Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura

Friday Sermon
25 October 2013 / 20 Zulhijjah 1434
Practising A Moderate Attitude Towards
Our Children's Education

Friday Jemaah blessed by Allah,

Let us enhance our takwa towards Allah s.w.t. by obeying
His commands and trying our best to leave behind what
Allah s.w.t. has prohibited upon us.

My brothers,
There is a beautiful verse in the Holy Quran that is aimed at
every parent, Allah s.w.t. says in surah At-Tahrim verse 6:

Which means: "O you who have believed, protect yourselves

and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and
stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and
severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands
them but do what they are commanded."
This verse highlights the importance of working hard towards
protecting ourselves, our children and our family from the
tortures of hellfire. As parents, this should be the ultimate
success that we aim for our children. We must ensure that
every success that our children achieve in this world, be it in
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their studies or in their career, it should pave the way to bring

them and ourselves closer to attaining Allah's pleasure.
Dear Brothers,
It is this concern towards the success of a family that
Rasulullah s.a.w. has reminded us to use our wealth to
benefit our family members. Rasulullah s.a.w. said:

Which means : "Money you spend for the sake of Allah;

money you spend to free a slave, money you give in charity
to the poor, and money you spend on your family . . . The
greatest in reward of all of these is spending on your family."
[Hadith narrated by Imam Muslim]
This hadith reminds us of the importance of a husband and a
father to ensure that his wealth is for the benefit of his
children and wife. And among the spending that is necessary
to be borne by a father is spending on his children's
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education. Education will shape the character of one's

children and will

guarantee him/her a bright future

Insya'Allah. This is not just for the benefits of this world but
also the hereafter. How can we hope for our children to be
dwellers of Paradise if we do not provide them with the right
guidance? How can we hope for our children to be skilled if
we are not willing to spend our money, time and effort to
shape them and impart relevant skills on them? If we are still
reluctant to spend all these for the sake of our children's
development,

then

remember

that

we

will

be

held

accountable by Allah s.w.t!

My dear jemaah,
In caring for our children's education, we must also be wise
in balancing their emotional, psychological and physical
development. As we carry out our responsibility to educate
our

children

to

become

outstanding

individuals

and

contribute to the community, there are some things that we

can consider:
First: Avoid being excessive and exerting too much pressure
on your children's education.

We should remember that the best way in Islam is to be

balanced. The need to be balanced, or moderate, is
embedded in various aspects of the Shariah. Moderation in
eating, giving to charity, loving others and so on.
We should also practice moderation when it comes to our
children's education. We should not pamper our children
excessively, but at the same time we must not be too hard
on them and control them too much that they do not enjoy
the process of seeking knowledge. In our enthusiasm to
encourage our children to do well, we should be careful not
to exert emotional and psychological pressure on our kids.
For example, over-controlling them and stressing them out
daily simply to push them to achieve excellent results for
their tests and examinations.
Being too demanding and giving them too much pressure
will have negative implications to our children's mental
health. We should learn to detect and understand signs that
our children are stressed out or worse, depressed. This is
critical in ensuring that they get enough attention and early
treatment, if needed. Remember, learning can take place
anytime and anywhere, even during a family activity.
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We should not always compare one child's achievements to

that of his or her other siblings, or even with others.
Remember, every child is different, both in terms of
personality and abilities. It would be much better if we utter
words of encouragement and motivate them to do their best
in their studies.
Second: We need to set a good example in terms of our
own quest for knowledge, by keeping alive the culture of
reading and seeking knowledge. Fill the shelves in our
house with books that are beneficial. Not to mention, we
should read extensively and also attend religious lectures. If
we have managed to instill the culture of lifelong learning in
our family, then our children will naturally be motivated to do
their best in seeking knowledge.
Third: Most importantly, we must inculcate in them the
realisation that knowledge, just like everything else on this
earth, belongs to Allah s.w.t, and that all the knowledge and
wisdom that we have attained is a gift from Allah s.w.t.
Knowledge, just like other creations, is something that we
need to ask from Allah s.w.t, so that He may ease it for us
and put barakah in the knowledge that we seek. The
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knowledge that we seek will not be beneficial if we do not

link it to takwa.
One doa that is good for us to teach to our children is the
doa that Allah s.w.t. taught Nabi Musa a.s., asking for his
heart to be clear and to be granted with beneficial
knowledge.

Which means: " My Lord, expand for me my breast [with

assurance]; And ease for me my task; And untie the knot
from my tongue; That they may understand my speech
[Surah Taha, verses: 25-28].
My brothers, our children are our legacy. If we raise them to
be obedient to Allah s.w.t. and diligent in doing good deeds
and helping others, we are not only grooming them to be
future dwellers of Paradise Insya'Allah, but we are in fact
looking to book a place for ourselves in the sight of Allah
s.w.t.

May Allah s.w.t bless us and our families, and grant us

sakinah (tranquility) in this world and the hereafter. Aamin ya
Rabbal Aalami.