teach him the name of his Creator and Owner, ‘Allah’, first; and try to have him recite the Kalimah before anything else. As the compassionate Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: ‘make your children say ‘لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہ’ before anything else.’ (Shu’ab-ul-Iman, vol. 6, p. 397, Hadees 8649)

Our noble predecessors would teach kids the names of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and they would strive to make sure that the child becomes so habitual of uttering the name of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ that it becomes their lifelong Wazifah.

Sayyiduna Sahl Bin Abdullah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would worship alongside his maternal uncle from the tender age of 3. His uncle said, ‘before sleeping every night, recite these words once ‘اَللّٰہُ مَعِیَ اَللّٰہُ نَاظِرِیْ اَللّٰہُ شَاھِدِیْ’.’ Meaning, Allah Almighty is with me, Allah Almighty sees me, Allah Almighty is a witness upon me. When he became habitual of reciting this, his uncle said, ‘now recite this 7 times daily.’ When he became habitual of this, he was instructed to recite it 15 times. Then throughout his life, he would read this Wazifah. (Tazkirah-tul-Awliya, p. 228)

اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه nurtured by the company of pious elders, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, ‘Allamah Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Attari Qadiri دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ had instructed all the family members to keep uttering ‘Allah, Allah’ in front of his granddaughter so that the first thing she utters is the word ‘Allah’, and when she was brought to him, he would also perform the Zikr of Allah in front of her. When his granddaughter began to speak, the first word she uttered was ‘Allah’.

2. Narrate the stories of the Sahabah and the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  to the kids

Another good method of providing a good upbringing of children is to tell them the accounts of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the honourable companions (Sahabah). With blessings of this, children will develop love of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the honourable companions in their heart.

Let us listen to an account for encouragement:

How did he develop the passion to become a Sahabi?

One day, in school, the teacher asked students that what will you become when you are older? Some said, ‘I’ll become a doctor.’ Some said, ‘I’ll become