The prophet of Islam, Prohpet Muhammad said in one of the Ahadeeth that was quoted by Al- Bukhari and Muslim: "All of you are shepherds, and each one is responsible for his flock. A leader of people is a shepherd over this family, and he is responsible for his flock. A woman is like a shepherd over her husband's house and children, and she is responsible for them…….”
As is obvious by this hadeeth, raising children according to the Quran and Sunnah is obligatory upon every Muslim family. Parents have to ensure that their children are taught practices related to the belief in Allah, prayers to Allah, duties toward parents, maintaining healthy relations with other kin as well as maintaining peaceful and cordial relations with everyone else outside the family (Muslims as well as non-Muslims).
Parents who do take this responsibility seriously ensure that their children are educated appropriately. Easier said than done, this involves a concerted effort of maintaining a healthy, educational and religious environment within the family setting, either sending children to Islamic schools (more relevant for non-Muslim countries) or appropriately compensating the lack of education by other means, and above all making children fully aware of all times the importance of learning Islamic values at all times.
To summarize, parents should ensure the following:
Parents should:
þ Inculcate in their children belief in Allah, the Quran and Prophet Muhammad’s teachings
þ Provide a structured learning environment for Islamic education (not on as you go basis)
þ Continuously teach and reaffirm Islamic values in their children
þ Educate their children on the lives of the sahaba (companions) of Prophet Muhammad
þ ensure that they maintain a healthy environment within the family (parents should be examples to their children before they can teach them the importance of Islamic values)
þ Keep an open dialog with children