Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: A Mercy for Children
Prophet Mohammad : A Mercy for Children
What a Childhood!
We all remember chunks from our childhood and our memories are always
very fond ones. We treasure the moments of the care free life and the
fun filled time with friends. Today we’ll place ourselves in the midst
of a desert into the life of someone whom we hear about so often and for
most of us he’s most important and most loved person in the whole
world.
Who was my father?
Imagine you’re a child and you’ve never seen your father. Don’t know
who he was, what he looked like or what he liked. There are just a few
descriptions about him that you can hold on to without any personal
experiences. He was very handsome, caring, obedient and loving in
nature; a perfect family man. Wouldn’t you just long to meet him and
think about your father whom you never knew.
Time spent with mother
For the first time you’ve gone with your mother to a new city. It’s
been a whole lot of fun. Getting a chance to swim and play with your
cousins, enjoying the greenery and pleasant atmosphere. It’s just like a
dream. Your beautiful mother is at your side. Her name is Aminah –
meaning the carrier of peace and her personality depicts that. When she
is at your side and her smile is filling up the world with happiness.
You’ll definitely want that this moment may never end. But it’s time to
go home dear child, we can’t stay here much longer.
Never to see that beautiful face again
Traveling through the endless track of desert, the coaching heat and
sand filled wind. It’s harsh for some yet adventurous for others. The
memories of the Oasis city are still coming back. Oh, what is this?
Mother is severely ill and you’re still far from home. You’re only six
years old and there are no relatives on whom you can depend. Just
how would you feel? Just when you might be thinking of what to do; your
loving caring mother passes away, leaving you with her maid to take you
back home. Just how would you feel? Do you think you’ll ever be able to
forget this journey full of sorrow?
A wise noble man
Upon returning home, your grandfather whom you admire and adore,
starts taking care of you. Although you might miss your mother and her
beautiful smile, yet your grandfather is always there for you now. You
enjoy sitting with him near the house of God and listening to his words
of wisdom. When he speaks you just sit quietly and want him
to go on for ever. He is the leader, a noble man and everyone respects
him dearly. You love his company and all that he is teaching you. But
after only two short years, when you’re only eight your grandfather and
best friend departs forever. How would you feel being alone again?
A new family
Now you have to live with your uncle who has six children. You’re
taken in with an open heart and loved by all the members of the family.
But this new family is poor and you become an earning member at such an
early age to share the burdens of your loved ones.
A unique childhood
This was the childhood of Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم , who grew up
to be the most kindhearted and merciful man in the world. He was known
for his trustworthiness and truthfulness. He cared for his family and
friends and was always eager to help his people. His greatest concern
was the wellbeing or everyone living in the society. How often we see
children who are misbehaving and we say, “He’s like that ever since he
lost his father”. How often teenagers who are irresponsible and spoilt,
we blame the circumstances by saying “It’s because they lost their
mother at an early age” But this man was to become the greatest leader
ever to come and a savior of humanity.
Stories from his childhood
We describe to you a few stories from the childhood of our beloved
Prophet that would make us realize how this greatest of leaders was
being brought up and what experiences he was having.
It is reported that during Amina’s (Prophet Muhammad’s mother)
pregnancy, she felt no pain or discomfort. She had always heard women
complaining about the hardships of pregnancy, but she felt very well.
During these months Amina had many dreams. One night in a dream she saw a
light coming out of her. The light was shining on castles of Syria.
Source: Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, 1/63.
Just before the baby was born Amina had a dream in which she was told
that her child would be the leader of the people and that she should
name him ‘Muhammad’, meaning ‘the praised one’. Although it was an
unusual name among the Arabs, but when the baby was born in 570, he was
named Muhammad.
Amina was not surprised when Haleema, the child’s foster mother, told
her about something strange that happened when she was looking after
young Muhammad ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم).
Muhammad ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) and the son of Haleema had been out
in the fields with the sheep, when two men dressed in white took
Muhammad ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) a little distance away and laid him down
and opened his chest.
Haleema’s son quickly ran back to tell his parents what was happening. What were those two men doing?
When Haleema and her husband ran to him they found Muhammad( صلی اللہ
علیہ وسلم ) very pale but standing. They could see no trace of the men,
and there was no sign of any hurt or wound on young Muhammad, but
neither boy would change a word of his story. The only mark on
Muhammad’s body was a small mark on his back between his shoulders. But
that had been there since his birth.
Later in his life the Blessed Prophet described what had happened on
that day more fully. He said that the two men in white carried with them
a gold basin of snow. They opened his chest and removed his heart. They
also opened his heart and removed a black clot. Then they cleansed and
purified his heart and his breast with the snow.
Abdul Muttalib (Prophet Muhammad’s grandfather) was more passionate
with his grandson (young Muhammad) than with his own children. He never
left the boy a prey to loneliness, but always preferred him to his own
kids. Ibn Hisham reported: A mattress was put in the shade of Al-Ka’bah
for Abdul Muttalib. His children used to sit around that mattress in
honor to their father, but Muhammad used to sit on it. His uncles would
take him back, but if Abdul
Muttalib was present, he would say:
“Leave my grandson. I swear by Allah that this boy will hold a significant position.” He used to seat the boy on his mattress, pat his back and was always pleased with what the boy did. Source: Ibn Hihsam, 1/168.
After his grandfather’s death, when Muhammad was taken into the
household of his father’s brother, Abu Talib, sometimes, Abu Talib would
take Muhammad with him on his travels with merchant caravans. On one
such journey they stopped at a place named Bostra, on the way to Syria.
At Bostra there lived a Christian monk named Bahira. He lived there
alone, studying old books and manuscripts which had been passed down to
him from generations of monks who had lived there before him, all of
whom were scholars of the scriptures.
In the books, there was one which predicted the coming of a prophet
among the Arabs. Bahira believed that the prophet would come in his
lifetime.
As the caravan from Makkah came to a halt near the monk’s abode, he
noticed something very strange. A small cloud seemed to move slowly
above the heads of a couple of the travelers, shielding them
from the heat of the sun. What could this mean?
When the group of travelers took shelter beneath a tree, the cloud
came to rest above them, and the branches of the tree itself were
lowered over them to provide more shade.
Bahira was intrigued, and wanted to know more, so prepared a dinner
for the entire caravan. It was no ordinary person who had caused the
strange happenings which Bahira had witnessed. Perhaps the expected
prophet was with the caravan.
When his guests arrived for dinner, he saw nothing unusual about any
of them, so he asked if everyone had not come. Sure enough, the youngest
member of the caravan, Muhammad ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم), had been left at
the camp.
The monk’s requested that Muhammad ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) be brought.
Bahira watched the young boy carefully, and noted his behaviour. He
knew at once that this was the person for whom the shade had been
provided.
After a little while, Bahira took Abu Talib and his nephew aside, and said, “This is the Last Prophet.”
When Abu Talib asked him how he knew this, the monk replied, “the
signs of the last Prophet are written in our books, and the clouds only
cast shade over a Prophet. When you were approaching, I saw a cloud
overshadowing your caravan, and I had no doubt that the last Prophet
foreseen in our holy books was with you. For this reason I
invited you, in order that I might meet him.”
Bahira asked the boy many questions, all of which were answered to his satisfaction.
Finally the monk asked if he might see his back. There, between the
shoulders, was the mark Bahira had expected to see, just as it had been
described in his book.
Bahira advised Abu Talib to take his nephew back to Makkah. He warned
him to keep the boy away from the Jews, for if they saw in him what
Bahira had seen, they would try to harm him. [7: 157]
He predicted that great things were in store for the son of Abu
Talib’s brother. Between the shoulders of Muhammad , Bahira had seen
what he knew was the seal of prophet hood. Ref [1]
From all these stories we can conclude that in addition to the miracles
Allah bestowed upon our beloved Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم it was also
the love of his mother whose name (Aminah) means peace, the trust and
words of wisdom from His grandfather who was the leader of his tribe and
the affection of his fathers brother that lead to such a complete and
confident personality.
His Treatment with Children
Children are special people. They have their own identity. Our
beloved Prophet Muhammad ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) showed this through his
behavior. He loved children and was always compassionate and merciful
towards them. He showed his affection for them in many ways. He hugged
them and patted them on the back. He touched their
heads, combing their hair with his fingers.
He liked to hold little children in his arms. He made funny faces
(like pulling his tongue out) to please them. When lying down he seated
them on his legs or chest.
The Prophet Muhammad ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) loved to play with
children. He made them stand in a straight line, then he himself stood
at a distance, spread his hands and told the children, “Come running to
me. Whoever touches me first will get a prize,” they would all come,
running and breathless. When they reached the Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ
وسلم), they would fall all over him. He enjoyed this sport, gave prizes
of dates and sweets to the winners and hugged and kissed the
participants. Ref[2]
He used to kiss children and loved them very much. Once he was
kissing children when a Bedouin came and said, “You love children very
much. I have ten children and I have never kissed one of them.” Muhammad
replied, “What can I do if God takes away love from you?”.
The Prophet Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) was always pleased to see
parents loving and caressing their children. He once said, “When Allah
blesses people with children, and they give their children love and meet
their parental obligation, Allah keeps them safe from the fires of
Hell.” Ref[2]
Jabir bin Samra, one of his companions, reported an incident of his
childhood. “Once I offered the prayer with God’s Messenger. After the
prayer, when he went towards his house, I went with him. We were joined
by more boys, and he kissed them all and me too.” When Prophet Mohammad
SAW was entering the town of Medinah, after emigrating from Makkah, some
young girls of the Ansar were singing with joy in front of their
houses. When he passed by, he said, “O girls! You love me.” All said,
“Yes, O God’s Messenger.” Then he said, “I love you also.” Ref[3]
Yusuf bin Abdullah said that when he was born his parents took him to
God’s Messenger for his blessing; he suggested the name, Yusuf, and put
him in his lap. He patted him on the head and prayed for the
Blessings of God for him.’ Ref[3]
Whenever the Prophet Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) passed by
children, he tried to be the first to greet them and say “Assalaamu
Alaikum.” When riding he would let children sit on his camel or donkey.
When children saw him, they came running. He greeted them warmly,
picked them up, hugged them and kissed them. He loved giving them dates,
fruits and sweets to eat.
In some prayers, the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) read long Surahs.
But if he heard a baby crying, he would read a short Surah and say a
short prayer. This helped the mother to take care of her baby.
He used to get into the spirit of childish games in their company. He
would have fun with the children who had come back from Abyssinia and
tried to speak in Abyssinian with them. It was his practice to give
lifts on his camel to children when he returned from journeys. Ref[4]
Among the instructions given before the conquest of Makkah, one of
the important ones was not to harm any child. Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
was worried for their safety and wellbeing even at a state of war. This
shows the compassion he had towards children no matter what the
situation was.
Lessons from Seerah of Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: Raising good Children
Today we are inundated with masses of statistics, books, researches,
psychological studies, and ‘notice of caution’ in relation on how to
raise successful, happy children, children with great self-esteem, most
productive adults and the alike.
In recent times access to all this information is just a ‘click’
away. Needless to say each lesson taught us by The Prophet was a
valuable one full of wisdom. He educated us so as not to overlook even
the smallest of things, He taught us the beauty incumbent in the ability
to love, how to melt away all adversity with a merciful touch, and
amongst many of the most wonderful things that He has taught us is that
loving your child comes for free and simple. We have described all that
we could find on how to achieve outstanding results in raising good
children now it is upon us to practice all that we have learnt and shape
the humanity in the most beautiful way.
Express your love
Prophet Muhammad never held back his love for the children and always
expressed his fondness to them. He would pick up children in his arms,
play with them, and kiss them.
He played with them and took such keen interest in them. Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him),
Allah’s Messenger kissed Al-Hasan ibn `Ali while
Al-Aqra` ibn Habis At-Tamim was sitting with him . Al-Aqra` said, “I
have ten children and have never kissed one of them.” The Prophet cast a
look at him and said, “Whoever is not merciful to others will not be
treated mercifully.” (Al-Bukhari)
In one hadith Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I went along with Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
at a time during the day but he did not talk to me and I did not talk
to him until he reached the market of Banu Qainuqa`. He came back to the
tent of Fatimah and said, “Is the little chap (meaning Al-Hasan)
there?” We were under the impression that his mother had detained him in
order to bathe him and dress him and garland him with sweet garland.
Not much time had passed that he (Al-Hasan) came running until both of
them embraced each other, thereupon Allah’s Messenger (peace and
blessings be upon him) said,
“O Allah, I love him; love him and love one who loves him.” (Muslim)
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), the servant of the Prophet, had another recollection:
I never saw anyone who was more compassionate
towards children than Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon
him). His son Ibrahim was in the care of a wet nurse in the hills around
Madinah. He would go there, and we would go with him, and he would
enter the house, pick up his son and kiss him, then come back. (Muslim)
Give them importance
The above Ahadith also show how our Prophet used to give importance to children. This makes children realize their worth.
Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم also used to pay attention to children and their interests/hobbies so that they feel important
Anas bin Malik [ra] narrated: The Prophet used to mingle with us to the extent that he would say to the younger brother of mine,
“O father of Umair! What did An Nughair [your sparrow] do?” [Muslim]
Strengthen their relationship with Allah
On the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, we said: One day I was behind the Prophet and he said to me:
“Young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of
Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will
find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help,
seek help of Allah. Know that if that Nation were to gather together to
benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that
Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together
to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah
had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages
have dried”
Love all children above cast, creed or color
The Prophet’s love for children was not restricted to his children
and grandchildren. The scope of his mercy and affection embraced all
children, and he showed the same interest and gentleness to other
children. Usamah ibn Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
Allah’s Messenger used to put me on (one of) his thighs and put
Al-Hasan ibn `Ali on his other thigh, and then embrace us and say,
“O Allah! Please be merciful to them, as I am merciful to them.” (Bukhari)
Being Patient and not hurting their feelings
The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was always concerned about everyone’s
thought and feeling. The following hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik
(may Allah be pleased with him) proves his thoughtful character:
The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said,
“(It happens that) I start the prayer
intending to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I shorten
the prayer because I know that the cries of the child will incite its
mother’s passions.” (Al-Bukhari)
The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was always patient and considerate
with children and took great pain not to hurt their tender feelings.
Narrated Abu Qatadah:
“The Messenger of Allah came towards us
while carrying Umamah the daughter of Abi Al-`As (Prophet’s
granddaughter) over his shoulder. He prayed, and when he wanted to bow,
he put her down, and when he stood up he lifted her up.” (Al-Bukhari)
In a another hadith, Narrated Umm Khalid:
I (the daughter of Khalid ibn Said) went to Allah’s Messenger with my
father and I was wearing a yellow shirt. Allah’s Messenger said,
“Sanah, Sanah!” (`Abdullah, the narrator,
said that sanah meant “good” in the Ethiopian language). I then started
playing with the seal of prophethood (between the Prophet’s shoulders)
and my father rebuked me harshly for that. Allah’s Messenger said,
“Leave her.” The Prophet, then, invoked Allah to grant her a long life
thrice. (Al-Bukhari)
A companion, recalling his childhood, said,
“In my childhood I used to fell dates by
throwing stones at palm trees. Somebody took me to the Prophet who
advised me to pick up the dates lying on the ground but not to fell them
with stones. He then patted me and blessed me.” (Abu Dawud)
Making life fun for them also makes it worthwhile
Mahmood bin Rabi (RA) narrated: When I was a boy of five, I remember
The Prophet took water from a bucket in his mouth and sprinkled it on my
face.
Unmatched Tolerance
The Prophet’s tolerance towards children was unmatched. It is clear from this Hadith:
Narrated `A’ishah (RA): The Prophet took a child
in his lap … and then the child urinated on him, so he asked for water
and poured it over the place of the urine. (Al-Bukhari)
If the child fails they must not feel a failure
Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم used to teach children that failure doesn’t exist. Narrated Anas (RA):
I served The Prophet for ten years, and he never said to me, “Uf” (a
minor harsh word denoting impatience) and never blamed me by saying,
“Why did you do so or why didn’t you do so?” [Bukhari Kitab Al-Adab]
In a similar hadith Anas RA reported:
“I served him for nine years, but I do not know
that he ever said to me about anything I did, why I did that, or about
anything I had neglected, why I had not done that.” (Muslim)
We must also become a mentor and help the child believe in his or her ability to succeed no matter how long it takes!
Ignoring inappropriate behaviors
Many of the inappropriate behaviors of young children can simply be
ignored or disregarded. The Prophet is our best example in this regard.
Anas bin Malik RA said: “The Messenger of Allah had the best
disposition among people. One day he sent me on an errand and I said,
‘By Allah, I will not go,’ but it was in my mind that I would do as the
Messenger of Allah had ordered me. I went until I came upon children
playing in the street. Then the Messenger of Allah arrived and he caught
me by the back of my neck from behind. As I looked at him, I found him
smiling, and he said, `Unays
(nickname of Anas), did you go where I asked you to go’?’ I said, `O Messenger of Allah, yes, I am going.”‘
Treatment of equality
Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم made emphasized that Muslims should be conscious totreat their sons and daughters justly:
“Fear Allah and treat your children [small or grown] fairly (with equal justice).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Listening to what they have to say
The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم used to give them attention. Whenever
they had something to say to them he used to listen intently and not
turn his face away from them.
No compromise on personality building
The love and affection for children that was displayed by the Prophet
صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was not restricted to gestures only. Rather he made
efforts in grooming the children’s personalities and making them a
responsible member of the society.
He used to take children to gatherings and let them sit with
grown-ups to increase their understanding and wisdom. The followers of
the prophet used to bring their children with them when they went and
sat with the Prophet. One of the hadith that describe this was narrated
by Mu’aawiyah ibn Qurrah from his father, who said:
“The Prophet used to sit with a group of his Companions. One man had his
little son with him; the prophet would bring the child from behind and
make him sit in front of him…”
He used to teach them good manners and etiquettes. In a hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah, Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has said :
“The young should greet the old, the passerby
should greet one who is sitting, and the small group should greet the
larger group.” (Al-Bukhaari, 5736).
He gave children the praise and respect they deserve in front of others. This is made clear by the following hadeeth:
Sahl ibn Sa’d said that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was brought a cup
and he drank from it. There was a boy, the youngest of all the people,
on his right and some elders on his left. He said,
“O young boy, will you allow me to give
this to these elders?” The boy said, “I will not give away my share of
your blessings to anyone, O Messenger of Allaah,” so he gave the cup to
him. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2180)
He taught them sports
He always avoided humiliating them, especially in front of others, never
belittling their ideas, and encouraging them to take part by Consulting
them and asking for their opinions
Prophet gave them responsibilities in accordance with their age and abilities
Taught them to be brave as appropriate – including how to speak in
public, made sure their clothes are modest and protecting them from
inappropriate clothing, hairstyles, movements and ways of walking
avoiding extravagance, luxury, laziness and idleness, avoiding wastes of
time, because these go against strength, honor and seriousness.
Our Children and Prophet Mohammad
Children are innocent and describe their feelings with out any
pretence. In an effort to find out the place of our beloved Prophet صلی
اللہ علیہ وسلم in the hearts of our children today, we conducted a
survey among children of various ages. We asked, questions about our
Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and children were to share with us whatever
feelings were in their hearts about Prophet Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم .
The answers were incredible!
A teacher asked the students “Why do you think Allah loves our
Prophet so much, and a five year old boy, Hanzala replied “because the
Prophet used to obey everything that Allah used to say”.
Yahya also age five was asked “How do you feel about the Prophet ”.
Before he could answer his eyes filled with tears and he said “I miss
him” we were amazed at the answer as we were not expecting it. After a
while when he could control his tears he said “I miss him cuz I like him
very much and I feel like crying cuz I want to be with him. He used to
say, drink milk and it makes you healthy ”
Talha age 5 said “I like to listen to poems about him”
Musa age 3 said “I love him because he could do swimming”
Yahya, age four and a half had something different to say. “Prophet
صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم made a mosque with a young boy and I like that about
him . Bad people made him leave Makkah his home ”
Feelings about Hazrat Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
“I have heard a lot about Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in
school and at home. Whenever my mother tells me about him it’s always
very interesting. I want to be a nice Muslim just like him. When I meet
Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم I want to learn more about Islam from him,
and the most, I want to see him. I really want to talk to him so I
really hope I can see him in Jannah and that would only be possible if I
follow his sunnah. “ Basma Sheikh age 9 years
“I’d love to meet the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and when I do I
would share my things with him, play with him, share my lunch with him
and share my secrets with him. I’d like to learn how to obey and worship
Allah from him, discuss his
Hadith with him, learn about Islam from him, and learn how to read Quran
from him and listen to stories of the Quran from him. I’d also like to
learn how to behave with our parents, teachers and elders and see how he
treats
them. I would want to learn about the people of Arabia from him. I will hug him and love him. InshaAllah “ Nabiha age 10
“If I ever met Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم I’d like to play with him,
tell him all my secrets and also share my lunch with him. I’ll read a
story to him and share all my books with him.” Ayesha Ajmal age 9
“I want to do Hifz of Quran and then pray with Prophet .” Fayyaz age 11
“I really want to meet him and offer prayers behind him. I want to
talk to him and know more about him self how he spent his life and want
to live my life like him. I want to make him my friend and always follow
his sunnah way.”
Noor Bakht age 11
“My feelings for Prophet Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم are that I want
to meet him, pray with him and hear Hadith from him. I’d love to play
with him.
I will follow the way of his sunnah and be just like him. I want to be a noble Muslim just like him ” Ayman age 11
“I really want to meet him, see him and hear Hadith from him. want to
send peace and blessings upon him always. Also would like to play with
him and share my problems with him.” Eesha Zahid age 11 years
“I want to become just like Prophet by following his sunnah. I also
want to meet the Prophet .” Mohammad Hammad Ather Irfan age 11
“I want to see him and meet him and go for a picnic with him ” Palwasha Ajmal age 11
“I would be so surprised to see him if I meet him. I’d say Salaam to
him, talk to him and spend all my time with him. I will be so happy that
I was able to meet with Allah’s messenger.” Abuzar age 11
Thing’s I want to do with Prophet Mohammad
“If I ever meet the Holy Prophet I will ask him to first tell me
‘What was the life before us?’ I will always act upon sunnahs of Prophet
. I will ask him if he can play with me. I’ll pray with him. I’ll cook
something special for him ask him to have dinner at my house. Sameen age
9 years
“I want to play with him and I know I’ll feel great when I do. I want
to sit with him on the camel. I also want to pray with him in the
mosque. I would like to go with him to Makkah and do Hajj with him. I’d
like to read the Quran to him. I’d like to eat with him and do swimming
with him. I’d like to share these feelings with him and in the end thank
him for spending so much time with me.” M.A.Abdullah age 8 years
“I really want to play playstation and football with him . I’d like
to ride a horse or a camel with him also. I wonder how Arabian food is,
and I’d like to eat it with him.
I’d like to do Hajj with him , throw pebbles on the shaytan and see Madinah with him. “ Asfand 8 years
“I want to do dua for our Prophet . I want to ride a camel, pray and share Hadith with him” Name Unknown
“I want to visit Prophet . When I meet Prophet I’ll say Asalaam
Alaikum to him and then play with him. But when we play I’ll also pray
with him. After that we’ll read the Quran together, in the afternoon I’d
like to sleep for a little while and when I wake I’d like to play with
him till Asar Prayers. After that’ I’d again like to read the Quran and
tell lots of Hadith that I have memorized. Then we’ll offer Maghrib
prayers and after that I’ll thank him for letting me spend a whole day
with him and them my mom would come to pick me up. So I’ll say Asalaam
Alaikum and thank you.”
Arooj age 7 years
Bringing our children closer to Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
We have incorporated some of the valuable experiences shared by our
Sisters who have been striving to increase Prophets love in their
families…
Seerah Quiz
Time and again we can hold at our home a Seerah quiz and give out
prizes to winners to encourage them to learn more about our beloved
Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and knowing him more would increase his love.
Talk to our children about him
To make Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم a part of our lives we must talk
to our children often about him, the happy moments, sad moments,
different anecdotes and stories from the battles. We can also show how
our beloved Prophet used to treat children. This is a very effective way
of making our children come closer to him.
A week with Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
Shared by Sister Farah Baig
“We all love our Prophet . Simple because he brought us Divine
guidance and helped us a lot find our way to Truth. He is called the
light, as Almighty Allah says:
Indeed, there has come to you from Allâh a light (Prophet Muhammad SAW and a plain Book (this Qur’ân). (Al-Ma’idah: 15)
It is then necessary to teach our children our Prophet’s love. We also should make sure that his love grows daily in our heart!
In order to promote such noble feelings inside our family and kids me
and my husband decided to organize a week-long family activity around
the life of the Prophet. Why not spend one day of the week on each of
these activities, devoting the whole seven days to a different project.
These were rather token present we could offer to our kids in showing
acknowledgment to the great role the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم),
played in our life.
To have the daily family activity we decided to make a week long daily activity planner, which was something like this:
Monday/ TRAVELWITH THE PROPHET.
Tuesday / WAKE UP WITH THE PROPHET
Wednesday/ STORY TELLING NIGHT
Thursday /SLEEP LIKE PROPHET.
Friday / EAT LIKE PROPHET
Saturday /PRAY LIKE PROPHET
Sunday / PLAY LIKE PROPHET
Alhamdulillah, we all participated and leaned a lot with this and fun at
the same time. I get to explain them how Prophet Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ
وسلم migrated from Makkah to Madeenah, and where is the Kabbah located.
I also told everyone that the he used to do get up early in the morning
before fajr and how important that time is for Allah’s zikr.
My daughter told us the story about the lady and how she used to throw
trash on him ever single day and what was his attitude towards her and
what a great patience he had.
My son shared what he had learned few months ago in the masjid that
the Prophet used to sleep on his right side, with his right hand under
his right cheek. He used to make Wudu before going to bed also. He used
to recite one or two supplications before sleeping and recite a few
short portions of the Qur’an.
Then it was my husband’s turn to discuss about the eating manners. He
discussed something like Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم advised Muslims to
eat in a way that stomach should be only one-third full. We also should
wash our
hands before eating, recite “Bismillah”and other supplications before we
begin, as well as eat only with our right hand. I even prepared Middle
eastern food that day that every one loved.
Then came the fun part, Playing like a Prophet. The Prophet Mohammad
صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم understood the importance of fun and games. He would
race with his wife `A’isha RA who used to outpace him most of the time.
He would swim and wrestle with his Companions. He would joke with them
too. He played with and loved children. That’s what we
did together. We spent that day playing different games.
The kids had their nana and nanee jaan visiting, who also took a
great part in the family activity week. Alhamdulillah our planned worked
out very well. We learned lot about our beloved Mohammad and his
activities. The main thing is that we enjoyed and learned at the same
time!!! Alhamdulillahe Rabbil Aalameen.”
Conclusion
Our beloved Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has provided for us clear
guidelines through his own childhood and through his treatment with
children that the concept of mercy is never complete without showing
affection towards children. The fact that even during wars he gave
strict orders not to harm any child shows the level of compassion he
had. His Seerah is full of lessons for us all to learn from and practice
in our daily life. The result of which would be a great nation brought
up in the best of ways.
References
Ref[1] The Seal of the Prophethood
