What Are the Aspects of Upbringing That an Educator Must Consider?
Answered by Shaykh Khalid al-Kharsa
Question
What are the aspects of upbringing that an educator must consider?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Merciful
The aspects of upbringing include:
- Introducing the Creator
- Instilling values and virtues
- Fostering a love of knowledge and its etiquette
- Teaching the child parts of the Quran and Hadith
- And choosing a righteous teacher and school
1. Introducing the Creator
This is achieved through emphasizing the real benefactor, strengthening the bond with the firm rope of Allah, and ingraining the belief in monotheism in the child.
Allah (Most High) narrates about Luqman advising his son, “And ˹remember˺ when Luqmân said to his son, while advising him, ‘O my dear son! Never associate ˹anything˺ with Allah ˹in worship˺, for associating ˹others with Him˺ is truly the worst of all wrongs.’” [Quran, 31:13]
The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah be pleased with him), “If you ask, then ask Allah.” [Tirmidhi]
2. Instilling Values and Virtues
Following Luqman’s advice to his son on worshiping only Allah, he continued with other great counsels. He mentioned kindness to parents and goodness towards them, as Allah (Most High) quotes, “But if they pressure you to associate with Me what you have no knowledge of, do not obey them. Still, keep their company in this world courteously, and follow the way of those who turn to Me ˹in devotion˺.” [Quran, 31:15]
Then, Luqman draws his son’s attention to the vast knowledge and incredible power of Allah, “O my dear son! ˹Even˺ if a deed were the weight of a mustard seed—be it ˹hidden˺ in a rock or in the heavens or the earth—Allah will bring it forth. Surely Allah is Most Subtle, All-Aware.” [Quran, 31:16]
Muhammad ibn Sawwar taught his nephew Sahl bin Abdullah al-Tustari remembrance of Allah at the age of three, instructing him to say: “Allah is with me. Allah is watching me. Allah is my witness.”
For more, see: Bashar Muhammad Rida al-Qahwaji, Waqafat Ma‘a Tarbiyat al-Awlad.
Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Khalid al-Kharsa is a distinguished scholar from Syria, born in Damascus in 1960. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Da‘wa Islamiyya in Tripoli, a higher diploma in Comparative Fiqh from the University of Omdurman in 1998, a master’s degree in Comparative Fiqh from the Faculty of Shari‘a and Law at the University of Omdurman in 2002, and a Ph.D. in Comparative Fiqh from the same institution in 2010.
He acquired knowledge and spiritual guidance from Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Farfur, Shaykh Abdul Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Muhammad Adib al-Kallas, and Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, may Allah have mercy on them all.
He received Ijazas from several scholars, including Shaykh Muhammad Amin Siraj, Shaykh Abdul Ghani al-Daqar, Shaykh Muhammad Sa‘id al-Kahil, Shaykh Malik bin al-Arabi bin Ahmad al-Sharif al-Sanusi, Shaykh Muhammad Usman Bilal, the Mufti of Aleppo, and others.
Shaykh Khalid lived in Damascus for 52 years, where he engaged extensively in educational and social activities before being displaced from there. He moved to Istanbul at the end of 2015 and co-established “Markaz Jami‘at al-‘Ilm Wa al-Hidaya” within two months of his arrival. In Istanbul, he is active in educational roles. He serves as the director and teacher at the Sheikh Abdul Razzaq al-Halabi Institute, a lecturer at Dar al-Fuqaha, and a teacher at the Dar al-Funun Waqf.
His scholarly works and research include his tahqiq on “al-Rasa li al-Salihat min al-Nisa” by Hafiz Yusuf bin Abdul Hadi, “Adab al-Murta‘i in the Science of Dua (Supplication),” “al-Isti‘ana bi al-Fatiha,” “Rashat al-Aqlam – Explanation of Kifayat al-Ghulam” by Shaykh Abdul Ghani al-Nabulsi in Hanafi Fiqh, “al-Hada’iq al-Wardiyya fi Ajla al-Naqshbandiyya” by Khani, and “al-Arba‘in al-Tusiyya” by Muhammad bin Aslam. May Allah preserve him and make his contributions beneficial.
