must be avoided. Here, we have the Hadllh

related by A~mad and Ibn Majah, that the Messenger of Allah

"' said, "No harm, and no reciprocaling injury." Since smoking is

considered physically harmful, then avoiding smoking is

imperative, and thus prohibited,

b. Smoking should be included within Al-Khaba'irlr (vicious acts)

because of the harm it entails. or course, we all know that Allah

fa made lawful all good things, and made unlawful all harmful

things. Here we have the words of Allah WI,

,"£t .~ ,-'-.; :ri ' ,-_'i ; ,r.r"J- ,". .,...-01 ."....f.. .1_;_ J' Irt .

"He allows t/rem III fllwful Ar-TayyiWir ( i.e. all good and law/ul tiS

' ''gards things, Iked" beliefs, F Tsons, and /oods), and prohibits

tMm Q$ unlawful AI-KhaJJ'itll {i.e. all e~iI and unlawfu/lls regards

things, deeds, Inliefs, persons, foods} ... " (AI·A·rif. 1~1)

c. Smoking makes the body lazy and benumbs the mind, especially in

the case of addicts. Again, we have the Messenger of Alllih e:

forbidding all sorts of slackening. benumbing and intoxicating

substances, as we have in the Hadth related by Ahmad in his

Musnad. and Abu D:iwud in his Sunan. after Umm Salamah ~

who said, "The Prophet $: forbade all slackening and

into~icating substances:' Thus all these texts by word and

meaning stress the fact that smoking is unlawful, for it has

physically and financially dangerous effects.

Treat"""nt or the Problem

Such treatment falls, first, into the hands of the State in the fonn

of a wholesale publicity campaign, in papers, magazines, radio,

and television, against smOKing, indicating dangers to health. A tax

increase on tobacco, with an increase in prices, and prohihition in

crowded places are mc~ns of fighting smoking Even adul ts who

lire smokers should have, in observance for the ordinances of

Allah, deterrent from smoking, Thus, they should have enough

resolve to wit hstand the attraction, and enough common sense to

always follow the straight path,

A. for the younger gencration, who havc the bad habit of

smoking, they should be under the strict observation of parents

and educalOrs, Fathers should try to treat the divergence of the

young, and make sure thai they are again on lhe way 10 sanity and

safelY,

2. The Problem of Masturbation

This problem is rampanl among adolescents and youths in

general. Some of the mam reawns for such a problem arc Ihe

provacativc dresses of women, intermingling in strocls, gardens

and Olher places.

Thus, theatrical and film presentations, together with books

,md magazines about love and SCll, all present one of the most

dangerous innllcnces on lhc psy~hological and moml behavior of

youth. So an adolescent, with no sense of religious awareness of

the ordinanaces of Allah, will readily fait into any of these two

alternatives: a. He would either try to satisfy his scxual desires in

other prohibited ways, or b, abate this deSIre through

masturbation.

or course, the second alternative i~ definitely hllnnful for the

body, mind and procreation. Our discussion of th is problem comes

under three headings:

1. Its harmful efTects.

2. The Sharf 'air ruling concerning this. problem.

3. Treatment.

The Harmful Effeds

lI.. l>f1 ysiclil dfects: anyone practici ng masturbation is hable to these

complications. Bodily exhaustion, shivering. heart palpitations,

and pulmonary lIIflammation in most ca~s,

b. Sexual effecls: one of the most dangerous effccts is impotence

which mcans disabi lty of man to get married or satify wife's desire_

This may lead to abstaining from marriage or hating the other sex_

This means that marriage, in such cases, will render the wife unable

to keep her integrity; and thus the couple may seck dIVorce, or the

WIfe may rind her satisfaction through immoral ways_

c. Psychological and mental df('(:ts: among the dangerous effects

here are distract ion, forgetfulness , irresoluteness, aloofness,

timidity and laxncss.

The Shad'ah Ruling

a, It is prohibited by Shari'ah. for we have the words of Allah IoiI::

~ r:~ 1':~i~ .;S::l: t: :,1 ~;Jj ~ 1) Q ~# ~ ~ Zt.l1~ ,

~ ~-,~Qi ~ ,;j;l:,t ~ ;1; J.'.i .;:. ~ ~

"And 'hose who guard their , haJ/i,y (i.e. priva,e parts,from iIIl'gal

saual acts) . Exapl from Iheir ,,·i.u or (Ihe sla~es) Ihat their right

hands poSJtsS, -for Ihen, 'hey Dr/! free/rom blDme; But ... hoe~er setks

M)'ond thar, then those are the transgresJOrs." (AI-M u'minun. 5,6.1)

So any attempt of sexual satisfaction other than through

marriage 0. e. through adultery, sodomy, or masturbation) is

prohibited_ Here, we have the Hadit h from 'Atii who said. " I heard

of a people who wi ll be mustered, wilh Iheir hands pregnant, so I

think they are those who practised mllsturbation_ Again Sa'ld Ibn

Jubayr said, 'Allah will torment a nation that used to be frivolous

with their privale parts (1)."

(I) Quolcd rrom A,h·Shaikh Muhammad AI ·~!iim;d. in hi' book •. RwdoM/ '~Ili

AU'i/" (R