Instilling the love of the Quran in our children is the ultimate goal that we probably all share. No matter what our own relationship with the Book of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى might be, we all want our children to embrace the Quran and grow with it, read it, recite it, memorize it and understand it, because we know that having the Quran as a companion in this life is the key to success in the Hereafter. And who doesn’t want to see their child succeed in the Hereafter?

But what can we do to help our children get to that point? How can we encourage them without burdening them or pushing them away? And when should we start? We have listed 10 tips to answer these questions – and many more! – and help you guide your children to love the Quran from birth, and even before, God willing!

Do you have any other tips? Share in the comments below!

Tips on Guiding Your Children to Love the Quran from Birth

Developing a deep interest in the Quran entails much more than simply memorizing certain verses or chapters when told to do so. When a kid develops a passion for the Quran, they feel the urge to recite it on a daily basis, they want to understand what they are reading, and, most importantly, they are interested in anything linked to the Quran.

Children are heavily influenced by their immediate environment and their parents, so their relationship with and perception of the Quran will often times start there. Here are a few tips to keep in mind and apply for a positive association and relationship with the Book of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى for your child, insha’Allah.

Tip #1: Be an Example

Children learn by mirroring behaviors, especially when they are young. They want to be and do “like mommy,” or “like daddy” and they learn best when they can observe an example of a desired behavior rather than when they are told what to do. If you want your child to make the Quran their everyday companion, lead by example and make sure that you have made the Quran your everyday companion as well!

Take every opportunity you have – even if only a few dedicated minutes each day – to listen to the Quran, read it in your language and/or in Arabic, recite it, reflect upon it, and apply its teachings and message in your life the best you can. Showing your children the value of the Quran and how much you love it will inspire them to follow in your footsteps. Seeing you as a model of sincere, good character will make build trust and respect.

Tip #2: Make Them Listen to the Quran More Often

Recite yourself or play Quranic recitations as often as you can while cleaning the home, cooking, or simply resting. Allow the Quran to calm the babies down when they are scared or crying and tell toddlers that Quran never fails to calm you when you’re afraid or worried.

Continue to play the audio recitation of the Quran around your children for a few minutes at a time as they grow older.

It is essential for children to become acquainted with the Quran since this will ultimately make it easier for them to read and even remember it. You don’t need to sit your children down for hours because their attention span is considerably shorter than ours – and ours is not always very long, is it?

Don’t restrict the recitation audios to just juz’ Amma because the goal is to acquaint them with the Quran rather than memorize it.

Tip #3: Explain to Them the Teachings of the Quran

Aside from listening to the Quran everyday, go through the meaning of the ayahs or surahs. Children love to understand their world, and you want to make sure they realize that the Quran is an integral part of their world. Spark their curiosity in Quran verses and ask them if they understand it, then explain it for them.

Don’t overburden them with information. Just tell them enough to spark their curiosity and catch their attention. Your delivery style should be age-appropriate in order for your children to grasp and follow along.

Not too confident in your knowledge of Quranic teachings? There are plenty of free resources online that are reliable, and you can also consider taking formal classes at your local mosque or online.

Tip #4: Tell them Quran stories

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى described the Quran as “the best stories” revealed to our Prophet Muhammadﷺ:

“O Muhammad, the best of stories in what We have revealed to you of this Quran although you were, before it, among the unaware.” (Surah Yusuf, 12:3)

In the Quran, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى offers us several stories, each of which has a lesson and/or an inspiration. These stories can spark your children’s interest while imparting essential morals in them. Surahs contain a variety of captivating stories, such as:

• The Owners of The Elephant
• Qabil and Habil
• Musa and Al-Khidr
• People of The Cave
• People of The Garden

You might share these stories with your children by reading them children’s books or watching Islamic cartoon animations about the subject. Sharing Quranic stories helps children picture the Quran and enhances their knowledge.

Tip #5: Take Simple Steps

Making the procedure simple for them is also important in encouraging your children to learn the Quran. Breaking things down into small stages to be followed is important, and it will help you progress more quickly.

Don’t put too much pressure on your children and don’t ask them to do too much at once. Don’t make reading or listening to the Quran a chore. Maintain consistency, but a few minutes at a time is all that is required to capture your children’s interest.

Tip #6: Tell Them About the Benefits of the Quran

As they grow old enough to understand, tell them about the virtues of the Quran. Tell them how we gain a good deed by just listening to the Quran, and how every single letter we read from the Quran is a good deed in and of itself. Encourage them by letting them know that there is increased reward for anyone who struggles to read, that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى rewards the hardship of struggling through each letter.

Tell them how the Quran can heal our hearts and soul and erase our sadness and fear. This way, they will love how the Quran helps them whenever they feel troubled, and they will continue to turn back to it whenever they do.

Tip #7: Show Support

Showing support of what your children are doing always positively reinforces this behavior in the back of their mind.

Smiling, showing joy, clapping, or any other verbal or non-verbal positive reaction you display whenever you see them reading or listening to the Quran is a good thing to encourage your children to keep going.

Tip #8: Avoid Tangible Rewards – and Most Importantly: Shame and Punishment

Try not to get children used to receiving tangible rewards. If you do give them rewards, make them unique and unexpected, so as to avoid getting your children to associate their relationship with the Quran with immediate and material gifts, or else their motivation and intention for the Quran will only be the reward and if you stop giving them rewards, their interest in the Quran might disappear.

Even more importantly, never use shame or punishment when it comes to your children’s relationship with the Quran, such as belittling their progress with their Quran recitation or memorization, making them feel bad when they don’t want to listen to the Quran, or punishing them if they haven’t done their Quran reading for the day. This kind of reactions will most likely create a negative association to the Quran in their mind and could trigger feelings of fear, resentment, rejection and even hate, driving them far away from the outcomes you had in mind.

Rather, if your child displays a behavior that you do not like (such as your child refusing to read or memorize the Quran, or complaining when you have a Quran recitation on in the house, approach them kindly and try to understand the reason or pattern behind the behavior. You might be surprised by your child’s response – maybe they are afraid that they will not perform well in a Quran class, or they need the house to be a little quieter so that they can make dua or pray!

Tip #9: Do Activities as a Family

Do activities with the entire family and create appropriate games based on Quranic facts. Doing research and performing creative crafts are two examples of activities that need everyone to participate. Nowadays, there are plenty of ideas for DIY activities around the Quran on social media, or you could purchase some educational, fun and inexpensive games that will have the whole family bond and learn together insha’Allah!

Tip #10: Make Dua’!

The most essential advice of all is for you to make dua. Making dua’ to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى to instill the love of their Creator and His Book in your children’s hearts, while also trying your best to implement the tips above, is a solid method to help your children succeed, in this life and the next insha’Allah.

Can my child love the Quran before birth?

Yes, by already listening to the Quran when you’re pregnant, your child can grow up attached to the Quran. Babies can recognize sounds when they are still in the womb. They hear them muffled but they grow familiar with it. Listening to the Quran and reciting it yourself will acquaint your baby with the Quran and build their passion for it.

More importantly: do your best to fully integrate the Quran into your life even before becoming pregnant, even before getting married, because the stronger your relationship with and understanding of the Quran is, the easier it will be for you to share this love with your children and lead by example insha’Allah.

Last but not least: you might be reading this article and feel like you have not done a very good job instilling the love for the Book of Allah in your children’s heart and daily life, and now they are big kids, teenagers, young adults or have their own families and it’s too late. Good news: it is never too late! You can start from today – just have the intention, make dua, and implement small but consistent changes to place the Quran at the center of your life, then let your children see the results by themselves.