Educating children and their legal rights.

The Shaykh : Second: Grant us from from our offspring? Children, both sons and daughters, but children are young; sons and daughters need upbringing and the refinement of their morals. How wonderful it is when a small boy of the age of discernment meets you and you ask, "Have you memorized anything of the Qur'an?" He says, "Yes." You ask him to recite al-Fatihah, and he recites it for you. A person's heart fills with joy, and this, praise be to Allah, is found now. There are people, praise be to Allah, who when they sit with their young children, teach them the Qur'an and teach them something of the fundamentals of the religion, even if they are small. A small child does not forget; he does not forget what he heard or what he saw. Teach your child, whether male or female. When you sit with him at the coffee shop, at lunch, at dinner, or in a gathering, teach him his manners. Say to him, "My son, do this," or "My daughter, do this." Also, teach him truthfulness. Do not make an appointment with him and then break it. If you promise him an appointment and then break it, he will take lying lightly and take breaking promises lightly. If you say, "Come, my boy, I will give you candy," and you put your hand in your pocket as if you are going to give him candy, but when the day comes you hold him and hit him, or... or you do not give him anything, what will be the reaction in his mind? It will be severe, and he will get used to lying. He will get used to lying. And so some people make a mistake. When the boy shouts, they say, "Be quiet, be quiet, be quiet. Do you want candy?" The boy immediately goes quiet! Because candy is one of the most precious things to him. If he is quiet, they say... and this candy is with him. Is this correct? No. But if you do not have candy to fulfill your promise, say to him, "Be quiet, my boy. Shouting is not good," and say to him words that are true. Also, order them to pray: When do we order them to pray? At seven. Before seven, do not order them. If they pray, it is from themselves, and that is what is desired. Do not prevent them, but do not order them, because you are not wiser than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he did not order us to order them except from seven to ten. When he reaches ten, then he is hit, but not with a severe beating, and not like the beating of an adult among them, but a beating that makes him feel your concern for prayer. Every situation has its own discourse, and boys differ. Some have a strong sense, and as soon as you scold or order them, they comply. Some are stubborn and do not increase in anything but aversion from you with such treatment. So every situation has its own discourse.