It's very likely that you will receive questions from your child or grandchild about Allah the Almighty, Jannah, Hell, death, resurrection, judgment, the Day of Resurrection, and other logical inquiries. Answering these questions provides the first building block in the faith foundation of children.
Many families make the mistake of avoiding these questions, giving illogical answers, or trivializing them, not giving them the necessary attention. This can negatively affect the child's perception of the Creator, His nature, the reality of existence, and the mystery of the universe.
Building the Tawheed (monotheism) in the youth starts from an early age before their minds and hearts are polluted with deviant ideas, false beliefs, and materialistic theories that corrupt the heart, negate the spirit, and mislead the mind, leading to atheism and irreligiosity.
When a child sees their parents praying, doing rukoo’, and sujood, this behavior is naturally imitated. However, the child internally questions, What are they doing? Why? What are they murmuring in their prayer? These are innocent and legitimate questions, and answering them plants the seed of faith and Tawheed in their soul, teaching them that there is a God to whom we pray, supplicate, and seek all good, and from whom we seek refuge from all evil.
Questions continue to come from a child trying to form a simple understanding of the things around them, compatible with their age and mental abilities. When they ask, Where is Allah? The answer would be: In the heavens, He is the God of the universe, the Creator, the Powerful, the One who brings down rain and moves clouds, the One who created your eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Enumerate the signs of Allah in the universe and the wonders of His power to reassure the child's heart that there is a Creator for this universe.
Your child may ask: I want to see Allah. Don't be upset, confused, or stutter, but honestly and confidently tell them: You will see Him, and I will see Him when we enter Jannah together as a reward for our good deeds in this world and our recompense in the Hereafter. Instill in them a longing for Jannah and its delights, where there is what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has imagined. Your child will listen intently when you talk about Jannah and its contents.
If they insist on seeing Allah, tell them that He sees and hears us. If we want to see Him, we should reflect on His ayahs: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason.” (Al-Baqarah: 164)
Let them feel that Allah is with them, sees them, hears them, watches over them, and knows the secret and what is even more hidden. The Prophet used to teach his companions, including children, the foundations of faith. He said to Ibn Abbas, “O boy! I will instruct you in some matters. Be watchful of Allah (Commandments of Allah), He will preserve you. Safeguard His Rights, He will be ever with you. If you beg, beg of Him Alone; and if you need assistance, supplicate to Allah Alone for help. And remember that if all the people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except that which Allah had foreordained (for you); and if all of them gather to do harm to you, they will not be able to afflict you with anything other than that which Allah had pre-destined against you. The pens had been lifted and the ink had dried up.” (At- Tirmidhi, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan Sahih)
Meditation Experience
When you take your child before sunrise or sunset for a meditation session, you open up new perspectives for them to contemplate Allah's signs. Who created the sun and the moon? Who brings the night and the day? Who created the earth and the mountains? Gradually, they will be convinced of the existence of a Creator for this universe, a Lord we worship, and there is no god but Him.
Let their mind think, reflect, understand, and be guided on its own when you answer their inquiries with questions that enlighten their mind and heart. Who created water? Who created air? Who made plants grow? In the hadith, the prophet says, “Reflect deeply upon the creation, but do not reflect upon the essence of the Creator.” (Al-Albani categorized as Hasan)
When you bring a small pot, have your child fill it with soil, plant seeds of wheat or corn, or other plant seeds, and water them. They will watch day by day how the plant grows, who brought the plant out of the soil, who gave it its green color, and who created the fruits, vegetables, trees, and flowers. They will be convinced that Allah is the Creator, and there is no deity but Him. They will feel what you recite to them from the Holy Quran: “Who created me, and He [it is who] guides me. And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink. And when I am ill, it is He who cures me. And who will cause me to die and then bring me to life. And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense.” (Ash-Shu'ara: 78-82)
I remember in my childhood when a small duckling I had died, my mother taught me to cover it with a piece of cloth and bury it next to the wall of the house. I cried over it, but I learned the meaning of death, and my mother taught me that humans also die, but the difference is that they will be resurrected again to be judged for their deeds. If they were righteous, they would go to Paradise; if they were wicked, they would go to Hell.
Do not avoid your child's questions or tell them to be quiet. Do not scold or mock them. Respect their mind and provide logical answers. Be a role model at home; let them see you pray, read the Quran, and supplicate to Allah. They will respond, explore, and discover what indicates the existence of Allah and faith in Him. Then, they will learn about Allah’s Messenger, peace be upon him, and the pillars of faith and Islam. This is how the doctrine of faith is instilled in the heart, soul, and mind of your child, so they grow up believing in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine destiny, both good and bad.
Be simple in your answers, suitable for your child's age. Relate the answers to tangible things your child understands. Use storytelling, drawings, and pictures, and take advantage of visual aids and modern tools to answer their questions and convey what you want to their heart and mind.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Whoever neglects teaching their child what benefits them and leaves them without guidance has committed a grave offense. Most children's corruption comes from the parents' neglect and their failure to teach them the obligations of religion and its practices, resulting in their loss as children and their lack of benefit to themselves or their parents as adults.”
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