The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 335
12 PROPER UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN I believe that beating children in a manner that the ill- behaved child-beater pretends to be Allah's partner in guiding and training children is a type of polytheism. Pray for Children instead of Punishing Them When a hot-tempered person is provoked and punishes a child, he takes on the role of an enemy in the stress of his anger and imposes punishment far in excess of the wrong which has been done. An individual with self-respect and control over himself, who is also forbearing and digni- fied, has the right to correct a child to a certain extent as the occasion demands or seek to guide the child. But a wrathful and hot-headed person who is easily provoked is not fit to be a guardian of children. I wish that, instead of punishing children, parents would have recourse to prayer, and should make it a habit to supplicate earnestly for their children; for the supplications of parents on be- half of their children meet with special acceptance. [Malfūzāt, vol. 2, p. 4] True guidance and training belongs to God Almighty. To pursue a matter persistently and to insist upon it unduly and to rebuke children upon every matter indicates that such a person imagines himself to be the source of guid- ance and believes that he will bring the children to order by pursuing his own method. This kind of attitude sa- vours of a hidden assumption of association with the Di- vine and should be avoided by the members of our