Religious upbringing should be accompanied by love and respect to enable children to feel secure and cherished.
In the Holy Quran, religious upbringing is always intertwined with love and compassion. It is essential for parents to educate their children with affection and kindness rather than through violence and fear. In Surah Luqman, verse 13, Luqman advises his son: 'O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah...' (This highlights the importance of respect and love in the educational process). Furthermore, many hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasize the significance of loving one's children and teaching them through positive means. In fact, religious upbringing should be such that it gives the children a sense of safety and love. When a child grows up in an environment filled with affection, they will be better nurtured and will absorb religious teachings more effectively. Therefore, creating positive emotional relationships within the family is the most practical method for effective religious education. Parents should show love and respect to their children and provide an open space for discussing religious issues. This approach will help children feel free in their religious and moral choices, thus developing a deeper connection with their faith and God.
And [mention] when Luqman said to his son while he was instructing him, 'O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah. Indeed, associating [others with Him] is great injustice.'
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is in one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, and the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of his love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; and [who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.
Say, 'If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, the wealth which you have obtained, and the commerce in which you fear decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.'
One day, a father was talking with his son and felt that his child was drifting away from religion and its values. He recalled the verses of the Quran and decided to teach his son with love and compassion. He said to his son, 'My dear, God loves us and wants us to love each other as well. Let's pray together and remind each other of our religious values.' With such love, the son felt secure and expressed interest in religion and religious practices again.