Educating Children about the Fundamentals of Islam, Moral Values, and the Dangers of Terrorism and Violence

By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 1 March 2023 Instilling In Children an Aversion to Terrorism and Love for Peace and Harmony Main Points: 1. Every Muslim parent has a duty to instil in their kids the true teachings of Islam, as well as moral and ethical principles, teachings of peace, moderation, and harmony. 2. Raising our children while instilling in them an aversion to terrorism and terrorists by exposing them to their plans and behaviours is one of the most critical things we must do. 3. Parents should be gentle with their children and teach them to be gentle in order to instil in them respect for humans, animals, and other species. ------ The more we are progressing, the more we are losing sight of our values, manners, respect, and other necessities. Children used to respect their parents and refrain from disrespecting them in front of them, but this has all but disappeared in today's generation. If we don't teach them respect for elders today, the future generation won't respect us. It's commonly said that children today don't respect their elders. Our parents used to say this, and we also share it with our children. I must stress that although change has surely arrived, it is not the children's fault. In reality, seniors now act differently. Particularly today, people have extremely limited time. Our parents used to spend a lot of time with us, unlike now when children and parents don't interact as much as they previously did. When genuine training is needed but not possible, children begin learning from their environment. There is some behaviour that should not be performed in front of children, yet when adults unintentionally engage in them, the kids begin to imitate them. We must understand that children learn more from elders' actions than from their words. Technology has had an impact on life. Youth of today search the internet independently rather than waiting for someone to inform them. We are all well aware of the fact that there are both good and bad things on the internet right now. On the one hand, it is full of religious, academic, and excellent moral traditions, but it is also replete with immorality, ugliness, and things that are not lawful. It is probable that future generations may suffer greatly if children are not taught the distinction between the two categories of online information. Recently, a piece on New Age Islam on the same subject was written by Mr Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi. This essay is worth reading, which outlines the precautions to take against the negative impacts of smartphones on the new generation. As a result, parents should allocate more time to teaching their children moral values like respect, moderation, peace, harmony, kindness, and forgiveness. Islam has also urged parents to teach their children moral values. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of the people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible for it. No doubt, every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 7138, Sahih Muslim 1829) In light of this Hadith, we must comprehend that parents are responsible for educating their children on the accurate interpretation of Islam as well as moral principles and how to respect and uphold them. They must caution children about immoral evils and give them guidance on how to avoid them. One of the requirements for someone to become a believer is that they believe in Allah, His Messengers, Prophets, Angels, the Day of Resurrection, etc. Also, they must explain the pertinent texts from the Quran and Hadiths and teach their children about the middle path of Islam, which emphasises tolerance, justice, and moderation. Additionally, they need to make it abundantly obvious to their kids that Islam is gravely violated by intolerance, extremism, terrorism, and corruption. Raising our children while instilling in them an aversion to terrorism and terrorists by exposing them to their plans and behaviours is one of the most critical things we must do. They need to understand that terrorists are misguided people who have been deceived by devils. Satan employs these people to spread the seeds of depravity and evil. Our children should be taught that terrorist actions are nothing more than an attempt to deceive and betray people. Terrorists attempt to legitimise their attacks with the Quran and the Sunnah. Children should be educated that the deterrent effect of even one terrorist being apprehended or prevented is a win for Islam and Muslims, as well as a source of peace and solace for them. Our youngsters must understand that these terrorists kill men, women, children, and the elderly while they are innocently sleeping or concentrating on their tasks. The terrorists are so ruthless that they continue to attack Muslims when they are praying or reading the Quran at mosques, other places of worship or visiting shrines. Our students need to learn that these terrorists are treasonous since they kill peaceful and foreign non-Muslims. We must inform them that the terrorists' murderous and destructive deeds are being done in the name of Jihad. Every Muslim parent has a duty to instil in their kids the true teachings of Islam, as well as moral and ethical principles, teachings of peace, moderation, and harmony. Parents have a responsibility to defend themselves and the people in their care from anything that could inspire terrorism, extremism, or intolerance. Allah says: “Oh believers, save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are (appointed) angels, harsh and severe. They don’t disobey Allāh in what He commands them, but do (everything) they are instructed.” (66:6) It is unquestionably a very good quality to live up to one's trust and faith. Like all other qualities, this trait develops in children as a result of the attitude and confidence of their parents. As a result, it is the responsibility of the parents to set a practical example for their children to follow as deeds speak louder than words. In this aspect, they should encourage the child to be trustworthy by praising all of their actions and helping them to feel that their parents trust them. People with compassion are capable of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, which is useful to them both personally and practically. The Almighty, Allah's servant, who is merciful and behaves in a merciful manner, is also given a favour by Allah. "Show mercy; if you demonstrate mercy, you will receive mercy," and "Forgive; if you forgive, you will receive forgiveness," were the beloved Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wise words. Remember! Almighty Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) like compassion. Parents should be gentle with their children and teach them to be gentle in order to instil in them respect for humans, animals, and other species. Instead, whenever you are teaching them something, set an example for them. As an example, there are many chances for compassion in our everyday employment, like caring for a domestic servant when something is neglected, etc. When compassion is shown to the child in these situations, it will eventually rub off on them. The Qur'an and the Sunnah are the sources of all the characteristics that are part of moral standards. If we want to witness a real-world example, we have the biography of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in front of us. In order to instil in children a sense of justice and justice, parents should first take on the characteristics of the Prophet. Parents should not discriminate between boys and girls and should act justly. If they discriminate, it will instil a habit of discrimination in their kids, which will manifest once they are adults and have a negative impact on society and the nation. Together with the above-listed moral standards, children also need to learn a wide range of other moral values. The main message of this little essay is that we should do everything in our power to teach our children the foundations of Islam, moral principles, and the perils of terrorism and violence. ----- Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/children-moral-values-terrorism-violence/d/129223 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism