Methods of Education

methods of education:

methods of education vary; they include all influences on the child’s behavior. these influences intermingle and connect to form the character of the child ([1]). some of the methods have been mentioned before, but here we will shed more light on the most important of them:

educating the child through a role model

the child needs to look up to a role model to follow his footsteps. he looks up to parents, siblings, teachers or friends. following the example of a good character turns into a mental process where awareness and the sense of belonging mix with imitation and pride. the child or adult needs to follow a role model all over stages of his life ([2]).

following a positive role model is the best element of reformation, in addition to satisfying the innate need mentioned before ([3]) as the child has a wonderful ability to imitate consciously or unconsciously ([4]). children think that what grownups do is always right, as they think that fathers, mothers, grandparents and older siblings are perfect people.

academics and education scholars advise parents to carefully raise the eldest child whether a boy or a girl, because usually his younger siblings take after him/her and get affected by his character ([5]).

parents should follow islam and be honest in every detail whether big or small so that their child is raised in a complete islamic manner ([6]). if one of them is doing a sin or making a mistake he/she should hide it from their children like smoking, drinking alcohol or abandoning prayers etc.

the older the child gets, the more people he admires and takes as role models like friends, teachers and neighbors. grandfathers and grandmothers are also involved in the education of the child as they are role models to him; they affect his behavior due to the close relationship they have with the child. servants and nannies may also affect the child, their care of the child makes the child imitates them by quoting what they say or doing what they do according to the strength of the relationship between the child and them and how much he interacts and loves them ([7]).

first and foremost, the parent/educator should direct his child to follow the footsteps of the first educator of humanity the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions. he should tell him about their life stories, teach him about the battles and every prophetic teaching implied in these life situations. he should enlighten him about sunnah (prophetic teachings), the high manners of the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) and the manners of the companions and how they listened to each lesson by the prophet (pbuh) ([8]). if the parent/educator teaches the child a certain prophetic behavior or morality, the parent should also follow such behavior to ascertain this good trait in the character of the child, as children look up to their parents and imitate them, so let’s make sure that they see the best in us as much as we can.

it is a major fault when parents admire their child’s imitation of a player, singer or performer even if this imitation is funny, because it will implant loving such a bad example or character in the child without even noticing. it is also wrong to buy clothes and tools that carry the names of infidels, deviants and perverts or dress children like them because it will lead children to follow such negative examples ([9]).

-----------------------------------

([1]) al-tawjih ghayr al-mubasher by abullah ben hamid: page 80.

([2]) usul al-tarbiyah al-islamiyah by abdul rahman al-nahlawi: page 257.

([3]) tarbiyat al-awlad fil islam by abdullah elwan: 2/632.

([4]) manhaj al-tarbiyah al-islamiyah by mohamed qutb: page 353.

([5]) tarbiyat al-awlad fil islam by abdullah elwan: 2/632, akhlaq al-muslim by mohamed said mabiyad: page 11.

([6]) manhaj al-tarbiyah al-nabawiyah by mohamed nour swaid: page 313.

([7]) dowr al-bayt al-muslim fi tarbiyat al-tifl al-muslim by khalid al-shantout: page 42-43.

([8]) tarbiyat al-awlad fil islam by abdullah elwan: 2/630-631.

([9]) min akhtana fi tarbiyat awladan by mohamed al-sahim: page 88-89.