The Children’s Questions about Faith
This book has been conceived, prepared and
designed by the Osoul Centre. All photos used in
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hereby permits all Sunni Muslims to reprint and
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condition that 1) acknowledgement of the Osoul
Centre is clearly stated on all editions; and 2) no
alteration or amendment of the text is introduced
without reference to the Osoul Centre. In the
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recommends maintaining high quality.
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Merciful,
the Most Gracious
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
4
In the name of Allah the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate,
All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. And
prayers and peace to Muhammad, the messenger of Allah
and the noble prophet, and his companions and family.
This book is directed to Muslim parents devoted in teaching
faith to their children in the times of globalization and
unlimited access - through technology - to all that is confusing
and/or contradictory to the Islamic faith. As we know, Allah
and His prophet have ordered us, Muslims, to take good
care of our children and tend to their spiritual and physical
needs. Muslim parents ought to teach their children, raise
them, protect them from corruption, and instruct them to
follow Allah’s orders. In fact, we are held accountable for
this specific duty. In the Quran, Allah Subhanahu Watala
says: “O’ you who have believed, protect yourselves and
your families from a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is people and
stones.” Allah also says, “Allah instructs you concerning
your children.” In the Hadith, the prophet says “All of you
are responsible, and all of you will be asked about
what you’re assigned with.” If we raise our children to
be good Muslims, Allah will reward us for our efforts. If we
do not take care of our children, Allah will punish us. As
one scholar explains, bearing parents the responsibility of
caring for children proves Allah’s mercy because it makes
INTRODUCTION
5
caring a religious responsibility. In fact, raising children to
become good Muslims is a blessing not only because it
demonstrates our compliance to Allah’s commands, but
also because good grown up children bring peace and satisfaction
in our old age and constant reward after death.
In the Hadith, the prophet says: Once a person dies, he
or she can no longer gain reward for the Hereafter except
through one of three: A recurring charity, knowledge that
benefits people, or a pious child who prays for his or her
parents.”
Raising children by parents, as educators agree, is crucial
to their transition into successful life. Lack of parents
in child’s life leads to challenges children may not be able
to overcome. After all, children look up to their parents and
their integrity – later in life - is contingent upon their parents’
upbringing. If parents raise their children well, the
children will be better equipped to deal with the outside
world. If parents fail to raise their children well, children will
be ill-mannered and prone to failure.
In addition to teaching children the basic tools of life that
include education and skills, parents should also pay attention
to the spiritual needs of children. For Muslims, these
needs do not only mean religious knowledge or practice,
but also Islamic faith in specific. To us, Muslims, faith helps
us understand the meaning of life, death, good time, and
hard times. It gives us peace in mind and harmony with
our surroundings. Teaching faith to children helps them
overcome anxiety, uncertainty, and stress they might experience
in this turbulent world. And the sooner children learn
how to connect with Allah, the better; whatever children
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
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learn early in life stays with them and develops throughout
their lives.
A lot of material by notable scholars and academics have
discussed the importance and methods of raising Muslim
children and teaching them Islam. This book, however, is focused
on one particular aspect: developing faith in children
and answering their questions about Islamic faith. Thus, it
is limited in its scope and parents should also consult other
books about raising children to practice Islamic rituals and
morals.
This book is divided into two sections, the first section provides
parents with the most important faith related information
they need to teach their kids. The second part provides
parents with ways to respond to questions children might ask
about faith. Both sections complement one another. I hope
that parents find the material here concise and useful. I would
also appreciate any correspondence with my valued readers
that help me improve the material presented and make
it available to all Muslim parents looking for ways to improve
the life and faith of their children.
May Allah Guide us to all that is beneficial in this world
and rewarding in the Hereafter
Abdullah Arrakf
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Table of Contents
52
10
28
The Definition, Tools,
and Essentials
of Nurturing
Faith
Nurturing
Faith for
Children
Understanding
and Teaching
the Pillars
of Faith
92
74 Introduction on
How to Answer
Children’s
Questions
Practical Examples
on How to Answer
Children’s
Faith-Based
Questions
The Definition, Tools,
and Essentials of Nurturing
Faith
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
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Nurturing Nurturing children is a human necessity
in order to establish a functional society.
It encompasses preparing children in all
aspects of life including social conduct,
knowledge about surrounding, psychological
well-being, and caring for their
health. Thus, prior to discussing nurturing
faith, one has to understand the concept
of nurture and its implications.
11
When educators discuss the concept
of nurture, they mean a purposeful
and developed process
maintained by rules that aim to establishing
good habits in children
through guidance, training, education,
refinement, and practice. Nurturing
also aims to preserve the innate
nature and talents of children,
to protect them, and to guide them
towards righteousness and perfection
that prepares a good human
being ready for the responsibly of
life. Nurturing is a tool that creates
healthy and functional leadership in
society.
Nurturing Children is crucial in Islam. Ibn Omar narrates that the messenger
of Allah (may Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon him) said:
“Every one of you is a guardian and is responsible for whatever he
or she are in charge of; the ruler is a guardian and is responsible for
his subjects; the woman is a guardian of her husband’s house and
is responsible for her charges.” In this Hadith, the prophet (may Allah’s
peace and blessings be upon him) points out the massive responsibility
on the shoulders of each one of us: we will be asked - undoubtedly –
about whatever we are entrusted with. The prophet (may Allah’s peace
and blessings be upon him) also said: “Any man whom Allah has given
the authority of ruling over people but does not look after them in an
honest manner will never feel even the smell of Paradise.” In this Hadith,
we see reference to the importance of providing truthful, honest and
beneficial advice. Furthermore, Ibn Omar said: “Educate your son, you
Raising Children
in Islam
Definition of
Nurturing
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
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will be asked about him: how did you raise him?, What did you teach him?
He will also be asked on his kindness and obedience to you.” Here, Ibn
Omar asserts that caring for children is the parents’ responsibility; parents
are the first source of information and moral lessons. In fact, the prophet
has stressed that raising children is greater than charity: “A person educating
his child is better than him donating food.” It is also alleged
that the prophet said that teaching children good manners is better than
donation: “A parent has never granted to a son anything better than
good behavior.” These Hadiths indicate that raising and educating children
are one of the most important and noblest gifts parents can provide
to their children.
13
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
14
15
Nurturing Faith is
a Necessity:
Many Ayahs and Hadiths stress that it is the parent’s
duty to assist their child in this early and critical
stages of life. For example, in the Quran, Allah
says: “Allah instructs you concerning your children.”
The prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings
be upon him) also stressed the importance of
this stage. He says: “Every child is born with a
true faith (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone)
but his parents convert him to Judaism, Christianity
or Zoroastrianism”. This Hadith infers crucial
facts that include:
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A Faith is inborn in human nature. Whoever deviates from it ultimately
deviates towards loss.
B Faith nurturing is a child’s right upon parents; it leads to happiness
in life and it is a safeguard in the Hereafter - Allah welling – that
would differentiate winners from losers.
C Children’s surroundings affect their state of mind.
It is a blessing from Allah to have an inborn pure faith since childhood
without an effort to achieve it. Accordingly, parents must do their best to
protect their children’s inborn nature. They must raise their children to
accept the true religion, built on the Quran and Sunnah, and never leave
their children learn through social influence.
Faith is the ultimate truth of existence and the reason Allah created humanity.
It defines a person’s journey in this life and determines his or her
destination in the Hereafter. Actions and manners are built upon faith;
nurturing the faith of children is crucial because – as we shall explain -
children’s soul, creeds, principles, habits, and visions are ultimately built
on faith. To ignore teaching faith to children is, thus, a form of abuse of
ignoring to teach and equip children with crucial tools they need for their
future life and the Hereafter.
As mentioned, children are vulnerable as they experience psychological
and cultural leaps and other forms of influence that should not be overlooked.
Sadly, distorting and anti-Islamic faith media programs are now
abundant and available at the tip of the children’s fingers. These programs
shape the minds of children; once they grow, it becomes harder to change
what has already been installed. It is the responsibility of parents to protect
their children from negative influence.
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The Goals of Islamic
Education
The general aim of Islamic education is to establish true worship of
Allah Alone. The below elaborates more on this:
Children who grow up in families committed to true Islamic teachings
and who focus on building Islamic faith are likely going to copy their parents
and adopt their personal perceptions. These children are also less
likely to deviate from Sunnah and fall into un-Islamic worship practices.
Uncommitted Muslim parents, or parent who ignore teaching their children
about faith under the pretense that they are still young, will find it
later difficult to bring their children back to religion or have faith because
these children did not see the benefits of religion early in their life.
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Of course, without doubt, raising children is one of the toughest tasks
parents encounter. This is why it is explained, in the Quran, as the acts
of prophets (blessings and peace upon them all). In the Quran, Nouh
(peace be upon him) calls his son to follow the path of Allah and warns
him against following corrupt people: “O my son, come aboard with
us and be not with the disbelievers.” . Similar wise, Ibrahim (peace be
upon him) instructs his children on his deathbed “O’ my sons, indeed
Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you
are Muslims.” Luqman’s (peace be upon him) first command to his son
was also a warning against worshipping anyone other than Allah: ““O’
my son, do not associate [anything in worshipping] with Allah. Indeed,
association [with Him] is great injustice.” Furthermore, the prophet’s life
is full of examples of teaching faith to children.
Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)
commands Ibn Abbas: “Young man! I will teach you a statement: Be
mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you
will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah Alone, and when you
seek aid, seek Allah’s aid”. All these examples not only illustrate the
importance of nurturing faith, but also illustrate that it was a practice of
prophets and that it is a challenging practice. Muslims look up to the
prophets who are an example of leading good and productive life.
Here is what children gain from a strong faith:
A They will engage in doing good deeds and seek activities that
gets them closer to Allah and His mercy.
B They will be better at refraining from bad deeds.
C They will abstain from indulging in luxuries because life is not the
center of their interest and their hearts are not attached to it.
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D They will gain divine support; Allah takes care of those who
believe in Him. They will achieve happiness in this life and in the
Hereafter.
E They will gravitate towards Allah and increases spiritual strength.
As faith flourishes, the servants’ trust and affection towards Allah
and detachment from His creatures increase.
F They will let go of negativity and hostility. As faith grows in
the heart, the effect of personal inclinations becomes limited.
Moreover, determination strengthens and drives them towards
noble behavior.
G They will have positive outlook to the world; the strong believer
seeks to improve himself and those around him. In other words,
faith builds a psychologically and emotionally balanced individual
who is an effective and productive member of society, and
who performs his or her duties as a guardian of Allah’s dominion
of Earth by inhabiting it and utilizing its resources.
H They will achieve peace and tranquility. Trust based on faith is
ingrained in the heart. Fears that haunt others diminish. In other
words, faith nurturing provides spiritual stability and psychological
security because it provides answers to the big questions
of life; these answers are derived from The Quran and from the
messenger’s (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) the
Sunnah. These answers are characterized by the clarity of their
source, method, and goals. These answers also speak to the
child’s needs, reality, and upbringing.
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
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Nurturing faith is beneficial to society in that it helps society fulfil the
main purpose of creation, which is to worship Allah. Furthermore, nurturing
faith is beneficial to society in three main ways:
A It provides the bedrock to establishing a Muslim community
through preparing righteous people who will worship Allah with
guidance and insight and fulfill Human being’s mission on Earth.
B It sets the stage for establishing good moral standards after
the standards that the prophet set fourteen hundred years ago.
Though the prophet focused on the importance of monotheism,
which is essentially the center of Islamic faith, Allah and
His prophet have frequently reminded us that morals are based
upon faith. Allah will reward as for good behavior and punishes
us for bad behavior. Allah has also praised the prophet for having
good morals that stem from faith: “And indeed, you are of a
great moral character.” The prophet also stressed this fact. He
said: “ I was sent to perfect good character.”
C Building a community with individuals who share their faith
develops brotherhood among individuals in that community. As
a result loyalty and care will be anchored towards the Muslim
community and its members. In the Quran, Allah says: “The believers
are but brothers.” The prophet (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) says: “A believer to another believer is
like a building whose different parts enforce each other” and
“The believers are merciful, kind, and loving among themselves
like a unified body; if any part of the body is not well, the whole
body will help it through sleeplessness and fever.”
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The Essential Dimensions
of Nurturing faith
There are two essential dimensions for nurturing faith in children: epistemological
and practical:
The epistemological dimension has two aspects: knowledge and
creed
a- Knowledge presents the key to understanding and building ethics
and motives. Allah says: “Say, “Are those who know equal to those
who do not know?” Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding”
(39:9). The prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be
upon him) was keen on teaching
his companions beneficial knowledge;
he taught them to seek refuge
in Allah from useless knowledge
by asking Allah in prayers: “O
Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from
knowledge which does not benefit
and from a heart that does not
fear Allah.” What these two quotes
prove is that good faith is based
upon knowledge about that faith
its requirements.
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Creed is the belief that settles in heart based upon knowledge. For
Muslims, this belief is the belief in the six pillars of faith which will be
discussed further down
The practical dimension has three aspects: servitude to Allah,
practice, and morals
Aspect #1: Servitude to Allah: servitude is based upon truthful inner
self and unique personal traits that build the urge to constantly and
truthfully evaluate life and connection to Allah. It also means the belief
that servitude is a blessing rather than a burden. Manners, thoughts,
hopes, and ambitions are purified through devotion. The prophet (may
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) told Mu’ath Ibn Jabal: “By
Allah, I love you, Mu’ath, I’ll teach you some words. Never leave
to recite this supplication after every (prescribed) prayer: ‘O Allah,
help me in remembering You, in giving You thanks, and in
worshipping You well.’” Here, the prophet (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) teaches Mu’ath that worshipping Allah is a gift
from Him, the Almighty and that it is not a burden. Worshipping is not
just individual effort, it is also divine guidance and blessing.
Aspect #2: Application: Knowledge about Allah and his blessings
dictates practicing worshipping and thanking Him. Our action and
practice of worshiping Allah and thanking him differentiates winners
from losers in the Hereafter. This is why Allah says in the Quran: “So
whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it And whoever
does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”
Aspect #3: Morals: Morals are based upon faith. The foundations
of Islam create well-behaved people because it categorizes manners
and ethics as acts of worship. The prophet (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) states that his focus is on encouraging good
behavior. He says: “I was sent to perfect good character.” He also
states that: “Indeed the most beloved among you to me, and the nearest
to sit with me on the Day of Judgment is the best of you in character.”
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Examples
of Nurturing Faith
1. Ibn Abbas narrates that the prophet
(may Allah’s peace and blessings
be upon him) used to seek refuge
in Allah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain:
“Your forefather (i.e. Abraham)
used to seek refuge with Allah for
Ishmael and Isaac by reciting the
following: ‘O Allah! I seek Refuge
with Your Perfect Words from
every devil and from poisonous
pests and from every evil, harmful,
envious eye’”.
2. Abu Huraira narrates that the
Messenger (may Allah’s peace
and blessings be upon him) said:
“Every child is born with a true
faith (to worship none but Allah
Alone) but his parents convert
him to either Judaism, Christianity
or Magainism.”
Providing practical examples helps
ingrain principles and values. The
following are some examples of
how the Prophet (may Allah’s peace
and blessings be upon him) and his
companions establish faith in children.
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3. Umar ibn Abi Salama narrates: “I
was a young boy under the care
of Allah’s messenger (may Allah’s
peace and blessings be
upon him) and my hand used to
meander in the dish while I was
eating. So, the messenger (may
Allah’s peace and blessings be
upon him) said to me: ‘O boy!
Mention the Name of Allah and
eat with your right hand and
eat of the dish what is nearer to
you.’”
4. Ibn Abbas narrates: “I was behind
the prophet (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) one day
when he said: ‘Son ! I will teach
you a statement: Be mindful of
Allah and He will protect you. Be
mindful of Allah and you will find
Him before you. When you ask,
ask Allah, and when you seek
aid, seek Allah’s aid. Know that if
the entire creation were to gather
to do something to benefit you -
you would never get any benefit
except that Allah had written for
you. And if they were to gather to
do something to harm you - you
would never be harmed except
that Allah had written for you.’”
25
5. Al-Hasan ibn Ali narrates: “The messenger (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) taught me some words to say during the
witr (night prayer): ‘O Allah, guide me among those You have
guided, grant me security among those You have granted security,
take me into Your charge among those You have taken into
Your charge, bless me in what You have given, guard me from
the evil of what You have decreed, for You are the one who decrees,
and nothing is decreed over You. He whom You befriends
is not degraded. You are blessed and exalted, our Lord.’”
6. Anas ibn Malik narrates: “The messenger (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) said to me: “O my little son! When you
enter upon your family say salam, it will be a blessing for you
and upon the people of your house.”
7. Jundub Al-Bajli narrates: “We were with the prophet (may Allah’s
peace and blessings be upon him) and we were strong youths,
so we learned faith before we learned Quran. Then we learned
the Quran and our faith increased thereby.”
8. Umm Sulaim - Anas ibn Malik’s mother - entered Islam when Anas
was still young, not weaned yet, and used to teach Anas to say that
“There is no God but Allah,” “I testify that Muhammad (may Allah’s
peace and blessings be upon him) is Allah’s messenger” and so he
did.
9. Ibrahim Al-Taimi said: “They used to prefer to teach the young child -
when he first learned to talk - to say ‘There is no God but Allah’ seven
times, so that it becomes the first thing he learns.”
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27
Nurturing
Faith for
Children
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
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AAss mentioned earlier, nurturing faith
is vital to ingraining the correct creed
in the mind and heart and to developing
good habits and codes of ethics.
People establish their vision and attitude
towards the world during childhood.
These visions and attitudes
shape their happiness in this life and
success in the hereafter. Therefore, it
is the parent’s duty to assist their child
in this early and critical stage of life.
In the Quran, Allah says: {Allah instructs
you concerning your children.}
(4:11).
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1. Faith is inborn in human nature. Whoever deviates from it ultimately
deviates towards loss.
2. Parents’ have a responsibility to raise children and maintain
their natural state of mind.
3. Children’s surroundings affect their state of mind.
It is a blessing from Allah to have an inborn pure faith since childhood
without an effort to achieve it. Accordingly, parents must do their best to
protect their children’s inborn nature. They must raise their children to
accept the true religion built on the Qur’an and Sunnah and never go with
the flow. Moreover, in times when the world is at the fingertips of children,
imitating other Muslims does not protect children from deviation or identity
loss.
A child’s pure heart is vulnerable. If a child grew up learning what is
good, he or she will eventually apply it and achieve happiness in this life
and success in the hereafter; parents and mentors will also be rewarded
for their effort. Conversely, if a child was neglected or raised poorly, he
or she will be miserable in life and doomed in the Hereafter; parents and
mentors will also be held responsible for their negligence. Childhood is
the best stage to shape a person. The older a person gets, the harder the
change.
Children who grow up in families committed to true Islamic teachings will
copy their parents and adopt their personal perceptions. Introducing religion
harshly can lead to adverse effects on children. Uncommitted Muslim
parents will find it difficult later to attract their children to religion because
these children did not see the benefits of religion early in their life.
