Children in the Qur’an and Sunnah

Chapter 1: The Individual Duties of a Child

1.1: Observing Discipline in the Affairs

403. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said, in his will to Hasan and Husayn after being hit by Ibn Muljam –may Allah curse him-: “I advise you both and all my children and family and all whom my will reaches to be in awe of Allah and manage your affairs.”[^1]

.403الإمام عليّ عليه السلام- مِن وَصِيَّةٍ لَهُ لِلحَسَنِ وَالحُسَينِ

1.2: Cleanliness

404. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Indeed Allah is pure and He likes the pure ones and He is clean and He likes cleanliness.”[^2]

405. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Cleanse yourself with anything you can, for Allah has based Islam on cleanliness.”[^3]

406. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Indeed Islam is clean, so be clean, for only the clean will enter Heaven.”[^4]

407. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “It is incumbent on every Muslim to bathe himself every seven days, washing his head and his body.”[^5]

408. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Indeed Allah dislikes a dirty and untidy person.”[^6]

409. Kanz al-Fawa’id: the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said: “Indeed Allah dislikes a man who is al-Qadhurah.”

He was asked: “O’ Messenger of Allah! What is al-Qadhurah?”

He answered: “Someone who annoys his companions [by his dirt and bad smell].”[^7]

410. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “He who keeps clothes should keep them clean.”[^8]

411. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Wash your clothes…look after yourself and clean yourself.”[^9]

.404رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: إنَّ اللهَ طَيِّبٌ يُحِبُّ

.405عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: تَنَظَّفوا بِكُلِّ مَا استَطَعتُم؛ فَإِنَّ

.406عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: إنَّ الإِسلامَ نَظيفٌ فَتَنَظَّفوا؛

.407عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: حَقٌّ عَلى كُلِّ مُسلِمٍ أن يَغتَسِلَ في

.408عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: إنَّ اللهَ يُبغِضُ الوَسِخَ وَالشَّعِثَ‏ .

.409كنز الفوائد عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: إنَّ اللهَ يُبغِضُ

.410رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: مَنِ اتَّخَذَ ثَوباً فَليُنَظِّفهُ.

411. عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: اغسِلُوا ثِيابَكُم ... وتَزَيَّنوا

1.3: Washing hands before and after Food

412. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “Washing the hands before and after [eating] food increases the lifespan… and it brightens the eye.”[^10]

.412الإمام عليّ عليه السلام: غَسلُ اليَدَينِ قَبلَ الطَّعامِ وبَعدَهُ

1.4: Brushing the Teeth

413. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Brush your teeth, and make yourself clean.”[^11]

414. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Brush your teeth, for brushing is a great act.”[^12]

415. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “It is of one’s nature to rinse water in the mouth and nose, and to brush your teeth.”[^13]

416. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Clean your gums from food and brush your teeth, and do not come to me with yellow teeth and a bad mouth odour.”[^14]

.413رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: استاكوا وتَنَظَّفوا.

.414عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: عَلَيكُم بِالسِّواكِ، فَنِعمَ الشَّي‏ءُ

.415عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: مِنَ الفِطرَةِ المَضمَضَةُ وَالاستِنشاقُ

416. عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: نَظِّفوا لَثَّاتِكُم مِنَ الطَّعامِ

1.5: Washing Hands before Sleeping

417. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “He who goes to bed with oily hands and is then afflicted with something, he should not blame anyone but himself.”[^15]

418. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “If any of you has a smelling oily hand and does not wash it before going to bed and is then afflicted with something, he should not blame anyone but himself.”[^16]

419. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Beware that he who goes to bed while his hands smell of fat should not blame anyone but himself.”[^17]

.417رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: مَن باتَ وفي يَدِهِ غَمَرٌ

.418عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: إذا نامَ أحَدُكُم وفي يَدِهِ ريحُ غَمَرٍ

.419عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: ألا لا يَلومَنَّ امرُؤٌ إلّا نَفسَهُ،

1.6: Cutting Nails

420. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Shortening your nails hinders the great sickness, and brings about sustenance.”[^18]

421. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Cut your nails, for Satan moves between the meat and the nail.”[^19]

422. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Cut your nails and burry them, and clean your fingers.”[^20]

.420رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: تَقليمُ الأَظفارِ يَمنَعُ الدّاءَ

.421عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: قُصّوا أظافيرَكُم؛ فَإِنَّ الشَّيطانَ

422. عنه صلى الله عليه وآله: قُصّوا أظافيرَكُم، وَادفُنوا قُلاماتِكُم،

[^1]: . Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter 47. Rawdah al-Wa’izin, p. 152.

[^2]: . Sunan al-Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 112, h. 2799. Musnad Abu Ya’la, vol. 1, p. 368, h. 786. Both narrating from Sa’d ibn Abu Waqqas.

[^3]: . Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 9, p. 277, h. 26002, narrating from Abu al-Sa’alik al-Tarsuni from Abu Hurayrah.

[^4]: . Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 5, p. 143, h. 2576, narrating from ‘A’ishah.

[^5]: . Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 305, h. 856. Musnad Ibn Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 246, h. 8511, with ‘incumbent upon Allah’ instead of ‘incumbent’. Both narrating from Abu Hurayrah.

[^6]: . Shu’ab al-Iman, vol. 5, p. 168, h. 6226, narrating from ‘A’ishah. Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 641, h. 17181.

[^7]: . Kanz al-Fawa’id, vol. 2, p. 185. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 80, p. 106.

[^8]: . al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 441, h. 3, narrating from al-Sakuni from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.). Qurb al-Isnad, p. 70.

[^9]: . Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 36, p. 124, narrating from ‘Abdullah ibn Maymun al-Qaddah from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) from his forefathers (a.s.). Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 640, h. 17175.

[^10]: . al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 290, h. 3, narrating from Abu Basir from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.).

[^11]: . al-Musannif by Ibn Abu Shaybah, vol. 1, p. 197, h. 25, narrating from Sulayman ibn Sa’id. al-Mu’jam al-Awsat, vol. 7, p. 259, h. 7442, narrating from Sulayman ibn Ñard.

[^12]: . Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 9, p. 314, h. 26183. Jami’ al-Saghir, vol. 2, p. 169, h. 5531. Both narrating from ‘Abd al-Jabbar al-Khulani in Tarikh Dariyya from ‘Anas.

[^13]: . Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 1, p. 107, h. 294. al-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 88, h. 242. Both narrating from ‘Ammar ibn Yasir.

[^14]: . Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 655, h. 17239, narrating from al-Hakim from ‘Abdullah ibn Kathir.

[^15]: . Sunan al-Tirmidhi, vol. 4, p. 289, h. 1859. Musnad Ibn Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 251, h. 8539. Both narrating from Abu Hurayrah.

[^16]: . Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 2, p. 1096, h. 3297, narrating from Abu Hurayrah.

[^17]: . Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 2, p. 1096, h. 3296, narrating from Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) from his mother Fatimah (a.s.). Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 15, p. 242, h. 40759, narrating from it.

[^18]: . al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 490, h. 1, narrating from al-Hasan ibn Rashid. Thawab al-A’mal, p. 42, h. 4, narrating from Abu Basir. Jami’ al-Akhbar, p. 334, h. 943. Both narrating from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) from his forefathers (a.s.) from the Prophet (S.a.w.), with ‘increases sustenance’ instead of ‘and brings about sustenance’. al-Khisal, p. 611, h. 10, narrating from Abu Basir and Muhammad ibn Muslim from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) from his forefathers (a.s.). Tuhaf al-’Uqul, p. 101. Both narrating from Imam ‘Ali (a.s.). Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 76, p. 119, h. 2.

[^19]: . Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 53, p. 247, h. 11237. al-Firdaws, vol. 2, p. 168, h. 2843. Both narrating from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansari.

[^20]: . Tafsir al-Qurtubi, vol. 2, p. 102, narrating from ‘Abdullah ibn Bishr al-Mazini. Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 655, h. 17239.