Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 61
Chapter 4: Elementary School Years 61 Have an Adhan clock at home, which plays the Adhan five times a day as a reminder that it is time to perform Salat. When the Adhan is heard, everyone in the household should stop what they are doing and prepare for the Salat. Parents can perform their wudu (ablution) with their children so that they learn the proper steps in how to perform the Wudu. Having a designated area in the house for the performance of Salat is highly recommended. It is also important that Salat is offered on time each day without combining the individual Salat. However, if children miss Zuhr Salat because of school, they may combine it with Asr Salat when they come back from school. When children are not in school, the Zuhr and Asr Salat should be performed separately, each at their own time. Age seven is a good time to start building a routine to perform Salat and, over the span of three years, slowly children can build on this habit. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said that between the ages of ten and twelve, parents have the option of being strict with children in terms of Salat. From age seven to ten, children should be encouraged with love, and once they turn ten years old, parents are allowed to be a little strict, and after age twelve they are to be reminded gently. As Salat becomes obligatory at age ten, a child ’ s tenth birthday is another important milestone and should be recognized as such. In addition, every effort should be made that the whole family offers Salat in congregation at least once a day and children be taught the significance of offering Salat in congregation. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih II (ra) has emphasized the importance of congregational Salat in these words: “ Congregational Salat , in my view, is the most important intervention to teach children good morals and habits.