Question: Could you please tell us the ruling on young children learning about Islaam and Ramadaan through nasheeds, videos, cartoons and the like?
Answer: Wallaahi this issue has spread in the Muslim world today. It started as a means of teaching but now it is a form of material enjoyment. They are not able to do without it and this is really bad as it will lead to the days of the Sufis – where they used to worship Allaah by anaasheed and they called it Islaamic songs. There are no Islaamic songs.
Yaa Ikhwan, its best to teach the children whether today or twenty thousand (20,000) years from now, in the way which fourteen (14) centuries ago, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to deal with the children. For example, he صلى الله عليه وسلم told ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah, his step child [24]:
…until the end of the hadith.[25] This hadith today, (words unclear it sounds like: “degrees of speech are being done on it. Teach Deen.â€) Notice how this hadith is given to a little boy – why? So that he would grow up with this understanding; let them (our children) grow up with Qur’aan, recitation and du’aa – teach them what will benefit them.
These things – anasheed and cartoons will make them happy because they don’t differentiate between good and bad, but they will love it and they will live with it until they die. These things will remain (in their minds). As Shaykh Muhammad Mukhtar ash-Shanqiti حفظه الله said in a lecture when he was asked about the anasheed for the students of tahfeez (memorization), he said “No, don’t make it a hobby for them because what will happen is whenever anasheed is found they will come and when anasheed is stopped they will turn away from Qur’aan†– they turn away from tahfeez (memorization), they turn away from religion. That’s what we observe.
Look to the ‘Ulamaa. Do you want your child to be from amongst the ‘Ulamaa? Okay, take the biography of Shaykh Ibn Baaz and the biography of Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen and see how they grew up. I challenge anyone to show me that Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, Shaykh al-Albaani, Shaykh Muqbil, Shaykh Fawzaan, Shaykh Luhaydaan grew up listening to anasheed or cartoons. No! they grew up in a serious manner. They were in the halaqah (circles, sittings) of the shuyuukh; and in the house their mother reviewed what they studied and encouraged them in increasing in memorizing the Qur’aan and studying the Sunnah. They gave them sweet etc. (as an incentive) because they wanted to encourage them, and that is why when they became adults they became more serious than others. Shaykh Ibn Baaz said that when the children used to play he always used to stay with the Qur’aan. Akhi, Subhanallaah, who are the children who were with the Shaykh? We don’t know them; he didn’t mention any of the scholars of today who were his friends in boyhood. He did not mention them and this means that all those children went only to the dunya (got caught up in worldly affairs), but by staying with the Qur’aan he رحمه الله became the noble ‘Aalim, the noble Imaam of his time. This also pertains to the other great and grand ‘Ulamaa.
You will see some old People of Knowledge today encouraging anasheed and when you go back to their childhood you find them with anasheed. They used to watch cartoons and that’s why even now with their white beards, grey hair, bent back, holding the stick and speaking very broken they are still saying anasheed. Subhanallaah! This is because they grew up with it and they lived with it; but the other scholars are always saying “Qur’aan, Qur’aan†and “hadeeth, hadeethâ€. So decide what you want your child to be like when he becomes a man or a woman and then work from now to achieve this, as they say:
However, notice that those people who are always involved in seeking knowledge, teaching knowledge and busy in Qur’aan recitation – you always see when they become adults – men or women, and when they become old you always see them in those fields and people will have a need for them. But people of anasheed nobody needs them. Yaa Ikhwaan we have to realize the difference between what Allaah تعالى created us for and work towards it, and what is to be found from enjoyment. Wallaahu A’lam.
Answered by: Shaykh Muhammad al-Maliki
Title of Lecture: Ramadaan 1427 = 2006
Date of the Lecture: Saturday, October 14th, 2006
Listen to Lecture: Click Here
Read the Transcribed Lecture: Click Here
[1] “O boy! Mention the Name of Allaah and eat with your right hand, and eat of the dish what is nearer to you.â€
Reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab at-At’imah (#5061) and Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Ashribah (#2022)
[2] “Young man, I shall teach you some words (of advice): be mindful of Allaah, and Allaah will protect you. Be mindful of Allaah and you will find Him in front of you…â€
Reported as part of a longer hadith. Shaykh al-Albaani رحمه الله says Saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (#7957). Also found in an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadeeth as hadeeth #19.
Answer: Wallaahi this issue has spread in the Muslim world today. It started as a means of teaching but now it is a form of material enjoyment. They are not able to do without it and this is really bad as it will lead to the days of the Sufis – where they used to worship Allaah by anaasheed and they called it Islaamic songs. There are no Islaamic songs.
Yaa Ikhwan, its best to teach the children whether today or twenty thousand (20,000) years from now, in the way which fourteen (14) centuries ago, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to deal with the children. For example, he صلى الله عليه وسلم told ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah, his step child [24]:
يا غلام، سمِّ الله، وكل بيمينك، وكل مما يليك
He taught him something which was good for him. He did not make him sing
nor did he صلى الله عليه وسلم sing for him. Also, the Prophet صلى الله
عليه وسلم told ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbas:
يا غلام إني أعلمك كلمات احفظ الله يحفظك احفظ الله تجده تجاهك
…until the end of the hadith.[25] This hadith today, (words unclear it sounds like: “degrees of speech are being done on it. Teach Deen.â€) Notice how this hadith is given to a little boy – why? So that he would grow up with this understanding; let them (our children) grow up with Qur’aan, recitation and du’aa – teach them what will benefit them.
These things – anasheed and cartoons will make them happy because they don’t differentiate between good and bad, but they will love it and they will live with it until they die. These things will remain (in their minds). As Shaykh Muhammad Mukhtar ash-Shanqiti حفظه الله said in a lecture when he was asked about the anasheed for the students of tahfeez (memorization), he said “No, don’t make it a hobby for them because what will happen is whenever anasheed is found they will come and when anasheed is stopped they will turn away from Qur’aan†– they turn away from tahfeez (memorization), they turn away from religion. That’s what we observe.
Look to the ‘Ulamaa. Do you want your child to be from amongst the ‘Ulamaa? Okay, take the biography of Shaykh Ibn Baaz and the biography of Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen and see how they grew up. I challenge anyone to show me that Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, Shaykh al-Albaani, Shaykh Muqbil, Shaykh Fawzaan, Shaykh Luhaydaan grew up listening to anasheed or cartoons. No! they grew up in a serious manner. They were in the halaqah (circles, sittings) of the shuyuukh; and in the house their mother reviewed what they studied and encouraged them in increasing in memorizing the Qur’aan and studying the Sunnah. They gave them sweet etc. (as an incentive) because they wanted to encourage them, and that is why when they became adults they became more serious than others. Shaykh Ibn Baaz said that when the children used to play he always used to stay with the Qur’aan. Akhi, Subhanallaah, who are the children who were with the Shaykh? We don’t know them; he didn’t mention any of the scholars of today who were his friends in boyhood. He did not mention them and this means that all those children went only to the dunya (got caught up in worldly affairs), but by staying with the Qur’aan he رحمه الله became the noble ‘Aalim, the noble Imaam of his time. This also pertains to the other great and grand ‘Ulamaa.
You will see some old People of Knowledge today encouraging anasheed and when you go back to their childhood you find them with anasheed. They used to watch cartoons and that’s why even now with their white beards, grey hair, bent back, holding the stick and speaking very broken they are still saying anasheed. Subhanallaah! This is because they grew up with it and they lived with it; but the other scholars are always saying “Qur’aan, Qur’aan†and “hadeeth, hadeethâ€. So decide what you want your child to be like when he becomes a man or a woman and then work from now to achieve this, as they say:
يشب فتى الفتيان فينا على ما كان عوده أبوه
The young will become young (grow into
adolescence) as he was raised by his father (upon what his father got
him accustomed to) when he was a boy. If he was left to anasheed
and cartoons he will love it and grow up with it and live with it.
Wallaahi, I saw brothers in the Jaami’ah (University) and some of them
were in the Faculty of Hadeeth playing games on the mobile phone or on
the computer. Subhanallaah, is this what they are created for, they are
Taalibul ‘Ilm (Students of Knowledge). When I asked them why, I found
out that from their boyhood days they lived with that. However, notice that those people who are always involved in seeking knowledge, teaching knowledge and busy in Qur’aan recitation – you always see when they become adults – men or women, and when they become old you always see them in those fields and people will have a need for them. But people of anasheed nobody needs them. Yaa Ikhwaan we have to realize the difference between what Allaah تعالى created us for and work towards it, and what is to be found from enjoyment. Wallaahu A’lam.
Answered by: Shaykh Muhammad al-Maliki
Title of Lecture: Ramadaan 1427 = 2006
Date of the Lecture: Saturday, October 14th, 2006
Listen to Lecture: Click Here
Read the Transcribed Lecture: Click Here
[1] “O boy! Mention the Name of Allaah and eat with your right hand, and eat of the dish what is nearer to you.â€
Reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab at-At’imah (#5061) and Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Ashribah (#2022)
[2] “Young man, I shall teach you some words (of advice): be mindful of Allaah, and Allaah will protect you. Be mindful of Allaah and you will find Him in front of you…â€
Reported as part of a longer hadith. Shaykh al-Albaani رحمه الله says Saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (#7957). Also found in an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadeeth as hadeeth #19.
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