Educating Children: Classical Advice for Modern Times

by Imam Al-Ramli, Abdul Aziz Ahmed (Translator)

Educating Children is a translation and commentary of a classical Arabic poem about bringing up children. The advice it contains draws on traditional sources, the experience of the translator and the reflections of people from various walks of life. The author of the poem, Riyadatul Sibyan, is the famed 16th Century jurist, Imam Al-Ramli. Its translator, Abdul Aziz Ahmed, is an experienced teacher who studied both classical Islamic texts with renowned scholars and modern psychology and pedagogy.

The book discusses child development from the point of choosing a spouse to the child's attaining maturity. It contains explanation of key concepts such as adab, 'sql and role models. There are practical examples and reflections on real situations, as well as explations of Prophetic traditions.

Genres: Parenting, Islam, Education

134 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Hassan Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I realized that first it's the parents who need to learn manners and understand life before they can expect their children to learn it.

[Arsalan Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and concise instructions on how to raise your kids as per Quran and Sunnah. Although the main source of the book is from the poem of Imam Ramli, the commentary does a great job in referencing authentic hadith and verses. The book is well organized into several small sections of advice and is even done so in a chronological manner starting from the early years of suckling all the way to puberty. The language used is very simple and easy to understand and the small sections make it easy to mark your progress. This should definately be on your to read list as it would not take a lot of effort to read and advice will be priceless.
The book follows the same format for each section starting with the Arabic and english text of the poem, followed by a classical commentary and then final modern remarks from the author. The author also makes further arguements using contemporary experts which further gives weight to the classical advice given by Imam Ramli.
I only wish the modern arguements were further enhanced by giving further testimony of contemporary scholars who specialize in family relations and child psychology who could have definately provided more credibility. Regardless, the book as it is, still does a remarkable job of doing so.