How to raise children - as per Islamic principles

Upbringing of children – A great responsibility

For this reason, Islam not only gives prime importance to proper upbringing of children but it has declared children as such a responsibility which if the parents fail to fulfill properly, they will be taken to task for it and if because of lack of proper upbringing, the children go down the wrong path and the community and the nation are harmed because of them, then the parents also will be held responsible for this, as they had been careless in fulfilling their responsibility.

   Many Hadith describe the importance of proper upbringing of children.  There is a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari:

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with them) says:  I heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say:  Each one of you is responsible and each one of you will be asked about his (or her) dependents.  The ruler is responsible and answerable and will be asked about his subjects and each man is responsible for his house and will be asked about those under him.  (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No. 853)

We learn from this Hadith that on the Day of Judgment, each human being will be asked about those under him and will be asked about the children as well.  If the parents raise their children properly, then they will receive the best reward for this and if the parents have been careless about their responsibility then the outcome of this will be bad and they will be punished for this heedlessness and carelessness.

   That a person will be asked about his (or her) family members is mentioned in the following Hadith from Sahih Ibn Hibbaan:

Translation: Verily, Allah Most High will ask every responsible person about all those things for which he (or she) was made responsible for as to whether he safeguarded it or let it go to seed, so much so that a man will be asked about his family members.  (Sahih Ibn Hibbaan, Hadith No. 4570)