What does Islam say about raising children?
The Prophet ﷺ spoke tenderly of his own grandchildren and warned sternly against parents who harm their trust. The classical scholars wrote manuals on the ages of a child and what each age asks of a parent.
10 passages from 4 books in the library
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 4 books by Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn Battuta, and Ibn Kathir — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"The sixth is if she is from the people of the book but embraced their religion, after alteration or after the mission of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and she is not from the lineage of the children of Israel."
-
"Difficulty due to having many children which might lead to the need to work hard for a living and engage in undesirable dealings"
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
-
"They highly regard the memorization of the Holy Quran, making their children wear chains if they fall short in memorization until they complete it."
-
"He had a brother in this city with substantial wealth who left young children under his care, and I left him preparing to take them to Baghdad."
-
"The Sultan sent some of the emirs to the Sheikh, and they shackled him, his children, the judge of Khol, and its market inspector,"
-
"Among the negative practices are the public appearance of servant girls and small children naked showing their private parts."
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
-
"They expressed that they had been driven from their homes and families and felt it was right to fight for their oppressed and captured children"
-
"And why should we not fight in the cause of Allah when we have been driven out from our homes and our children have been taken?"
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
-
"When the battle occurred, Tenghis defeated them, entered the city of Otrar by force, killed the men, and took the women and children captive."
-
"and sent the remainder to his family and children for them to drink, as they do with those they believe to have good fortune."
Want a different angle?
Type your question below — JM Scholar will ground its answer in the same sources.