Education is the process by which children are nurtured as they grow up to develop the Islamic worldview and the Islamic virtues. Education means to look after, to nurture, to nourish, to help grow and flourish. It implies certain sensitivity towards the child under your care, his emotional and physical needs and capacities. It implies the ability to inspire confidence. It implies the courage to allow and promote creativity and innovation. It implies the ability to trust and not to stifle, to be firm when needed and even to impose sanctions when necessary.The starting point for education is the example of parents. Small children take their parents as models. If parents are lazy and careless, the children will also take laziness and carelessness as normal. If they tell lies, children will regard lying as normal and acceptable. The same applies to smoking, drinking, rude manners, swearing and all other bad habits. There is no way parents can motivate their children to practice the Islamic virtues if they themselves do not respect the values and try to practice them also. As children grow up, they will only perceive the inconsistency or even hypocrisy in their parents’ approach. It is important not to crush a child’s spirit and joy about life by terrorizing him/her, whether physically or psychologically. Children must play. It is the way they learn, and is not in itself something bad.
Education should ensure that children develop a love for Islam, a love for Allaah and Prophet (SAW) and that they develop a feeling of pride in being Muslim and willingness to strive for the good of others.
Parents should give the child opportunities to play and to experience the excitement of exploration, of learning and of growing up. At the same time, parents should teach children Islamic manners and etiquettes in accordance with the beautiful example of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).Such habits include truthfulness and honesty, gentleness, politeness, consideration for others, helpfulness, cleanliness and tidiness. Above all, correct education should ensure that children develop a love for Islam, a love for Allaah and Prophet (SAW) and that they develop a feeling of pride in being Muslim and willingness to strive for the good of others. They need to realize the benefits of Islam, the foundations on which it is based and their need for Islam. They need to value Islam and live by Islamic values.It is the responsibility of the parents to experiment with various ways of achieving those goals.
