Islam does not leave parents guessing when it comes to raising children. As Dr. Omar Shaheen, President of the North American Imams Federation and Director of Islamic Studies at the Graduate Theological Foundation, explains in this episode, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provided a comprehensive methodology for child-rearing that, when properly understood, offers more practical wisdom than any modern psychology textbook.
One Hadith, Endless Wisdom
Dr. Shaheen focuses on a single hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), in which the young companion describes riding a donkey behind the Prophet. From just the opening words of this narration, Dr. Shaheen extracts profound parenting lessons. The fact that the Prophet greeted a child and invited him to ride with him teaches the fundamental importance of building bridges with children through acknowledgment, warmth, and direct communication. The Prophet treated children as worthy of his time and attention, not as afterthoughts.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, while riding his donkey, greeted a little child and invited him to ride with him. Greeting children is the first step in building bridges between you and them. This was the methodology of the greatest teacher who ever lived.
Key Principles for Raising Righteous Children
- Parents must educate themselves first before they can effectively educate their children; you cannot give what you do not have
- Communication and empowerment are essential: listen to children, acknowledge them, and make them feel valued as individuals
- The Quran and Sunnah are the two primary sources of parenting guidance, not cultural traditions or secular theories
- Teach children priorities: how to organize their time, what to do, when to do it, and how to do it with excellence
- Give children the most important portions of your time, not just the leftover moments after everything else is done
Every single word the Prophet said has a purpose, otherwise it would not have been approved by Allah. We need to read the hadith deeply, starting from the very first word, and extract the methodology of parenting that the greatest teacher left for us.
The ultimate goal of Islamic parenting is to raise children who will be righteous servants of the Creator, a benefit to society, and a source of ongoing reward for their parents even after death. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught that one of only three things that continues to benefit a person after death is the prayers of a righteous child. This makes the investment in proper child-rearing not just a family obligation but a direct investment in your own eternal success.
