Religion and Children, Where is the Line?
By Kamangir • Oct 3rd, 2007 • Category: Children, Human Rights, Iran, Islam, Islamic Republic
Kids learn Quran in two-and-half-hour sessions. Pictures taken by the Iranian blogger, Heidariam [Persian].
This is especially for our friend here Roman. Is this kid able to choose for himself what he is going to do with his belief system? More pictures in the photoblog.
Posted by Kamangir
Author's email address: arash@kamangir.net | All posts by Kamangir
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That kid is disrespecting the Qur’an by shoving his face on it like that. Proper Mosque adaab would encourage the parents to bring children to the mosque to learn the tenets of faith, method of prayer, and to get to know the congregants.
The Messenger of Allah SAWS came out to us for one of the two later prayers (dhuhr or asr), carrying Hasan or Hussein. The Prophet then came to the front and put him down (next to his right foot) said takbir for the prayer and commenced praying. During the prayer, he performed a very long prostration, so I raised my head and there was the child, on the back of the Messenger of Allah , who was in prostration. I then returned to my prostration. When the Messenger of Allah had offered the prayer, the people said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! in the middle of your prayer, you performed prostration and lengthened it so much that we thought either something had happened or that you were receiving revelation!’ He said: ‘Neither was the case. Actually, my son made me his mount, and I did not want to hurry him until he had satisfied his wish.’” (Reported by Nasaa’i, Ibn Asaakir, and Haakim)
“He (the Prophet ) was praying. When he performed sajdah, Hasan and Hussein jumped onto his back. When the people tried to stop them, he gestured them to leave the two alone. After offering his prayer, he placed them in his lap and said, ‘Whoever loves me should love these two.’” (Reported by Ibn Khuzaimah and Baihaqi)
“The Messenger of Allah SAWS was praying and he was carrying Umama the daughter of Zainab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, and she was the daughter of ‘As ibn Rabi’a ibn Abdu-Shams. When he prostrated, he put her down, and when he stood, he carried her (on his neck).” (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim)
“The Prophet said: ‘When I stand for prayer, I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut it short, as I dislike to trouble the child’s mother.’” (Reported by Bukhari)
Ask the kid in fifteen years’ time if he was forced by his parents, or if he was given a chance to take his own path. Wise parents realize that forced prayers are meaningless, and people make their own choices as it is when they grow up.
As parents, it’s our duty to teach our values to our children, that includes our faith. Forcing it on kids often results in them rebelling and taking a different path. Parents teach, but there comes a time each person decides for themselves what they believe. You can’t “drag” anyone into heaven, we’re ultimately responsible for our own choice. Myself, as a Christian, I would never stop loving my kids, no matter if they choose different. It would break my heart, since it’s our belief that Jesus is the way of salvation, but it would be no use to try and force a faith on anyone, since I also believe, God knows our innermost thoughts. What good would a pretend faith be?