The Child In Islam

This book is a mothers’ book—not that it can’t be read by fathers as well—the outgrowth of a mothers’ study group which met in Kuwait before the Gulf War, focused on rearing children in an Islamic way. The mothers were mostly American and British converts to Islam, although in cosmopolitan Kuwaitthere were women from many other backgrounds. The group was an offshoot of meetings for English-speaking Muslim women, held weekly in the home of Sister Zainab Ashry in Kuwait for more than ten years prior to the Gulf War. From their knowledge of Islam, the women involved wanted to study the implications of their faith on their child-rearing practices. The first step was to collect information—any Qur’anic verse or hadith—that a participant found relevant. Other information was collected from such knowledgeable people and books as were available. Monthly discussions were organized on different topics. Since the war, some of the participating sisters have returned to Kuwait, but many of our group are now scattered all over the world. All the notes and papers collected by the study group were in my home in Kuwait when the invasion occurred; fortunately my husband was able to salvage them and bringthem here to our new home in the States. I felt an obligation to compile this collected information to share with other Muslims, especially converts like myself. My deepest thanks must go to my husband, whose support and cooperation gave me the means to carry out this task. This book begins with the birth of a child to Muslim parents, and the traditional Islamic response to the birth, following the example of Prophet Muhammad (S). Very few specific actions are defined, and these mostly relate to practices at the time of birth. All of these fall into the category of sunnah (following the Prophet’s example or what he approved of in others), and though highly recommended, they are not fard (obligatory) actions. Aside from these few simple practices carried out when a baby comes into the world, Islam has no ceremonies devoted exclusively to children—no first communion, no coming-of-age celebrations. Children are not segregated into a special world separate from that of adults; they are members of families in the great, embracing cycle of human life. The family supports them when they are young; they support the family in their productive years, and in old age they are again supported by the family. They grow and develop gradually in a system that encourages growth and learning, but places little emphasis on milestones and anniversaries. A large portion of this book is given to defining relationships from the Qur’an and hadith. To understand the significance of the child in Muslim society, it is necessary to recognize the total number and value of his or her relationships within it, which are different from the relationships defined by other societies. Chapter 1 includes some of the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad that apply to the newborn. Chapter 2 describes the nature of the child’s relationship with Allah and the spiritual world, with some suggestions for encouraging spiritual awareness. Chapter 3 contains Qur’anic verses and ahadith relevant to the child’s relationship with his or her parents. In light of these definitions, and with reference to the Islamic teachings concerning morals, manners, and the purpose of life, an attempt is made in chapters 4, 5, and 6 to present an organized structure dealing with the practical how-to of rearing a child in an Islamic way, from a parent’s viewpoint. Chapters Introduction ix 7 and 8 progressively broaden out the child’s world by adding brothers and sisters, extended family, and community relationships. The practical suggestions for improving relationships among adult family members, in order to pave the way for improving the child’s relations with his or her extended family, are an important aspect of chapter 8. The only relationship which really changes for the child as he or she grows up is that of accountability to Allah, since no child is accountable for his or her actions before reaching the age of understanding. All other relationships develop and deepen as the child grows but remain basically the same, for the general commands to honor parents, show respect to elders, be gentle with younger ones, and honor family ties continue for a Muslim throughout his or her life. I pray to Allah that this book may bring only good to mothers and their children, and that He protect them from any mistakes or misunderstandings. I have done my best to prepare the material contained within it in a suitable manner and hope to see other literature published on this important subject, expanding and enriching it. While I alone am responsible for the contents, I am deeply indebted to the many sisters who helped collect references and discussed the practical implications of our findings. I have no list to prompt me and consequently may have unwittingly forgotten some names, but I well remember Terry, Lianna, Salma, Noura, Mia, Khadijah, Sandra, Hicleir, Debbie, Sara, Maryam, Aneesah, Dianne, Karen, Kauthar and Nawal from Kuwait, all of us working together on this project. My friend Daaiyah Saleem in Ohio has also been very helpful, offering many suggestions for improvement and clarification as she aided in proofreading. My sister-in-law Ghada, of course, has helped along the way. In the course of preparing this book for publication, sister Zeba Siddiqui was chosen by the publisher to edit the text. I have known Zeba, a mother of four and a grandmother, and author of several excellent childrens’ books as well as the THE CHILD IN ISLAM Parent’s Manual: A Guide for Muslim Parents Living in North America, for several years. When I heard she had taken on this task, I asked her to add anything she felt was missing, from her years of experience and knowledge of the subject. She has supplied all of the hadith reference numbers in the text, in itself an enormous task. In addition to editing, she has filled out and amplified several topics, checking and adding material where needed. The sections on the Hereafter, tahara, respect for religion, and hospitality are prepared and written by her. It was only fair therefore that her name should appear on the title page of this book in recognition of her valuable contribution. I am deeply grateful to her for her help and input. I also need to thank my children, who suffered through my learning experience and projects for self-improvement in parenting skills, and my mother, whose life-long interest in the growth and development of children helped me understand the importance of the matter and the need for a book such as this. A final note, to the book’s non-Muslim readers: I have chosen to use the word Allah throughout the book instead of the word God. The words are interchangeable in English for Muslims, but all of the women involved in this project have the habit, indeed, they have the love of referring to God, the God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, by His Arabic name, Allah.

This book is the result of the first comprehensive research, carried out within the framework of Islamic Studies, on childhood in medieval Muslim society. It deals with the images of children, with adults' attitudes towards them, and with concepts of childhood as reflected in legal, theological, philosophical, ethical and medical writings as well as works of belles lettres. The studies included in this volume are based on the historical-philological methodology enriched by a comparative approach towards the subject.

Engaging, Colorful, and Fun Islamic book for kids This book is not like other Islamic books for children under 3! It is filled with good Islamic morals, manners, and stories that introduce your Toddler to essential Islamic Foundations. "My First Islamic Book for Children under 3" has been created in recognition of the need for books that tell the stories of Islam for small children. Most of the Islamic educational and storybooks for children available today are either lacking in authenticity or are written in a language that is difficult for young children to understand. "My First Islamic Book for Children under 3" is written in a way that toddlers and pre-school age children can easily understand. The author made these stories as authentic as possible by taking stories and information from the Quran, Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Bukhari, Muslim, and other authentic Hadith books and simplifying the language and adding context that children can understand, without changing the intended meaning. This simple language results from an interactive reading process between the author and her then three-year-old son. The author kept editing and simplifying the text until her son was able to understand it easily. About the Author Julia Hanke was born and raised in Germany. She converted to Islam at the age of 17 and took the name Hafsa to have a Muslim identity. Hafsa studied Education and Islamic Sciences at a famous German University. At the moment, she is homeschooling her three children. Well suited for Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers, and even very beneficial for children up to 10 years of age! Teach your children who Allah is, His authentic Names and Attributes, and what they mean for every Muslim. Which morals and lessons can we draw from Allah's Names and Attributes? Which name should we use in which dua in which situation? Find out in this book. A must-read for every Muslim.

The love of Allah is already instilled in our children’s hearts, and it is our duty as parents to help nurture and sustain that love. We must teach our children at an early stage what Islam is, who our Creator is, and what the Holy Quran is, so they can develop a strong and loving bond for them, making it easier for them to grow up with a healthy Islamic mindset and lifestyle. Getting to Know & Love Islamchildren’s bookaims to introduce the basics of Islam to kids in an easy, fun, and educational way. Every page introduces a vital component of Islam, along with an illustration for your child to better understand & appreciate. This is one of the best Islamic Children's books on Amazon!

This beautiful 26-page colorful book introduces Islamic terminology to Muslim babies in a fun and educational way. ★★ My Baby’s First Islamic Words ★★ book contains Islamic words from A to Z along with illustrations on each page so they can help stick to your child’s brain. These are important words that your child will eventually need to learn, and this book gives them a head start! This cute Islamic book for toddlers is amongst the best Islamic books for babies offered on Amazon! Grab your copy now! Note, this is an Islamic paperback book for babies & toddlers & young kids and is not an Islamic board book for babies & kids. This book makes a great first Quran for toddlers or my first Quran storybook for children as it makes a great introduction for our young ones & a great gift of Ramadan or Eid book! Check out The Sincere Seeker’s Collection for future greatest stories from the Quran books, Ramadan books for toddlers & Islamic storybooks for toddlers in English and for UK buyers. ♥♥ About The Sincere Seeker Kids Collection ♥♥ The most significant & longest-lasting inheritance you can gift your child as a parent is a proper Islamic upbringing & knowledge of Islam. As a parent, you must teach your children about Allah (God), the Holy Quran, the religion & lifestyle of Islam, & about Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Every parent must instill interest & love for Islam among their children at an early age, so they can grow up with an Islamic mindset & lifestyle. Every household must set a daily time to develop and grow their child’s connection with Allah to nourish their souls. Just like our physical bodies need food & water to grow & nourish, our souls need the remembrance of Allah & the recitation of the Holy Quran to enrich, nourish, & give life to our souls. The Sincere Seeker Kids Collection is designed to introduce and teach your children the essentials they need to know about Allah (God), the Holy Koran, Islam, Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, Hadith for kids, the five pillars of Islam, the 6 articles of faith in Islam, & more in an easy, fun, & educational way. The love of Allah is already instilled in our children’s hearts, and it is our duty as parents to help develop, nurture, & sustain that love & bond at an early age. A fun way to start introducing these concepts to your children is through reading to them & encouraging them to read. Nothing beats sitting with your children & bonding with them with beneficial & interesting concepts of Islam & the Coran. Every page in each book introduces a topic with delightful, colorful illustrations to help your children understand & appreciate each component of Islam. The Sincere Seeker’s Islamic Online Bookstore contains some of Amazon’s best-selling Islamic books for adults, kids, & new converts to the Islamic Religion. These Muslim Books make great Eid gift books for kids & Ramadan books for Kids include Quran books, Hadith books, goodnight stories from the Quran for kids, Islamic stories for children, Ramadan books for kids, Prophets stories for kids, Islamic board books, Islamic books for babies, preschool Islamic books, Islamic books for toddlers, Quran for kids, books for new converts, stories of the Prophets from the Quran for kids, & more. Purchase your Islamic children's books from the Sincere Seeker Islamic Online Shop now!

Children are without doubt an amazing blessing of Allah Ta'ala. With their arrival while still being unable to speak, they give their parents a very powerful message: that the roles of these two individuals have now forever changed. From being a carefree youthful couple they have now transformed into a caring set of parents, whom the child will soon lovingly refer to as mum and dad.But as every parent knows, with children also comes an enormous responsibility that had never before been experienced. The parents both collectively and as individuals are now responsible for a life other than their own. O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones. at Tahrim 66:6 The above injunction of the Qur'an gives magnitude to the responsibility that accompanies parenthood. This has been further explained by the Prophet of Allah Ta'ala: Everyone of you is a shepherd (over your families), and every one of you will be questioned about his flock. al-Bukhari and Muslim It is clear that if anything has a divine injunction, it is no small matter. We should understand from this that if we are negligent of this duty of upbringing children then both we and our offspring, and in turn, their offspring will suffer in both this world and the Hereafter. If on the other hand we are vigilant and attentive to the responsibilities involved, we, our children and in turn their children will benefit. This benefit will be in this world, in the form of mutual love, affection and caring and also in the Hereafter through attaining the eternal pleasure of Allah Ta'ala. This booklet touches upon various issues revolving around bringing up children. Through this we hope that our children will become a means of directly benefitting their parents in both the worlds and also benefit Muslims in general. It is hoped that it will be an eyeopener for parents and allow them a more complete and deeper understanding of Islam, and what Islam says regarding children.

Islam places great emphasis on the child, right from infancy to the age of puberty. The reason for this is to prepare him to become a good member of the community. Children learn more by example than by words. Telling our children what to do and not showing them by a good example is a hypocritical act and drives children to confusion and away from us. It is for this reason we are presenting this booklet as a guideline for those parents who are concerned about their present and future offspring

This popular classic is a must for all Muslim children, parents, and teachers. It covers the lives of the Prophets, faith, prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, morals, and manners. Learning by doing is emphasized, with plenty of fun things to do for kids 6-12 years: picture puzzles, crossword puzzles, games, coloring, and crafts, making learning about Islam enjoyable and educational. Originally published in Germany, it has already been used successfully in both Muslim homes and weekend classes. The English version has been revised and carries new illustrations. Ahmad Von Denffer was born in Germany in 1949. He studied Islamics and Social Anthropology at the Universty of Mainz, where he also attended additional courses in the Department of Missiology. His special interests include Christian-Muslim relations. He has made a number of contributions to scholarly journals and has several publications to his credit. He joined the Islamic Foundation as Research Fellow in 1978 and is presently working with the Islamic Centre, Munich.