Introduction
Table of Contents
The word ‘Aqeedah and Emaan’ means ‘whatever you firmly believe in your heart, such that everything you do is for that
belief’. It comes from the Arabic ‘aaqidu’ which means ‘to tie a knot’, so the idea in the word ‘Aqeedah’ is that
you’ve tied a firm knot in your heart about this belief. Does the word ‘Aqeedah and Emaan’ mean Islam? No. It is general.
We can talk about the Aqeedah of the Buddhist, or the Aqeedah of the Christian or the Jew, and so on. So what is
‘Islamic Aqeedah and Emaan’? It is ‘everything that the Quran and the authentic Sunnah prove.’
And we can add to this ‘whatever the Sahaabah believed in their lifetime’ as well. They were witnesses to it and
learnt it direct from the Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa salam, so, after him, they knew best about the religion that
Allah had sent to them.
How to teach Aqeedah and Emaan to young children?
Aqeedah is the core of the religion of Islam. Aqeedah and Emaan is the foundation upon which the deen is built and by
which actions of a Muslim become sound and correct.
Some of us may have the thought that this is such a complex concept and little children are unable to absorb and
understand this concept at an early age. therefore it is best to wait till they grow and reach an age they are able
to distinguish important criteria in order to explain Aqeedah to them.
This thought is natural because sadly, many of us learnt the right Aqeedah when we were older.
However, children are like sponges, especially when they are young. And parents and teachers rush to give
them every other knowledge in order to develop their language, motor and social skills from a very young age,
and of course, put off Aqeedah for later.
My advice is to let the teaching of Aqeedah and Emaan be the first thing that you teach your children. If that is the case, the
next question is how exactly we should be teaching little children Aqeedah and Emaan?
Yes I agree Aqeedah and Emaan is not something you can do like teaching mathematics, language and science. We do have
limitations as many of the aspects of the Aqeedah are from the unseen (Ghaib), and we have Islaamic
restrictions and boundaries to adhere to.
So here are some simple tips and ways to consider teaching Aqeedah and Emaan for little children.
1. Use the Books of the Scholars
Get your information from the works of our scholars. Subhan Allah we do not have to look elsewhere. They
have left a legacy behind with authentic rich text and information. Invest in the books of the Ulama from the
right publishers and authors.
They gave importance to Aqeedah and they taught just as the Prophet sallaahu alaihi wasallam taught his
companions. When you use information from the correct authentic sources it becomes very easy to teach these
aspects to your children.
All you need to do is simplify it and feed in the information little at a time with some
creativity as per age and ability. You cannot teach something you do not know. So it is best that you equip
yourself with knowledge first.
2. Integrate Aqeedah and Emaan into Academics and Day to Day Learning
Children learn well when they see relevance to their own lives and surroundings. So the best way to teach
Aqeedah is to INTEGRATE it into what they explore and learn every day. If you separate Aqeedah or Islam
from academics and their surroundings they will see no relevance to it and it would become something boring
for them.
If you expose them to learning other subjects with engaging resources and enthusiasm and leave off
Aqeedah for other than that, they will not be keen to learn the Aqeedah.
Get the Right Resources
If you stick to the serious rich information the child will be receptive and imagination can be limited. This
largely depends on your approach and the resources you use. So be mindful of choosing the correct resources.
Check if the resources that you choose are from the right authors and right sources.
Remember, Aqeedah and Emaan is the core if you take this lightly and use anything and everything it will be really difficult to take out the wrong or incorrect information fed into little minds.
References
What Is ‘Aqeedah? – Islam Question & Answer (islamqa.info)
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/148793/the-difference-between-islam-and-eemaan-faith-belief
Who is Allah? – Nurture Islam Series – Umm Maimoonah
Who Created You? – Nurture Islam
Where is Allah? – Nurture Islam Series – Umm Maimoonah
Allah Gave us a Special Book – Nurture Islaam Series – Umm Maimoonah Series – Umm Maimoonah