In the Name of Allah, The Most-Beneficent, The Most-Merciful. All praise is due to
Allah alone, and may His peace and blessings be upon the final messenger, Muhammad,
who was sent as a mercy to all of mankind.
It is the desire of every righteous Muslim parent for their children have a strong
lifelong connection with the Quran. We wish for our children to memorize the Words of
Allah by heart, and perhaps one day to become an Imam, to lead the people in prayer, to
become a teacher of Quran or a student of knowledge. This is undoubtedly a noble
aspiration and one that should be at the forefront of our thoughts, intentions,
supplications and action plans in order to achieve such a virtuous objective. How can this
be achieved? How can we positively instil the love of the Quran into the hearts of our
children? What methods should we implement? What methods should be avoided?
First, there are 4 main sources of influence that greatly impact the child’s
connection to the Quran.
- The parents.
- The Quran teacher.
- Friends and companions of the children.
- Sources of external influence, that includes, peers, social media and other
distractions.
Each of these must be sources of righteousness, uprightness with a heart longing
for the life of the hereafter.
Below are 20 advices that serve as a guideline that will inshaaAllah, assist parents
to instil the love of the Quran into the hearts of their children.
- Making du’aa for our children and teaching them how to make du’aa for
themselves. Nothing happens in the heavens or the earth except by Allah’s
permission, and Allah answers the supplication of His servants. Additionally, from
the accepted supplications is that of the parents towards their children. If we want to instil the love of Quran into the hearts of our children, du’aa is the most important step which we should constantly make to Allah throughout our lives. Also, teaching our children to be persistent in asking Allah to guide them to righteousness and the love of the Quran. - Be the example you want to see in your children. For parents who are acquainted
with the Quran and know how to read Quran, they should spend time reciting
within the household and attend Quran circles as well. Children witnessing their
parents living with the Quran practically will greatly impact the child. - Establish a true Islamic household built on the Quran and Sunnah. The daily life of
the household members, starting from the parents, must be an environment that is
built on Imaan, correct knowledge, kindness between the spouses and towards the
children. The house is the safe place which is the first school and the place where
good habits will be built. - Purify the home from any disobedience and things which displease Allah. Nothing
is more confusing to a child than seeing contradicting behaviour from their elders.
Being encouraged to obedience but living in an environment that is disobedient
creates a lack of trust and will deter children from wanting to do anything their
parents tell them. Disobedience in the home invites the devils and causes the
Angels to leave, thereby, decreasing the barakah that descends upon the
household. - Preserve the fitrah of your children. Children should avoid being allowed into evil
environments or watching TV programs that distort the natural fitrah that Allah
created us upon. Anything that opposes the pure teachings of Islam are from the
greatest hinderances to being able to love and appreciate the Quran the way it
should be appreciated. Such Western-based and themed programs have been
developed in such a way that they captivate the child’s attention and desires
distracting them far from the fitrah. - Love of music and love of the Quran cannot coexist in the same heart. This
profound statement has been mentioned by Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy
on him, and by Abdullah ibn Mas’ood, the noble companion, may Allah be pleased
with him. It contains very deep meanings for those whom Allah has given
understanding and tawfeeq. Each pull the heart in the opposite direction. One calls
to the love of Allah, restraining lowly desires and seeking the hereafter while the
other calls to disobedience, satisfying the ego and lowly desires. - Find a good and proficient Quran teacher who is upright, possesses the good
qualities and also sets the example that you want to see in your children. The
Quran teacher should be known for good character, trustworthiness and
uprightness. Unfortunately, not all Quran teachers are good in their behaviour, and
parents must be extremely cautious as to who they entrust their children to. Harsh
Quran teachers who do not greet students with a smile and do not make the
environment conducive to learning, should be avoided. Additionally, Islamic
organizations and centers should be very meticulous as to who teaching and
leadership positions are given to. It is not enough for a person to hold an ijazah in
Quran and understand the rules of tajweed to be entrusted with the children of this
ummah. - Let your child see you read the Quran frequently. For younger children, nothing
feels safer than the nearness of a parent, so it’s a perfect opportunity to recite and
study the Quran. - Keep the Quran in a visible area in the house that is seen often. Children will grow
to learn that this is a Sacred and Noble Book that holds a special status and is a
major part of our identity as Muslims in our daily life, not just in the month of
Ramadan, or special occasions. - Play the Quran consistently in the house and in the car. Children who listen to
Quran frequently have stronger memorization. Apart from this, the barakah that
descend with the Quran are innumerable and are a cause of steadfastness. - Give each child their very own copy of the Quran that is in their bedroom or on their
desk/nightstand and keep a Quran Chapter Memorization Chart for each child.
This personalized visual aid assists in keeping track of their memorization journey
and instils a sense of accomplishment and serves as an encouragement to
continue. - Teach them the basic tafseer and meanings of the verses as they read and
memorize. Make the time spent with Quran engaging, enlightening and
educational. The Quran was sent as a guidance to mankind and it is meant to be
applied. So, it is befitting for the one who memorizes and learns Quran to
understand the practical application and meanings and live according to it. - Broaden their knowledge by supplementing the Quran with children’s Islamic
books on ‘Aqidah, seerah, stories of the prophets and Islamic history which are
simple for children to comprehend (age-appropriate materials). Allah has sent
down the best of stories in the Quran and it is all based on truth. Instead of our
children being attached to fictional characters and fairy tales, they must follow the
path of the prophet’s and messengers, and righteous Islamic figures of the past. - Celebrate memorization and reading milestones. This is a very important tip. Each
accomplishment should be met with a prostration of gratefulness to Allah (sujud
ash-shukur). Both the parent and the child will truly feel their supplications have
been answered by Allah. Additionally, the scholars have stated that the human
being is always between two states, patience (sabr) and greatefullness (shukur).
Moreover, the blessing that is met with gratitude to Allah is the main cause of the
blessing being preserved. “And your Lord has proclaimed “if you are grateful, I will
give you more.” (Surat Ibrahim, Verse 7) Once a child meets a milestone, even if it is just learning to read or memorizing a single verse, let it be met with gratitude so that Allah will bless them with an increase in their memorization and in their being guided. - Let the children lead the salah occasionally, especially for the prayers that have an
audible recitation. For girls, a chance to lead her mother in salah is a wonderful
opportunity to instil the love of the Quran as well as confidence. - Encourage friendships with families and children who study the Quran also. The
prophet, peace be upon him, said that, “a man follows the religion of his friend, so
be mindful of who you befriend.” (Sunan Abi Dawud) This is one of the most
important points to take care of. As the children grow, so does their social circle
and with the passing of time and as they begin to mature into independence,
children will naturally start to spend more time with their friends. Peer influence
cannot be underestimated. Righteous friendships are key to steadfastness. - Monitor social media influences that affect your children. This is similar to
friendships and peer influence, only this really has more to do with what your child
surrounds themselves with when they are alone. - Instilling God-Consciousness during times of seclusion. Children should be taught
that even when they are alone that Allah sees them and that the angels record
their deeds. - Consistently teach them the virtues of the Quran and the one who studies and
memorizes Quran mentioned in the prophetic narrations. The more a person
knows the reward of an action, then the more the heart will be motivated and
inclined to that action. - Make time for fun activities and play. Studying and memorizing Quran should not
prevent the child nor the parent for fun time and playing. It is important for the child to have ample time for playing and engaging in extra-curricular activities, whether it be sports, hobbies or hands-on activities.
Children are a product of their environment, and what they grow accustomed to will be easy for them. The Quran is the focal point of the life of every Muslim. As we have been entrusted on this earth to be the successors and as the nation of the Prophet Muhammad, then we shoulder a great responsibility in connecting our children to this religion, and at its core, the Book of Allah. Instilling the love of the Quran into the hearts of our children should be our primary concern and life-long endeavour.
This article was written by Maha Kalaf.
