Ideas for Muslim parents to Nurture Excellence
~ Abid Ullah Jan
Your children upbringing is a matter of great importance and responsibility. Physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of your children depend on the environment you provide to your children as they grow up.
Muslim parents need to understand the significance of the parenting role because Allah (SWT) says; O you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe. [Qur’an 66:6]
Here are the top 6 ideas for Muslim parents:
- Take time out for your children:A few video on youtube or an acivity in the local mosque from time to time is not enough. Allah will ask parents how they raised their children. Thus, parents should take parenting more seriously than anything else. This is probably the time to learn and educate yourself if you feel not fully equipped to educate your children.Making money for the future is not worth it. Educating and training them is more important. Therefore, quit if you have any extra job and start to spend more time with the children. It is not possible to give the children proper guidance without being present with them. It is better to spend more time with the family and children than having more money and extravagant life.
- Get genuinely interested in what they do:You can’t guide your children is specific settings alone. You will have more opportunities to take an interest in what your children do after you make more time for them. If your kid loves gardening, go ahead and help him in the garden. If they develop websites, go ahead and visit their sites. If they love to travel, then travel with them. Does your son play football? Attend on his games. You will connect with your children properly by taking an interest in what they do. You will discover it easily if they are making the wrong choices. Address them about it straightforwardly and stop them from doing so. Make them your partners and give them responsibilities within the family. This will build a great connection between you and your children. Take them out to Islamic activities.
- Guide them to the right role models:Kids these days prefer the musicians, actors and other celebrities as their idols. As a result, they gradually keep slipping away from practicing Islam. Share with them positive role models and truly successful people who have helped the humanity. The life of Prophet Mohammed is a great example of how he spent his life in the service of people around him regardless of their faith, colour or creed. Make them read the life stories of our Prophet (SAW) and his companions. Stop making them think that Michael Jacksons of their age are their idols.
- Inculcate Human Excellence:Having a parenting plan to take your children to human excellence is more important than you think. Read books such as Productive Muslims which can help you make a great parenting plan. Your family members will look forward to the same thing that you look forward to If you made plans that are known to everyone in the family. Anticipation is one of your most valued assets. Without planning, nothing can be achieved in life and the same goes for parenting. Start planning, even if you do it just for 3 months at a time. Plan a weekly family meeting to gain updated knowledge about what’s going on in the family. Plan dinners with your kids often. Proper planning will help you raise your children in the right way. No doubt, something without planning is waiting for chaos.
- Nurture them to excellence, don’t just educate:We are concerned with the education of our children and we try to admit them to the best educational institutes. We seem to forget about the nurturing part. Education gives them the rules and regulations, the guidance and the information they need. But they can only take that information and guidance and put it into action in their daily lives through nurturing. Educating them without nurturing is useless. Teach your children how to be an ideal Muslim from the Quran. Teach them the information and start to put into practice in their daily life. Help them understand and achieve human excellence as most of the content on this site reflects.
- Make Dua and read the Qur’an:Allah is the one who guides. Insha Allah, your children will be on the right path if you do your job properly as a parent. It will be easier to guide them on the right path if you don’t neglect this duty of yours. Make dua for them every time you finish your prayer. Make dua for them in front of them so that they realize how much you love and care for them. Read the Quran with translation at least 10 minutes a day. Before sleeping and after Fajr are the best time to recite the Quran. You will see the effect soon. This will connect you with Allah and you will soon become the role model helping your family. Choose a part of the basement or living room as the home Masjid and give its responsibility to the children. You can do this effortlessly. Equip your home with Islamic books and turn it into a library. Having a Masjid and Islamic library will keep your kids engaged in learning and practicing the deen and benefiting the humanity as they grow.
