How to bring up your children Islamically

How to Bring Up Your Children Islamically by Wahid Abdussalam Bali is more than a parenting book it is a reminder of obligation, faith, and eternal outcome. In a world of value confusion, identity crisis, and purposelessness, this book provides Muslim parents a rarity: a clear, scripture-based methodology for raising children with both heart and discipline. Wahid Bali does not provide general motivational guidance. He provides strict evidence-driven teaching based on the Qur’an and Sunnah.

This book addresses directly the issues of Muslim families trying to raise children in a world where Islam is not the norm. Whatever your location, either in the West or the Muslim world, the penetration of modern culture, peer pressure, and the media has made Islamic parenting more difficult than ever. That is why this book is so precious it reminds you of the essence: What does Allah want from us parents? And how do we do that responsibility in sincerity and consistency?

Parenting as an Act of Worship

One of the most powerful themes that run through the book is that bringing up children is a form of worship. It is not simply a family duty. It is a responsibility from Allah. Wahid Bali also reminds the reader that the child is born pure, in the fitrah, and it is the parents who mold that soul towards truth or away from it. This is no easy task. It impacts generations, and it will be interrogated on the Day of Judgment.

With this approach, the book resists contemporary parenting styles that center on gratifying the child or conforming to worldly theories of development. Rather, Wahid Bali encourages the parent to construct the character of their child around taqwa, salah, respect, and honesty. These are not old-fashioned concepts these are the cornerstones of a well-balanced, successful life in both worlds.

Nurturing the Heart Before the Mind

Wahid Bali stresses that Islamic child-rearing is more than imparting facts to kids it’s about cultivating the heart and soul. The aim is to produce a Muslim who feels linked to Allah, who is attached to the Qur’an, and who is afraid of sinning not out of fear of punishment but because he loves his Lord.

It begins early. The book details the necessity of reciting the adhān in the infant’s ear, bringing them up on halal foods, and keeping them away from surroundings that corrupt their fitrah. The house is referred to as a spiritual incubator. If the child hears curses, witnesses broken prayer routines, or is subjected to endless bickering, they absorb those messages way deeper than any lesson you attempt to instill later on.

To Wahid Bali, the Islamic home is not merely a matter of having Islamic books on the shelf it’s about living Islam visibly, audibly, and sincerely. Children observe how you talk, how you pray, how you treat their mom or dad. That becomes the measure they use.

Discipline With Justice and Love

Another significant part of the book covers the topic of discipline. Wahid Bali takes the reader through the significance of instilling obedience at an early age first to the parents, then to Allah. He dismisses the practice of parenting as allowing children to “figure it out on their own” without being corrected. Yet, he cautions against severity and unthinking rage. Islamically, discipline rests on hikmah wisdom, timing, and measure.

He describes the prophetic style: establishing boundaries, issuing clear directives, and following through in kindness. Children require consistency, not mood-driven responses. They require rules derived from values, not from frustration. Discipline is not about control it is about instructing responsibility, respect, and self-control.

He also discusses that physical discipline is allowed only within the extremely confined and specific bounds permitted by Islam never in anger, never cruelly, and never humiliating. Far more important is to establish the correct spiritual atmosphere in the home where the child is aware of the rules, is loved, and notices that Islam is not a series of punishments, but rather a way of life.

Protecting Children from Modern Harm

Among the most pressing issues of the book is the spiritual and moral safeguarding of children. Wahid Bali is frank about the risk of media, exposure to the internet, poor associates, and schooling environments that value things distant from Islam. He invites parents to be watchful, not paranoid to be aware of what their children are being exposed to, and to take responsibility in leading and correcting early on.

He reminds us that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Every one of you is a shepherd, and every shepherd is responsible for his flock.” Parents should not leave their kids to be raised by screens, social norms, or strangers. They must instill in them what is wrong and right not only in theory, but with actual examples, seerah stories, and open, age-relevant conversations.

This is not an isolating role, however. It is a role of preparing your children for the world without losing their Islam. That involves instilling pride in their Muslim self, being patient with their questions, and helping them see that Islam is not a hindrance but a blueprint for success.

Creating a Foundation for Akhirah

Central to this book is the notion that parenting is not about this world—it is about the Hereafter. Wahid Bali keeps reminding the parent that the aim is to develop a soul that will prosper in Allah’s eyes. That entails that the parent needs to give primacy in educating the child in tawḥīd, in Jannah and Jahannam, in the rights of Allah and the rights of humans.

This begins with affection for salah. The Prophet ﷺ taught parents to teach children to pray at age seven not only through commands, but through encouraging and rewarding them. Salah becomes the foundation of a child’s discipline, identity, and sense of connection with Allah. Next comes the Qur’an. Wahid Bali challenges parents to incorporate Qur’an into the child’s daily routine, not only as reading, but as reflection.

The parent who manages this endeavor will, in shā’ Allah, be rewarded not just with a righteous child but with continued reward after death, as the Prophet ﷺ guaranteed: “When a person dies, all his deeds end except three… a righteous child who prays for him.”

Final Thoughts

How to Bring Up Your Children Islamically by Wahid Abdussalam Bali is a direct, honest, and spiritually rich guide for Muslim parents. It doesn’t waste time on trends or soft language. It speaks the truth clearly: your child is an amanah, and your parenting is a form of worship.

It offers Qur’an-based principles, practical strategies, and reminders that pierce the heart. It doesn’t promise perfection, but it demands sincerity. For any parent serious about raising their children to love Allah, to know right from wrong, and to succeed in both worlds this book is a must-read.