When Should You Start Educating Your Children About Islam?

When should you start educating your children about Islam? This might be THE most question for us all if we are serious about our life after we die. At what age should you start telling your kids about Islam? What should you tell them? How to tell them? Is there any specific written material you should follow? Who should educate your children, mother or father, or someone else?

There are tons of questions that come to mind when talking about the education of our young generation especially in the countries where Muslims are a minority.

Islamic Education Of Children

We are going to address this question in the context of Japan. However, it may be applicable in most other places in the world as well.

What Is Islamic Education?

Islamic education educates the child with the right knowledge of Islam. Providing Islamic education allows the right knowledge of Islam to be taught to children. Parents or grandparents may not have 100% knowledge or correct information as they may not have gone to classes formally for all aspects of Islam. So, in that case, what should be the alternative?

Seerah is very important in training children. To know the life of the Prophet pbuh to know his sacrifices and to show your children his beauty. Most important of all, try to become a prophetic model in your home for your children. Make sure that they understand that your behavior is exemplary because you have been guided by the Prophet (pbuh).

How To Get Ready For Imparting Islamic Education?

It is possible that you may not have the necessary knowledge about Islam to teach your children properly. In that case, you should start learning about the basics of Islam soon after you get married. It will help you have a good family life in later years.

When should you start educating your children about Islam?

In fact, Islamic education should start even before your kids are born.  Muslim mothers should spend time a good chunk of time reacting or listening to the Quran. They should learn more and more about the life of the Prophet (pbuh). Psychologists have mentioned time and again that the best time to start educating a child to learn something specific is in his or her early childhood.  For Muslims, it is the best time to build faith in their minds. This is the time to instill the creed of Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism) and knowing Allah, the Almighty, in him

We have observed especially in Japan that most Muslims do not think about the Islamic education of their kids until these children are well into their early to mid-teens.  The problem with this approach is that a child starts learning things right after they are born. His or her personality development is already completed by the age of seven. Especially, after 14 years of age, they hardly learn anything new in terms of their personality development.  They tend to stick to whatever habits and thinking they have developed in their earlier years.  So, what important thing can you teach your children when they are already 14 years or older. Perhaps, not much.

Think about this all-important issue well in time. Do not wait until they have already formed their behaviors or attitudes about various aspects of life.

So, What Should You Teach Children About Islam?

• Say Azzzaan in a baby’s ear right after he or she is born. the effect of the Aathaan will reach the heart of the child even if he does not realize it.
• Teach your toddler the kalimah La ilaaha illa Allah (None is truly worthy of worship but Allah).”
• According to a hadith, “Command your children to perform prayer when they are seven years old, and beat them for (not offering) it when they are ten; and separate them in beds.”
• Another hadith says “Train your children to acquire three characteristics: love of your Prophet, love for the Prophet’s household and reciting the Quran; for the bearers of the Quran will be in the shade of the Throne of Allah on the Day when there will be no shade except His, with His Prophets and His chosen ones.” [At-Tabaraani]
• Teach your children three things from a tender age: The Quran, the ahadeeth, and the stories of the righteous people.