How to raise children - as per Islamic principles

Instruction in good manners and etiquette

In the aforementioned Hadith, separation of beds is also mentioned.  This shows us that efforts should be made to save children from evil so that the child grows up chaste and virtuous and leads a pure life.

There are no 2 opinions about the fact that each and every person, regardless of creed and religion, realizes the importance of good character, as lack of good etiquette may lead to dispute and altercations.  Families get divided and indecency takes root in children themselves, the reformation of which is impossible without virtuous character.

Along with instructing the children in good manners, it is also necessary that children should be kept safe from blameworthy habits and attributes.  They should be kept totally safe from sexual licentiousness, lewd gazing, watching films and the like.  If children fall prey to lewd gazing, especially watching movies, then their religious life will surely be affected but apart from that they will lose their respect before others.  They will also fall prey to deadly diseases as the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has said:

Translation: When indecency becomes rampant in a nation, so much so that it starts committing indecent acts openly, then they will be stricken with plague and other such diseases, the likes of whom were not present in the times of their elders.  (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 4155)

It is the responsibility of the parents to keep in mind character-building of children and not to give them any thing which may open the pathways of indecency for them.  They should safeguard children’s eyes from the nude, indecent images of TV.  If TV is watched for educational and Islamic programs, then care should be taken to prevent its misuse.  Indecent TV channels should be carefully monitored and checked.  In the same way, use of internet should be very meticulously monitored.  An internet connection in the house without any necessity turns out to be very bad for the character of the children.  If the internet connection is necessary then ensure that the child doesn’t use internet connection without adult supervision.  When its use will be checked as per Islamic injunctions, then by the time they reach adulthood, children will become so pious that even in solitude they will desist from seeing any indecent image, etc.  If unintentionally some indecent thing comes before them, they will lower their eyes, their heart itself will dislike it and the hairs on their body will stand on end out of disgust.