Daily Habits for A Muslim Child
What does Islam says about Parenting?
A Muslim needs to understand his/her role as a parent. The parent is responsible to make the child responsible for its future and prepare them for the world hereafter. More importantly, Islamic parents must prepare their children to be the inheritors of Islam and hence teach them all teach to prevent themselves from the hellfire.
Parenting from an Islamic perspective is broad but revolves around 5 basic principles of Islamic parenting. The 5 principles of parenting that one must in grain while taking care of their child state:
- Children are born pure
Here it is believed that every child is born pure and pious and it is later the influence of the environment, and what he sees, hears, feels, and learns from the people around him. Every child is sinless and has no internal traits to act mischievous or rebellious. If the child does something wrong, it must be blamed on the parents and not the child.
- Parents have a responsibility to lead and guide their children
A child learns from its parents who set up a role model for their child. It is the responsibility of the parent to lead and guide the child on what is right and what is wrong as per the Islamic perspective. A parent must create a nurturing environment around the child and filter the people that enter that environment.
- Leading and guiding are done with kindness and mercy
However, to make the child understand the right values and grow into an ideal Muslim man or woman, one must not take the way of cruelty. Instead, it is imperative to lead and guide the child with dull kindness and mercy. Cuddles, playfulness, and appreciation are the true measures to take up with a child under Islamic parenting.
- Children need boundaries
Being kind and merciful does not mean that you should allow your child to do whatever pleases them. The Prophet says that it is important that you draw a line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. While it is important to offer the freedom of behavior, the child must also understand its limits.
An ideal Muslim understands their responsibilities. The child must be prepared to shoulder his/ her level of responsibilities to take major roles in the future. The child must prove itself important and useful to the society and this sense can be ingrained only in the growth years.
Read Parenting in Islam complete article.
What are the rights of children in Islam?
Islam not only tells the parents to guide and lead their child but also preaches on the rights of the children. The children must be taught their rights as well as provided with them. Islamic parenting states the following rights stating that children have a right to:
- Be fed, clothed, and protected until they reach adulthood.
- Have the respect, to enjoy love and affection from their parents.
- Be treated equally, vis-a-vis their siblings in terms of financial gifts.
To make it clearer, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal has clarified that it is justified for a parent to offer special treatment to a child if he/she is physically handicapped, blind, on any other shortcomings that make him/ her different from her siblings.
Apart from this, a Muslim child also has the right to:
- Not be forced by his/her step or birth parents.
- Be provided adequately by parents in inheritance.
- Education as much as he/she aims to receive.
Daily Habits for A Muslim Child
The parents play a crucial role in ensuring that the child grows up as a true Muslim and for it, teaching essential Islamic habits is the first step. To teach the right way to lead an Islamic lifestyle, a Muslim parent must inculcate the right manners, etiquette, and actions in the child.
To raise a true Muslim, one must develop the following daily habits in a child:
1. Greet with Salam to the person who wakes them up in the morning
2. Offer Fajr Namaz after waking up
3. Washing hands three times after waking up
4. Indulging in ablution before sleeping at night
5. Offering 5 times Namaz punctually.
6. Reciting Duas when looking into the mirror, leaving the house and entering the house, before sleeping, when putting on clothes, and more.
7. Saying ‘Bismillah’ before eating, ‘Alhamdulillah’ after eating, and ‘Alhamdulillah’ after sneezing.
8. Saying ‘YarhamukAllah’ when someone sneezes and responding to ‘YarhamukAllah’ with ‘Yahdikumullahu wa yuslihu baalakum’
9. Doing zikr of Allah when surprised, startled, angry, pleased, and more.
10. Eating with the right hand.
11. Reciting Ayat al Kursiy after every salah and before bed.
These are some habits that can grow the love of Allah in a child and make him an Islam-loving Muslim as he/she grows up.
