Category: Raising children in Islam

I have a few questions concerning parents:
1. What right does my Mother have over me? 
2. What right do I have over my mother? 
3. What do I have the freedom to do (which is Halal or Mubah, Ofcourse) without my Mother having the right to stop me? 
4. When does the Father have the final say in a matter? 

I love my mother very very very much. She is very over protective, and sometimes I feel like I'm in chains. I know she is doing it out of extreme love for me. How can I tell her that I need a little choice of my own in life.

A very common problem seen in youth in western countries is that their parents allow them to indulge in some form of haram in the hope that will stop them from committing worse haram. An example of this is that parents will say that they allow their children to indulge in music in the hope that will stop them from going out with bad people or leaving their home all together. Parents are afraid that if they enforce the law of Allah in their homes, that their children will leave. 

What is Islam's position on this sort of compromise? Some parents also say that they only have the duty to tell their children something is haram, and then their children have to choose for themselves because they are already young adults (i.e. 13 -18 years old and unmarried, living at home). Don't the parents have to forbid haram by all means, or do they just say that is haram and then leave them be? To what extent do parents have to go to forbid their children from haram?

Parents also believe that once their children reach the age of puberty they are no longer responsible for their sins or actions, and so say they will have no sin if they advise their children something is haram and then leave them. Is this true? Or do parents always have the responsibility of forbidding their children from haram, and will they be responsible if they see their children doing haram and just leave them after advising them?

How do we as Muslims living in the west maintain an Islamic Education for our children. Primary and secondary education up to the age of 15/16 may be provided in Muslim schools (which are also very expensive), but as for Higher Education there is no such Islamic Institute. 

Even on the secondary school level on the agenda of Curriculum, we do not have books that deal with the branches of knowledge that are available in secular institutes, such as; Political science, Sociology, Psychology, Pedagogy. Please advise on how we should go about bringing about an Islamic Education system for our Youth in the west (bearing in mind that it is near impossible for us to migrate to Arab/Muslim countries because of the restrictions on immigration etc.).

How can we help a child to know his Lord?

I want to make my children keen to pray, because they will pray once then forget about prayer many times. I always advise them and pray to Allah to guide them. How can I encourage them and make them love prayer?.

Is it true that the person who is used to studying in Islamic schools, and has no previous experience of studying in non-Islamic schools, will never be able to connect with the environment that surrounds him, where most of the people are non-Muslims and that he will grow up shy and will never find any way to succeed either in his academic life or in the workplace? What is your opinion about that?

How can we teach our children the adhkaar (words of remembrance) to be recited every day and night?

could you please advise us about how improve our manners, and raise our children to have good manners? As many of the scholars mentioned, they studied under their teachers for years to learn proper manners. I am very concerned because it seems that we are surrounded by bad examples and role models, and the standards of society are very low. I am a revert to Islam so I was not raised with good Islamic manners. I don't have the knowledge or training to be a very good role model. My childrens TV watching is very restricted, but they still interact with cousins and friends who pick up bad words and attitudes from TV. We also educate our children at home. But as much as we shelter them and instruct them, they seem to pick up some of the attitudes of the greater society. I am torn between whether I should continue trying to remain patient and remind them gently, or I should become more strict to enforce better behavior. We would really appreciate any advice that you could offer.

I try my best as a Muslim, but my husband says mean things against Islam, I try explaining things to him but he wont listen, he is educated whereas I am not, I do try and learn about Islam from the Quran and sunnah, but Im not perfect, I have 6 children three over the age of 13 and 3 under 9 years. how should I make myslef a better Muslim? and Instill it in my children as the older ones won't pray all they prayers. Sometimes ok most of the time it brings me down.

I don't celebrate Christmas in any way, but my 11 year old daughter loves the beauty of a Christmas tree when decorated. Is it permissible for me to have one in my house throughout the year?

Why does Islam prohibit adoption? Adoption is a good thing. It provides a home, a set of parents, and a loving family to children who otherwise would grow up without such blessings. Why does Islam prohibit children who have no one from belonging to a family?
 

One of the women is saying that if a pregnant woman reads Soorat az-Zalzalah, the foetus will be miscarried because of reading this soorah. She also says that if she goes for ruqyah as prescribed in Islam, she had to tell the raaqi that she is pregnant so that he can avoid reciting Soorat az-Zalzalah over her, so that the foetus will not be miscarried. Is this true? May Allah reward you with the best of rewards and benefit the ummah by means of you.