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Advice of Scholars - DUTIES TOWARD CHILDREN

Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ said, “All of you are like shepherds of flocks. As a shepherd protects his flock, so you should protect those under your command from Hell! You should teach them Islam! If you don’t, you will be held responsible. ” And once he said, “Many Muslim children will go to the Hell named Wayl because of their fathers, for their fathers, being seized by the ambition of earning money and making merry and running after worldly affairs only, did not teach their children Islam and the Qur’ân al-kerîm. I am far removed from such fathers. And they are away from me. Those who do not teach their children their religion will go to Hell. ” And once he said, “Those who teach their children the Qur’ân al-kerîm or who send them to teachers of the Qur’ân al-kerîm for each letter of the Qur’ân al-kerîm they will be given rewards as if they visited the Kaaba ten times, and on the Day of Resurrection a crown of sovereignty will be put on their head. All people will see it and admire it. ” And once he said, “Teach your children how to perform salât (ritual prayer). When they are seven years old, command them to perform salât. When they are ten years old, beat them if they do not perform it and have them perform it. ” And once he said, “When a Muslim’s child worships, his father will receive as much reward as he gets. When a person teaches his child to sin and whenever this child commits sins, his father also will be recorded sinful to the same extent. ”

Ibni Abidîn says at the end of the section on the makrûh actions in namâz, “If a person has his child do the things that are harâm for himself to do, he has committed a harâm. A person who has his son wear silk clothes or ornaments him with gold or who has his children drink alcohol or lets them urinate in the direction of qibla, or causes them to stretch their legs in the direction of qibla will be sinful. ”