The Role of a Mother in Teaching Islam to Her Children

Islam reveres motherhood, as expressed in a hadith, or saying of the Prophet Muhammad: "Do good to and serve your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father, then the near relatives and then those who come after them." One of the most important duties of a Muslim mother is to teach her children about Islam.

  1. Duties

    • The religious duties of a Muslim mother include not only caring and protecting for her children but also educating them. Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad al-Sâlih, a professor at al-Imâm University in Saudi Arabia, describes mothers as the first teachers of their children, in an article on the Islam Today website. Al-Sâlih writes that Muslim mothers should teach their children the basic principle of Islam, which is that there are no gods other than Allah and that Muhammad was Allah's messenger.

    Attributes of Allah

    • Islam teaches that although Allah is ultimately beyond human comprehension, humans are capable of partially understanding Him through His attributes and names. These attributes can be found in traditional lists such as the 40 hadiths of Ayah, Imam Khomeini. Each name represents some aspect or power of Allah. According to an article on the AhlulBayt Islamic Mission website, Muslim mothers play a major role in teaching these names or attributes to their children through both example and explanation.

    Teaching by Example

    • Muslim mothers teach their children about some of the divine attributes simply by treating them with compassionate patience and gentleness. According to the AhlulBayt Islamic Mission, mothers who treat their children kindly and lovingly display Allah's compassionate attributes and teach their children to do the same. Mothers who are impatient or overly harsh toward their children teach them to be stubborn and defiant. Children are more likely to accept the guidance of Islam from a kind and loving mother.

    Teaching by Explanation

    • Muslim mothers can also teach their children about the names and attributes of Allah through explanation. The AhlulBayt Islamic Mission gives the example of a flower. A Muslim mother can use a flower to explain to her children that one of Allah's names is Al Khaliq or "The Creator" and another is Al-Musawwir or "The Fashioner." These names express the divine attributes of creation and the shaping of that creation into specific forms such as the form of the flower.

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