HOME-SCHOOLING: A HUB OF INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITIES
“A woman once approached Prophet Muhammad and asked, ‘O Messenger of God, men seem to have more opportunities to earn rewards in the Hereafter, especially through jihad. What about us women?’ The Prophet responded, ‘Convey this to the women you meet: Living with your husband righteously and obediently is equivalent to all the virtuous deeds performed by men, including the one you mentioned.’” (Musnad Al-Bazzar, Hadith No. 5209)
In modern times, home management is considered inferior to work outside the house. From the above tradition, we can see that Islam gives the same honour to both kinds of work, as both are equally important. The home serves as a natural training ground for individuals. If one displays good character within the limited circle of the house, one can exhibit good character within the wider circle of society.
The upbringing within the home is of utmost importance. The Prophet said, “The best among you is the one who is best to his family members” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 1977). This implies that someone who treats his family members well will also excel in interactions with others outside the family. The home serves as a natural training ground for individuals. Interactions within the home occur within a confined sphere, whereas in society, interactions occur on a broader scale. Therefore, displaying good character within the limited circle of the house will translate into exhibiting good character within the wider circle of society. Good training within the home enables individuals to become better human beings in a broader context.
There is a story of a family from Hyderabad. It was a religious family in the traditional sense. However, religion was not the topic of discussion in their home. All of their discussions centred around complaints, as is the case in most homes. Then, a senior religious cleric advised the head of the family to initiate the process of home-schooling in his family so that the complaining mindset could be changed on positive lines. Homeschooling is the practice of educating children at home on informal lines. I advised him to learn English with his wife and children and read books on positive thinking.
They assiduously followed this method. He described his situation to me over the phone a few days later. He said everyone’s life in his house had become meaningful. Everyone in the family, parents and children, was beginning to understand their role. This was not the case before. He shared an experience in this regard, saying he wanted to read an Urdu book in English, so he asked his children to translate it. The subject of the book was God’s creation plan.
The children translated the book with total devotion and earnestness. This is how the father got the English translation, and the children learned about God’s creation plan. His wife said she had not encountered any home where children understood their role. She also said parents complain that their children do not listen to them. However, with this new beginning, a new trend helped their children understand their positive role.
Now, the atmosphere of negative talk and complaining in their house has become a thing of the past. Instead, topics related to positive thinking and God-realization are being discussed. Thus, the atmosphere of the home has changed completely. The children have adjusted to the new environment. In this way, their knowledge increases, and they develop constructive and positive thinking. This exemplifies an extension of this verse of the Quran: “Set aside for your people some houses in the city and turn them into places of worship, and be constant in prayer!” (10:87)
