What are the rules for Muslim children?
Muslim Children in Islam: In Islam, children are seen as a blessing from Allah. Qiratul Quran will tell you some basic rules that apply to raising Muslim children:
Follow the Five Pillars of Islam
Even at a young age, children should be taught the Five Pillars of Islam – the declaration of faith, praying five times a day, giving zakat (charity), fasting during Ramadan, and performing Hajj. These pillars form the basis of Muslim life.
Emphasis on Education
Education is highly emphasized in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad said, “Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.” Parents must provide proper Islamic and secular education for their children and teach them the Quran.
Respect for Parents
Respect for parents and elders is very important in Islam. The Quran teaches that paradise lies under the feet of mothers. Children must be kind, respectful, and obedient to their parents. Talking back or harming parents is prohibited.
Modest Behavior and Dress
Even young children are expected to behave and dress modestly in Islam. Girls begin wearing the hijab once they reach puberty. Children must avoid inappropriate interactions with the opposite gender.
Dietary Restrictions
Muslim children must only eat halal food, avoiding pork and alcohol. Fasting during Ramadan is encouraged even for young children to teach self-restraint. Older children are expected to participate fully in the fast.
What does it mean to be a Muslim child?
Being a Muslim child means embracing Islam from an early age. Key aspects include:
Daily prayers
Children are taught to pray from around age 7. Praying five times a day is expected once kids are able to understand the rituals. This instills discipline.
Quranic studies
Muslim children typically attend evening classes (madrassas) to memorize and study the Quran and Islamic studies. This builds a strong faith foundation.
Participating in Ramadan
Fasting during Ramadan is encouraged for kids around age 7-8, even if only for half a day. This teaches empathy for the poor and self-control.
Understanding modesty
Muslim kids are taught the importance of modesty, humility, and avoiding sinful behaviors like lying, cheating, and stealing. Girls wear loose clothing and headscarves.
Giving to charity
Children are encouraged to give a portion of gift money or earnings to Zakat. This satisfies a Pillar of Islam and teaches philanthropy.
Avoiding haram
Children must avoid acts forbidden in Islam – drinking alcohol, eating pork, mixing with the opposite gender. Parents carefully protect Islamic morals.
Respecting elders
Respect for parents, grandparents, and elders is essential. Talking back or arguing is forbidden. Youth are expected to care for aging parents.
How to treat children in Islam?
Islam emphasizes treating children well and protecting their rights. Some guidelines include:
With fairness
Children must be treated fairly and equally, with no favoritism among siblings. Parents should be just and listen to all sides.
With patience
Parents must be patient, gentle, and in control of their anger when dealing with children. Yelling or hitting children is forbidden in Islam.
With love
Showing affection, smiling, playing, and gentle care are encouraged. The Prophet kissed and hugged the children. Verbal praise also motivates.
With wisdom
Parents should explain rules and discipline wisely in an age-appropriate way. They must model good behavior for children to emulate.
With respect
Children’s dignity, intellect, and effort should be respected. Parents should not belittle or insult children’s abilities and hard work.
With responsibility
As they grow, children are given religious duties and household chores to develop a sense of responsibility. But tasks must be age-appropriate.
With teaching
Parents have a duty to teach moral values, etiquette, the Quran, prayers, fasting, history, and respect for elders, starting from a young age.
Who has more rights over a child in Islam?
According to Islamic teachings, the mother has the greatest rights over her children, followed by the father.
The Mother’s Rights
- The mother faces greater pain and effort in bearing and raising children, so she has more rights.
- Paradise lies under her feet, showing her elevated status.
- A man must obey and respect his mother over his father.
- Muslim kids must treat their mothers gently and lovingly.
The Father’s Rights
- The father is financially responsible for the children’s needs, education, and marriage expenses.
- The father must protect and teach the children, treat them fairly, and raise them to be moral Muslims.
- Fathers must spend responsibly on children before themselves. Children have a right to their father’s wealth.
- Children must respect and obey their father, as he is the head of the household.
Parents’ Joint Duties
- Together parents have a duty to raise children as morally upright Muslims, providing security, education, discipline, and fair treatment. This is a huge responsibility entrusted to them by Allah.
How many children do Muslims normally have?
- Historically, Muslim families tended to have large numbers of children. The Prophet encouraged Muslims to marry and have children.
- The Quran mentions that wealthy people should marry off their unmarried dependents, including relatives, slaves, and children of slaves. This allowed larger household sizes.
- With no strict limits on the number of wives or concubines, Muslim men could have children with multiple women leading to bigger families.
- Lack of birth control access also contributed to larger families.
- Today, Muslim families tend to have an average of 2-3 children. Some traditional families still have bigger sizes.
- The shift is mainly due to urbanization, education, availability of family planning resources, and the financial challenges of raising many kids.
- Despite smaller family sizes, children are still highly valued and Islam prohibits abortion unless the mother’s health is at very serious risk.
How to behave with children in Islam?
Islam teaches important lessons on how to interact with children in a positive manner:
Be affectionate
Showing love and affection is encouraged. The Prophet hugged and kissed the children. Gently playing with kids is permitted.
Be patient
Children can be rambunctious and make mistakes. Parents must deal with disruptive behavior patiently, not in anger.
Be fair
Children must be treated equally and fairly. Comparing siblings negatively or favoring one child is discouraged.
Be wise
Discipline and teaching should be done in a wise way suitable for the child’s age and level of understanding.
Be gentle
Yelling at or physically harming children is forbidden. Parents must be disciplined gently and respectfully.
Be responsible
Children need caretakers who are responsible and good role models. Leaving young children alone is prohibited. Teens also need monitoring.
Be a teacher
Parents must be actively involved in educating children in both Islamic and secular education appropriate for their ability.
Be encouraging
Children need motivation to build confidence and self-esteem, which comes from verbal praise for efforts.
Be trusting
Allow children some freedom to make age-appropriate choices. Monitoring and discipline from a distance teaches self-control.
What is the Islamic style of parenting?
Islamic parenting balances care for Muslim Children in Islam with discipline:
Kindness and affection
Showing love, being gentle, hugging, and praising children are encouraged. Yelling or hitting is forbidden.
Instilling moral values
Parents must raise children to be honest, kind, humble, responsible, and obedient to elders. Moral instruction begins early.
Respect for elders
Children must respect their parents, grandparents, and elders. Talking back or arguing with parents is prohibited.
Religious instruction
Learning the Quran, prayers, fasting, and Islamic studies start in childhood. Parents must provide religious education.
Fair treatment
No favoritism between siblings; children should be disciplined and rewarded equally. Comparing kids is discouraged.
Protecting innocence
Children must be shielded from adult themes and behaviors until they mature. Dating and inappropriate media are forbidden.
Self-control and discipline
Parents must teach children to control impulses, delay gratification, manage anger, avoid lying, and fulfill duties. Strict discipline gradually relaxes as a child matures.
Responsibility
As they grow, children are assigned chores and duties around the house to develop a sense of responsibility. Tasks must suit age.
What is haram for children in Islam?
Haram means ‘forbidden’ in Arabic. Some acts are considered haram and thus prohibited for Muslim Children in Islam:
Consuming alcohol
Alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden, even in small amounts. Parents must prevent access.
Eating pork
Pork and pork products are labeled haram and must be avoided. Checking food ingredients for pork is key.
Dating and premarital relations
Dating, premarital, or extramarital relations are prohibited. Interactions with the opposite gender must be restricted.
Revealing clothing
Modest, loose clothing must be worn after a certain age. Tight or revealing outfits are haram.
Inappropriate media
Music, movies, and images that contain profanity, sexuality, or violence should be avoided.
Disrespecting elders
Talking back, arguing, or harming parents or elders is forbidden. Utmost respect for parents and grandparents is expected.
Missing prayers
Once obligated, children cannot skip five daily prayers without a valid excuse. Parents must enforce prayer habits.
Consuming blood
Consuming blood is prohibited, so meat must be thoroughly cooked and drained of blood.
Fortune-telling
Believing in magic, astrology, or fortune-telling is considered haram as only Allah knows the future.
Stealing
Taking something without permission is strictly prohibited, even small items. Children must ask first.
