them about baby Ismail. Tell them about zam zam. Tell them stories that show good guys and bad guys, ideas
can be planted now. Make the child root for the good people in these stories, but there is no harm in occasional
sadness. Explain gently how horrible Yazeed was and how he prevented water from getting to little babies.
Incorporate love of Ali Asghar (a.s) now, in little tales. Relate the child as he/ she grows, to different people of
Karbala. You can make the message of Husayn (a.s) go a long way if you are intelligent at this time.
In passing let me put in words what the message of Husayn (a.s) is, in its shortest definition: Identify Right and be
with it. Identify wrong and reject it.
4. School age
The difficult part is already over. Make your child responsible now for what you have already worked at so far.
Make the child think for him/herself. Give him/her situations of problem solving regarding justice and equity.
Gently guide, gracefully mould, tactfully direct. The power is love, and above all... give the child role models.
Instil the love of Ahlulbayt (a.s) and explain now that we have a living King, an Imam who cares for us and hears
us.
The more love the child gets the more he/she can give back. Put so much love of Allah in
your child’s heart that there is no room for anything else, purity begins at home. Strangely
with this love you can explain how villainy works and if you have been good with your
karbala classroom, there is already an established dislike of wrong and wrong doers. You
have to be really smart. Don’t make them love everyone; not the baddies. Oh no, far from
it. Your education should demarcate right quite clearly from wrong. Who said it was easy
raising kids?
And now your child is older and is out there in the school playground. Are you scared
that you have raised a freak! Certainly not. Teach them to think for themselves and be
responsible human beings. In whatever part of the world you are, there will be questions
posed at your child. Prepare your children with reasonable answers. It is important that
they don’t feel inferior if they are wearing hijab in the case of girls or have their own unique Muslim ways such as packed lunches instead of
school dinners. The child must be able to answer queries politely. The knowledge he/she carries must be supplied by the parent.
Discipline and regularity are important now. Salat, saum and reading of quran with a little understanding, again of the small suras.
It is amazing how quickly kids learn them if you attach incidents with each one, such as Sura Kausar and Fatima Zahra S. A. Sura Fil and the
elephants and birds incident. Sura Lahab and the story of the horrible duo who hurt the Prophet saww. Increase the thirst for knowledge.
Remember that school takes its toll upon children. They are tired out by evening. A special time for religious st