We all love gifts.
But, can the gift of parenthood be compared to others?
Surely not. It is a special and invaluable gift unlike many others. For the Muslim parent, it is a gateway to paradise.
And just as with every special gift, parenthood comes with much responsibility and accountability.
”O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.” (Quran, At-Tahrim, 66:6)
In today’s world, Muslim parents and technology are inevitably linked as technology is an integral part of our daily lives.
Parents play an important role in having these technologies in their homes and in supporting its usage by their children. However, they cannot simply dismiss such technologies, but rather look closely at their bane and boon as discussed in an earlier post, then take appropriate action.
Such technologies, whether they are gaming devices, smart phones or tablets are capable of various functions – from the usual calling, texting, chatting and playing games; to browsing the internet and social networking; and also taking photos, videos and watching TV. These functions could have both positive and negative impact on Muslim minds and homes.
The attitude of the believers should be that of empowering themselves with the appropriate knowledge they need to support their children’s use of technology safely and responsibly.
Muslim parents and technology: 5 Pro Tips to Utilize
Here are 5 pro tips to help you start acting purposefully with your children’s use of technology from today:
Tip 1. Connect your children with Allah 
It is your duty to infuse your children with consciousness of Allah . Along with that is having correct understanding of the true purpose of their existence. Just as with the example of Luqman the wise in the Quran, when he directed his son to Tawheed, saying ‘”O my son…!” (Quran, Luqman 31:13-39)
And similarly in a hadith found among the 40 hadiths of an-Nawawi;
On the authority of Abu Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas 
who said:
One day I was behind the Prophet
[riding on the same mount] and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” 1
Infuse your children with consciousness of Allah .
Tip 2. Be a good role model
Act responsibly with technology in the same way or even better than you expect your children to. Practice what you preach and be a great example. They are watching you even when you do not realize it. And most importantly, the recording angels are taking records for which you will be questioned about.
Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah said,
“Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible for it. Surely, every one of you is a shepherd and responsible for his flock.” 2
Tip 3. Give naseehah
Tamim Ad-Dari narrated: Allah’s Messenger said three times:
said three times:”The religion is Naseehah (sincere advice).” The people asked, ”To whom?” The Prophet
Support your child(ren) by having constant heart-to-heart conversations about how to be safe, smart and responsible online; and also to engage in fair, positive and responsible use of all technologies. Your sincere reminders will serve as guide and advise for when you are not physically with them.
Tip 4. Educate your children
Teach them about staying legal, avoiding scam and cyber criminals and being financially smart. Guide them to be aware of engaging in prohibited acts – displeasing to Allah and harmful to fellow humans.
and harmful to fellow humans. Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari reported:
reported:I asked the Messenger of Allah
Tip 5. Learn IT language and skills from your children
Step into their IT world and gain a new perspective. It would help to bridge some of the inter-generational gap, create rapport and serve as a great conversation starter. You can also team up with your children to carry out projects, enroll in courses together or view programs as a family.
Here’s your chance:
You have the opportunity to learn more about technology as a Muslim parent. Then you can use the knowledge you acquire to strive and reap great rewards for yourself and your family insha’Allah!
Ready?
Start with the right attitude.
The attitude of a believer!
In what other ways can Muslim parents turn the use of technology into a positive and rewarding experience for the entire family? Please share below.
15 replies on “How to Deal with Technology Like a Believer: Pro Tips for Muslim Parents”
This was a very good afternoon read and some really nice and important pointers from the perspective of parenting. I have heard there are now some informative Islamic cartoons on YouTube channels and they are a great source of teaching children. I am thinking of introducing them to my child too. I did show him one cartoon earlier but he seemed to get scared of that cartoon.
Fatima | http://www.blogsbyfa.com
Masha Allah, that is interesting. I will love to see the informative ones on YouTube. How old is your son? May Allah bless with him with beneficial knowledge and wisdom.
Good read mashallah 🙂 thank you for sharing
This one really hits home. My daughter is just 9 months old mashallah but is already in love with cell phones and laptops. Even when shes crying uncontrollably and i show her my cell phone it calms her down. Haha. But its annoying for my husband when instead of giving him attention she gives his cell phone more attention.
But Inshallah these points are good for when she grows up.
Subhanallah, its amazing how kids take to these tools with ease and comfort that sometimes they even reject the toy alternatives. They learn to scroll items, take pictures, listen to audio and they may even delete items from your gadgets.
May Allah (SWT) make these tools a witness for us and make us true shepherds for the younger generation.
Masha Allah…Such a good and informative post..May Allah bless us with a beneficial knowledge …Aameen.
Amin to your beautiful du’a dear Afreen
You can’t be a good role model when you are that addicted to technology that it dominates your daily life. A lot of our communication happens online (email, whats app and whatever) but we shouldn’t forget that the face to face communication is that what counts. I am always getting the crisis when I see a family sitting in the tea garden at one table and the mother posts on Facebok, the father answers Whats app and the kids are busy with their Ipads. So there is a time with and for technology and a technology-free zone. The same can be said for television. Does the TV have to be open all day long? It’s in my opinion also the wrong way to calm kids down by opening the ‘electric grandmother’. There should also be clear rules about how long a child is allowed daily to use technology (depending on the age). Good reminder about an important topic!
Jazaakillah khayr for sharing your opinion.
It is sad indeed that tech. tools have become pacifiers and means of calming young children. How did parenting go so wrong?
I’m all for having technology free times at home even for tweens and teens. It is such a bad habit – but unnoticed by many, since we have come to rely so much on our smart devices. They don’t make smart kids in my opinion especially when it takes over real time interactions. Yes, parents must become true role models especially regarding this matter, just our beloved rasul (SAW).
JazakAllah Khair for sharing. As a parent you have to be so careful with technology. It has its good points but at the same time can be very destructive. The key is finding the right balance.
Wa iyyaki. I agree with you, balance is key.
Great article . I am so glad that my mother raised me the same way you have mentioned above.
She is a role model gives advise gave me knowledge of not just the worldly books but also of the religion May Allah help me in the future to raise my children the same way she has raised me .Ameen
“And just as with every special gift, parenthood comes with much responsibility and accountability.” – So crucial to constantly constantly remind ourselves of this subhanAllah. JazakAllahu khairan for sharing this Amina, may it be a source of barakah for you. x
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I don’t plan on giving my kids phones or tablets anyway. We had computers and mobile phones in the 90s but I couldn’t have one until I could pay for it and be responsible for it myself. We had one computer, in the living room where everyone could use it. We had one cell phone, mom’s. I didn’t get my own phone or laptop until I was 19 years old and I survived just fine.