The Upbringing of ChildrenRaising Righteous Children: Islamic Guidance for Parents on Character, Faith, Discipline, and Responsibility in the Light of the Qur’an and SunnahChildren are among the greatest blessings and trusts bestowed by Allah Ta‘ala. Their arrival transforms the lives of parents and brings with it a beautiful journey of love, sacrifice, nurturing, and responsibility. Yet parenthood is far more than providing food, clothing, education, and comfort—it is a sacred responsibility to guide a child toward faith, good character, righteousness, and a life pleasing to Allah.
The Qur’an reminds us:
“O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones.”— Qur’an 66:6
This powerful command highlights the seriousness of the responsibility placed upon parents. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ further explained:
“Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.”— Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim
Every parent therefore has an important role in shaping the next generation. The values, habits, manners, beliefs, and attitudes instilled during childhood can influence not only the child’s life but also future generations.
The Upbringing of Children explores the responsibilities of parents from an Islamic perspective and offers guidance on raising children with faith, discipline, good manners, love, compassion, and a strong sense of responsibility. It emphasizes that successful parenting is not simply about preparing children for success in this world, but also about preparing them for the Hereafter.
This book highlights the importance of:
- Building strong faith and Islamic values in children
- Teaching good manners and noble character
- Understanding the responsibilities of parents
- Balancing love, discipline, guidance, and compassion
- Protecting children from harmful influences
- Nurturing a strong connection with Allah and His Messenger ﷺ
- Raising children who can become a source of benefit for their families and the Muslim Ummah
When parents approach the upbringing of their children with sincerity, knowledge, patience, and awareness of their responsibility before Allah, the home can become a place where faith flourishes and righteous character develops.
May Allah Ta‘ala make our children a source of comfort, goodness, and continuous reward for their parents, and may He guide us to fulfil the precious trust of parenthood in a manner that earns His pleasure in this world and the Hereafter. Ameen.
Children are without doubt an amazing blessing of Allah Ta’ala. With their arrival while still being unable to speak, they give their parents a very powerful message: that the roles of these two individuals have now forever changed. From being a carefree youthful couple they have now transformed into a caring set of parents, whom the child will soon lovingly refer to as mum and dad. But as every parent knows, with children also comes an enormous responsibility that had never before been experienced. The parents both collectively and as individuals are now responsible for a life other than their own.
O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones. at Tahrim 66:6
The above injunction of the Qur’an gives magnitude to the responsibility that accompanies parenthood. This has been further explained by the Prophet of Allah Ta’ala:
Everyone of you is a shepherd (over your families), and every one of you will be questioned about his flock. al-Bukhari and Muslim
It is clear that if anything has a divine injunction, it is no small matter. We should understand from this that if we are negligent of this duty of upbringing children then both we and our offspring, and in turn, their offspring will suffer in both this world and the Hereafter. If on the other hand we are vigilant and attentive to the responsibilities involved, we, our children and in turn their children will benefit. This benefit will be in this world, in the form of mutual love, affection and caring and also in the Hereafter through attaining the eternal pleasure of Allah Ta’ala.
This booklet touches upon various issues revolving around bringing up children. Through this we hope that our children will become a means of directly benefitting their parents in both the worlds and also benefit Muslims in general. It is hoped that it will be an eyeopener for parents and allow them a more complete and deeper understanding of Islam, and what Islam says regarding children.
