How To Teach Your Children About Fasting

Fasting in Islam becomes one of the ways for them to make a good deed. Moreover, during Ramadhan, fasting becomes an obligatory good deed. Muslims believe there will be serious consequences for them that ignore it.

The important value of fasting becomes a crucial concern for so many parents. That’s why parents commonly teach their children about fasting at an early age. Even it looks easy, teaching children to fast sometimes can be difficult too much on how to deal with a spoiled child in Islam.

Speaking of teaching your children about fasting, here we have some of the simple tips for you based on the Quran. Check them out below!

1. Giving Knowledge by Bedtime Stories

Bedtime stories become the most exciting moment for children. As they are ready to hear about their favorite character, parents can insert about fasting to their favorite character. It can be help one or another way that they will follow what their favorite character does.

Moreover, giving children the basic knowledge about fasting can be a part of a parent’s responsibility to teach them. Teaching about fasting becomes one of the ways parents teach their children duty towards Allah.

Such as mentions in the Quran surah Luqman verse 13 below.

وَاِذْ قَالَ لُقْمٰنُ لِابْنِهٖ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهٗ يٰبُنَيَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِاللّٰهِ ۗاِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيْمٌ – ١٣

“And (remember) when Lukman said to his son, when he taught him, “O my son! Do not associate partners with Allah, indeed associating partners with (Allah) is a great injustice.” (QS 31:13)

2. Watching Movies About Fasting

Nowadays, there are some movies or cartoons that are suitable for children to watch with some content about fasting. Watching one of them together can give your children understand of the benefits and visrtues of fasting.

Commonly, children will ask so many things about fasting in a movie or cartoons. In this golden time, parents should be careful to teach about fasting as a part of the Islamic pillar and obligatory deed.

Such as mentions in the Quran surah Al Baqarah verse 183 below.

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَۙ – ١٨٣

“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may become pious.” (QS 2:183)

3. Regular Cycle Fasting in Family

By giving an example for your children of the whole family doing regular cycle fasting can be one of the ways to teach your children about Fasting. For example, doing fasting on Monday and Thursday can help them understand the law of fasting.

Moreover, children will understand step by step about fasting by learning their parent’s cycle of fasting at the time. By doing that good deed, it can be one of the ways to teach your children about what should and shouldn’t do in doing the duty towards Allah.

Such as mentions in the values of Quran surah Lukman verse 17 below.

يٰبُنَيَّ اَقِمِ الصَّلٰوةَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَاصْبِرْ عَلٰى مَآ اَصَابَكَۗ اِنَّ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْاُمُوْرِ – ١٧

“O, my son! Pray and command (humans) to do what is right and prevent (them) from doing what is wrong and be patient with what befalls you, indeed that is an important matter.” (QS 31:17)

4. Give a Simple Reward

Reward from parent to children can be one of the most exciting moments for them. Such as another reward, giving a simple reward when your children are willing to do fasting can be one of the ways to teach them about fasting.

Parents can give a simple reward by giving their favorite food at the breakfasting time, or some other way. By doing this, parents are also capable to teach them about the rewards of fasting from Allah such as on the values of the last ten days of Ramadhan.

That everything has a reward from Allah such as mentions in the Quran surah Luqman verse 16 below.

يٰبُنَيَّ اِنَّهَآ اِنْ تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ فَتَكُنْ فِيْ صَخْرَةٍ اَوْ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ اَوْ فِى الْاَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا اللّٰهُ ۗاِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَطِيْفٌ خَبِيْرٌ – ١٦

“(Lukman said), “O my son! Indeed, if there is (an action) the weight of a mustard seed, and it is in a rock or in the sky or on the earth, Allah will surely give it (reply). Verily Allah is Subtle, All-Aware.” (QS 31:16)

5. Get True Reward From Allah

Tell your children about a real reward from Allah by doing fasting. That everything is possible to Allah when they make a wish about something. This can be the most exciting moment for children so that they can learn about fasting and make a wish about something.

Indeed, Allah will grant so many wishes for those who make a solemn wish such as to get the benefits from obeying parents in Islam. Such as mentions in the Quran surah Al Baqarah verse 186 below.

وَاِذَا سَاَلَكَ عِبَادِيْ عَنِّيْ فَاِنِّيْ قَرِيْبٌ ۗ اُجِيْبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ اِذَا دَعَانِۙ فَلْيَسْتَجِيْبُوْا لِيْ وَلْيُؤْمِنُوْا بِيْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُوْنَ – ١٨٦

“And when My servants ask you (Muhammad) about Me, then verily I am near. I accept the supplication of the one who prays when he prays to Me. Let them fulfill My (command) and believe in Me, so that they may obtain the truth.” (QS 2:186)

So, there are some ways on how to teach your children about fasting based on the Quran. Most of them can be helpful to apply in daily life.

It is also can be a simple way to teach your children about fasting so that they are willing to do fasting voluntarily step by step. May Allah give His blessing to your effort to teach your children about fasting.