Salah is the second pillar of Islam and is also termed Namaz in some cultures. Every Muslim must pray Salah five times a day at the prescribed times. The main reasons behind offering Salah are to fulfill an obligation, show devotion to Allah, and maintain faithfulness to our religion. The importance of offering Salah cannot be undermined at any cost, as mentioned countless times in the Quran and Sunnah.
اِنَّنِيْۗ اَنَا اللہُ لَاۗ اِلٰہَ اِلَّاۗ اَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِيْ۰ۙ وَاَقِـمِ الصَّلٰوۃَ لِذِكْرِيْ۱۴
I am God, and there is no god but I, so serve Me, and observe acts of prayer to remember Me. [Al- Quran::20:14]
When a Muslim boy or girl reaches maturity, they must offer salah as an obligation. However, parents often struggle to build regular Salah habits for their children. It may be difficult to instill this new habit, but it is not impossible. This article will discuss 10 ways to encourage your child to pray Salah regularly.
10 ways to encourage your child to pray Salah
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Begin at a Young Age
Why wait for your child to reach maturity? Starting the habit of offering Salah earlier in life can help them build the habit until they reach maturity. It also allows them to become familiar with the practices, making it easy and enjoyable for them.
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Offering Salah Must Be a Family Affair
In the Quran, Allah says,
Enjoin on your people service to God, and be yourself constant in it. We do not ask you to provide: It is We who provide for you. The reward is for piety and fear of God. [Al-Quran::20:132]
When offering Salah, you must be exemplary for your children. If you have a habit of offering prayers five times a day, it is obvious that they will be copying your habits, too. Create a daily routine of offering prayers as a family. Make it easy for them to ask you any question about Islam. Making Salah a family activity will make it enjoyable not just for the kids but for you as parents, too.
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Create a Designated Area for Prayers
Creating a specific designated Salah area in your home. The room or area must be inviting and comfortable for your child. You can even decorate it with their favorite things or paint it in their favorite colors. Ensure that the area remains clean and that you have the Namaz timings on display. You can place Islamic books for them to read. Such personal places make them feel excited to offer their prayers regularly.
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Storytelling
You can add stories of all the prophets in their daily routine. Gradually, you can start mentioning the importance of Salah in their lives and its importance. Encourage your child to talk about the lessons in these stories and make them connect the stories to their own lives. Stories of the prophets help them to develop an understanding of Salah and its significance.
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Introduce Interactive Toys
Talking about Salah can seem rather boring to young children. To make things interesting, you can add interactive toys to the Salah area. For example, you can create a colorful checklist for them where they can tick off every Salah that they offer. Another example is to include flashcards that show the different positions and actions in every prayer. Be creative so your children can enjoy the experience instead of being forced into it.
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Introduce Variation
Do not limit your prayer areas to just your home. You can introduce variation in their prayers by offering them in different places or formats. For example, you can offer your prayers outside in nature or sometimes in the congregation. You can even take them to the masjid for the Jummah prayers, where they can meet other kids their age.
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Celebrate the Tiny Milestones
When your child starts to pray Salah, you, as parents, must acknowledge and celebrate their childs progress. Every milestone is important and must be celebrated. Even little things, such as memorizing a verse of the Quran, must be appreciated. You can give them rewards in the form of sweets. Encouraging and appreciating their good behaviors inspires them to continue their journey toward building good habits.
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Be Consistent with Them
Consistency is the key to success, not just for practical things but also for building the habit of Salah. There may come a time when they feel lazy about offering their prayers. However, as parents, you must never let them miss their prayers. Alternatively, you can teach them the consequences of missing a prayer. But remember not to be too harsh with them, as this can make them go against the habit of praying.
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Set Reminders in Advance
Setting up Salah reminders for your kids can make them prepare for the prayers beforehand. They must know how much time is left to offer the Salah so that they can easily transition from one activity to the other. For example, you can tell them that it is almost 5 minutes to Zuhr and get ready to offer your prayers. Adhan itself is a reminder for the kids; however, listening to the Adhan is not always possible, especially in a foreign country.
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Find a Prayer Partner
Finding a friend or another child of the same age can be a great prayer partner for your kid. You can discuss this mutually with the parents of the other kid. Your kid and their prayer partner can go to the mosque together and offer their prayers. It helps to build a routine for your kid, and they also get excited at the thought of making new friends, especially someone who shares similar likes and interests.
Conclusion
As parents, we always want our children to build good habits and be good Muslims in the future. All of this will only be possible when the children form a habit of obeying Allah's command and teachings of the Holy Prophet. You must also pray for your kids to pray Salah and ask Him to instill a love for the religion in their hearts so that they become true believers of Islam.