Tarbiah is a very comprehensive term. It has got a direct influence on the behavior of a child. Right Tarbiah results in the wellbeing of a child and Wrong Tarbiah may lead its doom here and hereafter. However, Right to Tarbiah is a basic right of children upon their parents, guardians and the Muslim society at large. Some important aspects of Tarbiah in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah are as: The Prophet said, Order your children for Salah when they are seven, discipline them for it when they are ten and separate their beds. Parents have to do their best to make sure the wellbeing of their children both here and hereafter. The Prophet said, It’s better to leave your children self-sufficient than to leave them on the mercy of others. Parents will have to work to develop hatred within their children against (Akhlaq Al Dhameemah) all aspects of bad character and to culture within them the love for (Akhlaq Al Hameedah) praised attribute of character.
What parents are enjoined to do then is to show the child, in words as well as in deeds, the Islamic way of life, hoping that this early socialization will be effective in later years. But if the parents do not follow the same religion, the minor child will follow the parent with the better religion. This is tantamount to saying that the child shall follow the father and shall be considered for all practical purposes a Muslim.
Our children have to internalize Islamic values and principles. Tarbiah in Islam primarily means to let our children know their Creator, inculcate love for The Prophet (SAW), faith in hereafter, divine books, angels, Prophets and other important aspects of our Deen (way of life). Purification of the soul (Tazkiatun Nafs) is a natural consequence of such Tarbiah. When both the parents are Muslims and fulfill their parental obligations adequately, the child’s socialization to Islamic environment will in all probability be successful. Part of their religious responsibility is to raise the child as a Muslim and in the best possible Islamic way. However, they may not, even if they could, impose their religion on the child, which becomes accountable upon reaching the age of maturity, usually marked by puberty. By this time the child is presumed to be capable of making responsible decisions .What parents are enjoined to do then is to show the child, in words as well as in deeds, the Islamic way of life, hoping that this early socialization will be effective in later years. But if the parents do not follow the same religion, the minor child will follow the parent with the better religion. This is tantamount to saying that the child shall follow the father and shall be considered for all practical purposes a Muslim.
