How does a father teach his children Tawheed?

He answered:

 ● ‘He teaches them Tawheed just like he teaches them other matters of the Deen. From the best of what is in this subject is the book ‘The Three Principles’ by Shaykh-ul-Islaam Muhammad bin AbdulWahab. If he makes them memorise it by heart and explains to them its meanings appropriately to their understanding and their intellects.

Then there comes a lot of goodness from this. This is because this book is built upon questions and answers, and clear easy expressions, which have no complexity.

Then the father shows them the Ayaat of Allaah (His signs) so that he can practically implement what is mentioned in this small book.

For example,  the sun, the father asks, who created it? Likewise the moon,  the stars,  the night and day, you say to them:

‘The sun, who created it? Allaah.

The moon?   Allaah,  the night?  Allaah, the day?  Allaah.  Allaah -Azza wa Jal- created all of these. This is so that one can water the tree of the Fitrah (the natural disposition) because the human himself has been created with his natural disposition upon Tawheed of Allaah -Azza wa Jal.

Like the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:

(كل مولود يولد على الفطرة ، فأبواه يهودانه أوينصرانه أو يمجسانه)

‘Every newborn is born upon the Fitrah (natural disposition), so it is his parents who either make him into a Jew or into a Christian or into a Majoos (fire worshipper).’

● Also he teaches them Wudu, how to make Wudu by demonstration and saying: This is how one does Wudu, and he performs the Wudu in front of him.

● Likewise the Salah (prayer), along with taking aid with Allaah Ta’ala, and asking Allaah -Azza wa Jal- for guidance for them. Also, that one keeps away from any statement which opposes good behaviour or every prohibited action, so he should not get them used to lying,  cheating and treachery,  nor lowly manners.

Even if the father was trialed by prohibited actions, like if he was trialed by smoking,  he should not smoke in front of them because they will get used to it and it will become easy upon them to do it as well.

 One should know that every man of a household is responsible for the people of the house, due to the saying of Allah Tabaraka wa Ta’ala:

(يَا أَيُّهَاالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَاراً)

《 O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell)》[Tahreem: 6]

Our protecting them from the fire cannot be except if we get them used to righteous actions and to leave off bad actions. The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- affirmed that in his saying:

(الرجل راع في أهله ومسؤول عن رعيته)
‘A man is a shepherd for his family and he is responsible for his flock.’

A father should know that their being righteous is beneficial to him in this world and the hereafter Indeed from the closest of people to their fathers and mothers are the righteous children, male and female.

(وإذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث: صدقة جارية، أو علم ينتفع به،أو ولد صالح يدعو له )
‘When a person dies his actions cease except for three: continuous charity,  or knowledge people benefit from,  or a righteous child who supplicates for him.’

We ask Allah Ta’ala to aid all of us upon carrying out the trust and responsibility.’

[Silsilah Noor ala Darb. Tape: 350 side A]

Age of 0-7

You play with them. You teach them Islam but make the learning easy and dont be harsh with them.

Age of 7-14
this is the age where you discipline and tell them to memorise Qur'an and ahadith. They know how to honor and respect and sit in a dhars.

Age of 14-21
the parent should be his children's companion and you make consultation with them over issues, you ask their opinion. The parent can leave his children at home by himself if the parent has to go out because his old enough now.

Some parents let their children play between the ages of 7-14, which is wrong.

Some children at the age of 12-14 would participate in jihad in the time of the prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam).

Shaykh Abdul Wahab was the imaam of the masjid and memorised the whole quran and got married at the age of 12.

Signs of adulthood are 3:

* Hair growing on private parts.
* Wet dreams so they could have sexual intercourse.
* Menses (for women).

Age of 15.
Whichever 1 of these come, then they are adults.

Abu bakr Sijistanee compiled his first book at 11 regarding the biography of a great imaam and his father was pleased with that. Now children are too busy with games.

We should tell our children to read biographies of the salaf and then write about it and ask why he wrote those points especially. The more the children read these books, they will become more encouraged by them and the salaf will become their role models. Also ask the children the names of the imaams of the salaf.

When Abu Dawud was 8 yrs old, he witnessed the funeral of Imaam Isaac ibn Rahawai who died in the second century after hijrah. But now people dont take their children to the janazah. If the youth go off the rails its because of bad companionship or weak parenting or both.

Imaam Ahmed would read the musnad of his, which had the collection of 40,000 ahadith to his children for 12 years.

Tell your children to study the deen first and then they can do their homework afterwards because the deen is the priority. Read and memorise the deen every day.

We should attach our hearts to the ulama and we should see them and take our children to see them, before they pass away.

Make your children tulaab and take them to the masjid and keep them from bad company. When they go the masjid, tell them to always take their notepads even if theres no dhars on, just in case they hear a benefit.

You shouldnt just leave them on the streets or schools, rather you give them tarbiyyah of the sunnah and the staying away from bidah. You shouldnt always keep them inside the home.

Teach the child to not speak until he is permitted to speak.

Teach the child not be rowdy around you. If parents are telling the child off, you should teach the child to not look into your eyes, rather look down.

The child should sit with his parents like a student sits with a shaykh, mathalan you dont raise your feet infront of a shaykh. The father teaches his children to serve the guests.

Teach your child to seek permission to leave the room. Also when your out, you teach your child to let you through the door first.

Teach the children that they should treat with respect his parents friends. Some parents tell their children not to call them mum or dad but by their names, this is not correct.

Sometimes children at 8 are screaming and shouting at home, like babies. This is not correct either.

Make your children close to you, not distant and put a desire of ilm in them.

~ End of dhars.

Below is a bit of extra info by Abu Talha Dawud Burbank:

Imaam adh -Dhahabee - rahimahullaah -mentioned in 'Siyar A`laamin-Nubalaa.' (10/233), in his biography of aboo Mushir `Abdul-A`laa ibn Mushir ad-Dimash qee:" Ibn Zanjawayh said:
I heard Aboo Mushir say: "Strictness with a child at an early age will bring about increase in his intellect in later life."

[adh -Dhahabee said about Aboo Mushir in his biography in 'al-Kaashif': The Imaam, Aboo Mushir al-Ghassaanee, the Shaikh of Shaam. (He narrated) from Sa`eed ibn `Abdil-`Azeez, and (Imaam) Maalik; and from him (narrated): Ibn Ma`een, Aboo Haatim, and`Abdur-Rah maan ibn ar-Ruwaas.
He was from the finest of the scholars, and from the most eloquent and correct in speech,  and one of those who memorized most. He was threatened with the sword to force him to say that the Quraan was created, but he refused, so he was imprisoned. He died in Rajab, in the year 218 (H)."]

* Ibnul-Jawzee - rahimahullaah - reported in ' Dhammul-Hawaa ' (p.116) that Ibraaheem ibn Ishaaq al-Harbee (d.285 H) said:
"Keep your children away from evil companions, before it happens that you have immersed them in, and dyed them with affliction", and he said: "The beginning of the corruption of children comes about from one
another."

[Reference: Dr.Sulaymaan ibn Ibraaheem al-`Aayid's introduction to 'Ghareebul-Hadeeth ' of Ibraaheem al-Harbee.]