Calling all mothers - How to make children offer Salaat regularly

 

Calling all mothers – How to make children offer Salaat regularly

 

We can relish our lives if and only if we serve Allah Most High as well.  Without serving Him, there is no difference between us and animals.  Almighty Allah has ordained His worship as the raison d'etre of the creation of humans and genies.  As Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

 

And I created the jinn and human beings solely to adopt My servitude.  Surah Dhaariyaat (51:56)

Being worship of Allah Most High is such an attribute that all other praiseworthy attributes are combined in it.  The Holy Quran and Hadith repeatedly praise this attribute.  Acquiring this greatness is also highly difficult.  Unless and until children are habituated to engage in worship of Allah from an early age, regularity and profuseness in worship at a later age is highly difficult.

 

To save the children from these pitfalls, parents have been instructed to raise their children properly.  Those parents who make their children offer Salaat and engage in worship of Almighty Allah from an early age, they find solace in these children in their later years.

 

Children between 5 to 7 years old should also offer Salaat

 

The children become more aware as they grow older.  At such a stage of life, they are inherently inclined toward following others.  Whatever they see or hear, they try to follow it.  At this stage, it is the responsibility of parents to make sure that the children virtuous acts being performed and to keep them away from anything untoward.  When they start talking, they should be first taught the blessed names of Allah Most High and His Beloved Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

When the parents offer Salaat, they should make the children also offer Salaat along with them.  It will teach them that the way eating, drinking, etc. is necessary for life, Salaat is also necessary likewise.

 

Children should be ordered to offer Salaat when they reach 7 years of age, so that they develop the yearning of offering Salaat at this young age.  This is also the best way to make sure that the children are safe from other useless activities.  This is a fact, which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Himself has declared.

 

At this young an age, children just try to imitate and follow whatever they see, regardless of whether it is good or bad.  If this eagerness of children is channeled in the right direction, the next phases of life will also be good.  If this eagerness is not channeled properly, then the only outcome of it will be vice and indecency.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says:

 

Translation: You order your children to offer Salaat when they reach 7 years of age and beat them on not offering Salaat when they reach 10 years of age and make them sleep separately from then on.  (Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 495)

 

A mother cannot take this task lightly

It is a basic fact that there are difficulties and obstacles in the path of every right thing.  This task of developing the yearning for Salaat in children is perhaps the most difficult of all.  If children develop this yearning at this age, then they will automatically develop a dislike for useless activities, meetings, etc.  This task is difficult because Satan also exerts his fullest influence to make sure that children do not walk on this path.  Some principles can be followed in this regard:

 

·         Children should be taught “Aoodhubillahi Minash Shaitaanir Rajeem” and should be asked to recite it every morning and evening.  Their belief should be strengthened that once we recite it, we come under the refuge of Almighty Allah.  After that, nothing can harm us.

 

·         They should be exhorted to offer Salaat and should be readied for Salaat before the time for Salaat.

 

·         If children show carelessness in this regard, they should be promised (and given) their favorite foods, etc. on offering Salaat.  The way the mother of Hadhrat Baba Fareeduddin Ganj Shakar (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) would do.

 

·         The benefits of Salaat and the blessings of offering Salaat should be repeatedly described to the children so that they develop the eagerness to offer Salaat.

 

·         The Salaat of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), His Companions and other elders of the Ummah should also be described to them.  Just before the time of Salaat, some incidents of the great personalities of Islam regarding Salaat itself should be related to them so that the fires of their eagerness and yearning are stoked.

 

·         Water for ablution (Wudhu) should be given as per the season.  Making children make ablution with cold water in winter will make them apprehensive of Salaat.  Along with this, the benefits and blessings of ablution should also be described to them.

 

·       Before Salaat itself, they should be taught that as long as they are in Salaat, angels will be present around them.  They will be in the presence of Almighty Allah and His grace and benevolence will envelop them.

 

·         If children don’t offer Salaat, instead of beating/scolding them, what should be done is that the mother should stand on the prayer mat and call to the child to come fast as she is waiting for him/her.  In this way, the child will understand that offering Salaat is compulsory and that this duty cannot be shirked.

 

After reaching 7 years of age, the father should take the male children to the mosque along with him.  There, the child should be watched over carefully and should not be allowed to indulge in any activity which goes against the propriety of the mosque.

 

Thus, some guidelines have been given.  If parents and most of all the mothers follow these guidelines, then there is no reason as to why our children cannot become regular in Salaat.