“60 Practical Commandments on the Rights of Children” is a valuable book from the treasures of the Islamic library. It is considered an important reference for fathers, mothers, and educators, and a scientific and educational platform for investing in children in a way that uplifts the new generations—those who carry the banner of Islam and defend truth and virtue.

The book’s importance increases when considering the stature of its author, Dr. Salah Al-Din Sultan, Professor of Islamic Law at the Faculty of Dar Al-Uloom in Cairo and a well-known preacher. In this book, he combines modern educational theories with the essence of his personal experiences, intertwined with religious and moral dimensions, in an engaging and constructive manner.

Published in 2008, the book addresses several family and social issues, most notably the rights of children over their parents before marriage, before conception, after birth, during early childhood, adolescence, and youth. It divides these rights into two main categories: faith-based duties and practical duties.

The faith-based duties relate to doctrinal matters, such as the belief that children are a blessing from Allah and not by human power and will; that the child will not avail his parent on the Day of Judgment; that pleasing Allah comes before pleasing one’s children; that loyalty to children is conditioned upon their loyalty to Allah; and that love for them should remain at a level beneath the love of Allah and His Messenger.

As for the practical duties, they are distributed according to life stages. In the stage before marriage, these duties include choosing a righteous spouse, marrying someone of religion, and seeking piety and good lineage when selecting a husband or wife.

Understanding and Harmony

In the pre-conception stage, the author recommends the importance of mutual understanding and harmony between the spouses, supplicating Allah for righteous offspring, maintaining remembrance of Allah during intimacy, frequently reading the Quran and adhkar (remembrances) during pregnancy, and preparing for parenthood through in-depth reading and attending verified courses by specialists in parenting methods.

During the stage after birth through early childhood, Dr. Sultan advises following the Sunnah related to childbirth and fitrah, completing two full years of breastfeeding, focusing on the child's psychological, mental, and physical health, and introducing the child to their religion, Creator, and Prophet in a simple and endearing way.

As for the pre-puberty stage, the book emphasizes it to be a critical and decisive period in a child’s upbringing. Hence, the author stresses the importance of reminding children of essential religious duties and teaching them the basics of worship through family sessions, educational courses, camps, or trips, along with providing a good role model, righteous companionship, taking them to mosques and knowledge gatherings, wisely choosing educational institutions, and selecting morally upright—not merely wealthy —neighborhoods.

Delaying Parenthood in the Scale of Sharia

Building Character

To further enhance character-building, he encourages habituating children to ethical values and practices through the creation of a family shura (consultative) council, which meets daily or weekly to study religious and worldly sciences, drink from the fountains of the Quran, Sunnah, jurisprudence, and the Prophet’s Seerah, share experiences and information, and consult on matters related to the Muslim community, the homeland, and the family.

He also advises during this phase not to leave children in the care of housemaids, to surround them with love and care, to ensure fairness among siblings, discover their talents and abilities, elevate their academic and scientific standards, and correct their mistakes and guide their behavior.

Sultan outlines several principles for the post-puberty to adulthood stage, including companionship, mutual advice, constructive correction, overlooking minor faults, studying the tremendous psychological and physical changes of adolescence, and linking behavior to Allah’s constant observation and the standards of halal and haram.

This stage is particularly sensitive, as it involves sexual education from the perspective of Islamic jurisprudence regarding purification, bathing, and fulfilling religious duties. It also involves cautioning against romantic relationships, the dangers of pornography, and the impact of social media, while channeling youths’ energies into sports, volunteer work, and instilling in them responsibility, leadership, management, and financial planning, thus developing their capabilities and potential.

Learning and Marriage

During the stage from full adulthood to youth, the author offers numerous recommendations, the most important of which relate to the emotional side, through nurturing motherhood and wise fatherhood, family cohesion, and emotional closeness that fosters the healthy and sound development of children.

It is the duty of parents to ensure the continuation of learning, support academic achievement and excellence, and assist their children in achieving chastity through marriage as much as possible, while also giving them responsibilities, respecting their choices, and offering advice or suggesting righteous examples when needed.

The author stresses the importance of administrative and financial independence after marriage. He asserts this clearly: “When your sons and daughters marry, give them the chance to manage their lives independently. Do not interfere except with light advice, not heavy-handed management.”

Throughout the book, the author cites ayahs from the Quran, authentic Prophetic hadiths, and statements of scholars in ethics and behavior as evidence for his recommendations and advice. These are skillfully blended with modern educational theories and life experience, while upholding the noble Arab traditions of dignity and loyalty. This gives the book an Islamic and Arab flavor infused with contemporary knowledge.

Dr. Sultan concludes his book by affirming that these sixty commandments are living, realistic, and practical duties that meet a dire need in our lives, stating: “Perhaps an early beginning leads to enduring prevention, rather than painful surgeries in homes overwhelmed by sickly and repulsive behaviors.”

This book—recommended by Al-Mujtama Magazine for acquisition and reading—lays the foundation for a healthy parent-child relationship. It is suitable for all segments of society, as it contains an effective and successful educational prescription, by Allah’s permission, as a guide for parenting that leads our children safely to the shore of well-being and the pleasure of Allah.

Book Review: “Prophetic Guidelines for Protecting the Muslim Family”

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