Going through many stages of life we often come across situations in which we control ourselves through religious boundaries. At times one thinks, what if there were no religious boundaries would there be something as a wrong or right? Would we be obligated to live our lives by a set of rules, breakage of which adds to our sins and increase chances of hell-fire? But how often does one feel the religious boundaries actually bounding. To feel such duties to our Creator one has to have the knowledge about the way of life.

There is no right or wrong time of acquiring religious knowledge, it comes to any willing person as the stages of life are passed. But in the way of life one often wishes had it come earlier the thinking process would have been refined.

Holding that thought there, during the school years I often came across schoolmates who couldn’t read Quran properly or who hadn’t had the basic knowledge about Islam. I used to wonder why they are so away from religion and why did their parents ignore them in this matter.

Nobody will deny the fact that it is the obligation of parents towards children to provide them with good education, teach them manners, matters of life etc. but what we usually see is that parents ignore the importance of religious education along with the worldly one. Yes to survive in this world we need the academic and professional skills to earn a respected living but thinking that this is all we are living for is unpalatable.  Bringing up children with this frame of mind is not preparing them for the hereafter at all.

A famous quote said, “The home environment is the key to forming youthful attitude”. To be very accurate about it, parents are only influencing children the most in the first few years of childhood. When they are left to face the world they are influenced with different companies of people and from each they learn differently. So it is extremely important for parent to work on their child’s Islamic character and upbringing from the very start.

Islamic environment is to start at home. The aim should be building up a personality of children with a balanced human spirit. Teaching them Quran, Hadith, Sunnah, Fiqh and Islamic history in a way to get them excited about Islam will make the job a lot easier. I don’t approve of the extremist strict approach because this will make them attracted to worldly desires more. Teaching them playfully and having them confront the Islamic values in all activities is essential. They will take this culture with them in all phases of life. Not only the children but the parents will also acquire the habit as well.

Prophet Mohammad (SAW) once said to a group of men, “Return to your families and teach them (religious knowledge) and order them (to do good deeds)”  (Narrated by Abu Sulaiman and Malik bin Huwairith, Sahih bukhari, Volume 8,  Number 37)

At many times the Prophet has asked the Sahabas to teach their families well regarding Islam. So this is a continuous process to be taken up by parents and not to be halted. What parents will be creating is a mindset for children that Islam provides a way of life. The thought of doing wrong or right is important in triggering the good inside.

Islam cannot be enforced in children but a regular reminder of them being associated with it will help them in doing the wrong with a bell ringing in their mind. So knowledge is very important, about the world or about the religion. They have to go together in order to live a balanced life. But let’s just say the one that the Shaitan is working upon needs to be constantly alive, so create that ambience for it to vanquish.

Sadaf Siddique
Sadaf Siddique holds a degree in Computers and a Masters in Business Administration. She is the mother of a 2-year-old boy, a part-time writer and a full-time homemaker.