Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim,
Shalah is very important in a Muslim life. Allah (SWT) has said in the Holy Qur'an: "I have not created the jinn and humankind for any other purpose except that they should worship Me." (Noble Qur'an 51:56)
It is clear from the above verse of the Qur'an that the purpose of our birth and of our life is no other than that of the worship of Allah SWT. There are many acts of worship ('Ibaadah) in Islam, and Shalah is one of the most important obligatory acts.
In a hadeeth narrated by Abdullah ibn Qart the Messenger of Allah SAW said,
"The first act that the servant of Allah will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment will be shalah. If it is good, then the rest of his acts will be good. And if it is evil, then the rest of his acts will be evil." (H.R: Tabrani)
Furthermore, shalah was the first act of worship that was made obligatory by Allah SWT. Therefore, due to its extreme importance to the Believer, shalah should be one of the first acts of worship that parents should teach their children.
How many children these days who can not perform the shalah. I have witnessed myself that there are many Muslim students, especially who have already reached the age of puberty, do not know how to do shalah. Astaghfirullaaahul 'Aziim. We can have a luxury stuffs in your life, we can have a luxury house, we can have a luxury car, but...all these dunya things will not help us in the HereAfter AT ALL.
When discussing teaching children how to make shalah parents typically ask when is it necessary to begin teaching their children. Let us be realistic, learning how to make shalah is not easy for children or in some cases adults. It can take a lot of work to master even the simplest elements of shalah. The learner must memorize the various du'as and Surah's of the Qur'an- not to mention the other required portions of the shalah. Furthermore, there must be work on proper pronunciation and rules on how, when, and what makes shalah valid. This is not an overnight process but rather one that takes times. Therefore, this leaves us with the question-when should children learn how to make shalah?
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, narrated that the Prophet Muhammad SAW said, "Command your children to make shalah when they become seven years old, and spank them for it (shalah) when they become ten years old, and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately." (Abu Dawud).
This does not mean that parents can only start teaching their children how to perform it when they reach the age of seven. Rather, informal instruction should start when a child starts to show an interest in shalah, which usually occurs around the age of two. It is only human nature that children love to imitate their parents. In fact, this is one method that Allah has provided us for teaching our youth.
Therefore, it is important for parents of small children to let them "pretend" to make the shalah along side of the parents. The benefits for this are twofold. First, it teaches children that it is necessary to make shalah everyday five times a day. And second, it helps children learn the physical movements of the shalah. It really is amazing how fast a two-year-old will learn the phrase Allahu-Akbar when he performs shalah along side of his/her parents!
The next step is to teach your child al-Fatihah. This should begin around the age of three or four. When teaching children Surah's or any other portions of the shalah that must be memorized; it is important to remember to break down the instructions by using a reasonable number of verses or small segments. In other words, teaching a child how to perform the shalah should be done progressively in small steps. It is important to practice reciting the previously learned material consistently everyday along with any new material. These practice sessions should only last between 5 to 15 minutes. At this age, length of practice is not as important as consistency.
Also, it is important to note that not everyday will your child be ready to learn new material. Work on mastery of material not quantity. The other question many parents ask is whether or not to teach Surah's using Tajweed. Actually, many parents find it helpful to combine the two. Children have an amazing ability to remember songs in commercials or various children's song. For many children, the act of singing actually makes it easier to memorize. However, at this age it is important not to focus on the rules of recitation but rather on the content.
While the presence of a teacher or parent teaching children the proper method of making shalah can not be underestimated, many parents find supplemental materials helpful in teaching their children how to make shalah. Every year new educational products are being introduced into the Muslim market. Today, Muslim parents have available coloring books, storybooks, developmentally appropriate teaching videotapes, audio tapes, and computer programs to enhance the learning process. Generally children learn new tasks best if teaching material is presented in a variety of formats. The use of such material will only help increase the speed and amount of learning for your child not to mention that it will make the experience more enjoyable.
Lastly, one of the most important aspects of successful teaching is praise and encouragement. Remember that children like to please their parents. Also, it is really important that parents praise and celebrate their children's accomplishments. This is especially true for learning how to make shalah. After the mastery of a section, children typically feel a strong sense of achievement. Praise motivates the child to continue to learn and accomplish new goals.
Please let's share how we deal this matter. Each parent has different ways of teaching their kids to perform shalah. Insha Allah next posting, I'll write about how I did with my two kids when they were very small, three years old.
