CHILDREN rights are recognized in both religious teachings and modern science’s subjects.
Scientifically, children after their birth are developed physically, ambulatory, emotionally, cognitively, lingually, and socially as they become old and classified into following six categories depending on their age level; 1 Neonatal (First 28 days after birth) 2. Infancy (Birth – 1 year) 3. Toddlerhood (1 – 3 years) 4. Early Childhood/Preschooler (3 – 6 years) 5. Middle Childhood/Formal School-aged (6 -12 years) 6. Adolescence/Teenage (10/12 – 18/19 years)
Religion Islam gives great importance to the rights of children from the moment of their birth that must be fulfilled by their parents/guardians, family, society, state and anyone who has direct or indirect interaction with the child. These rights are based on mercy, justice and love, and help to ensure the spiritual, moral, emotional, social, cognitive and physical development of the children. In this respect, children rights are recognized in Islam according to their scientific ages as mentioned above and child protection themes. The following are inter alia children’s religious rights after birth in Islam according to their age/development leveland supported by the Quranic verses, Hadith/Sunnah of the Prophet and Islamic Jurisprudence (Shariah).
Religious rights of neonate: Islam outlines several neonate’s rights in the form of procedures and protocols to be applied on a newborn child by their parents/guardians and are evident from the following acts and sayings of Prophet; • Recite the Adhan (call to prayer) into the child’s right ear and Iqamah (second call to prayer) in the left ear. • Perform Tahneeki.e.,a small piece of chewed date or something sweet is gently placed in the child’s mouth as a Sunnah for blessing and strength.
• Give a child good name and; • On seventh day after birth, shave the child’s head and give the gold or silver as charity equivalent to the weight of child’s hair including perform aqiqah (form of sadaqah) by slaughtering a sheep or goat, and circumcision of male child. Apart from the above acts/sayings of Prophet for neonates, they are also inter alia entitled to right to life, identity, inheritance, financial support, proper care and breastfeeding by mothers soon after their birth. This is evident from the following verse and hadith/sunnah of Holy Quran and Prophet respectively; “Call them by (the names of) their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah.” [Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 5] Prophet Muhammad said: “On the Day of Resurrection you will be called by your names and by your father’s names, so give yourselves good names”. [Sunan Abi Dawud, 4948] “Prophet Muhammad had the aqiqah for Hasan with one sheep, and said: ‘O Fatimah! Shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver as charity’, so she weighed it, and it was the weight of a dirham or a bit of a dirham.” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1519]
Religious rights of infant: Islam has given great emphasis to rights, care and affection of infants by fulfilling their nutritional, emotional, physical and spiritual needs. Special emphasis has been given on breastfeeding of infants by mothers during the first two years after birth and provided flexibility, support and reward in this regard. Breastfeeding by foster mother is further corroborated through the example of Prophet, who was breastfed by his biological mother as well as various other foster mothers.
Islam has awarded the foster child a special status and relationship with his foster mother, who has breastfed him, equivalent to his biological mother, i.e., the child becomes a mahram (unmarriageable) to the foster mother, her husband and children. The above religious rights of infants are evident from the following verses and hadith of Holy Quran and Prophet respectively. “Mothers should breastfeed their children for two full years”. [Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 233] “And if both (the parents) decide, by mutual consent and consultation, to wean the child, there is no blame on them; if you decide to have other women suckle your children there is no blame upon you, provided you hand over its compensation in a fair manner.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 233]
Prophet Muhammad said: All things which become unlawful because of blood relations are unlawful because of the corresponding foster suckling relations. [Sahih al-Bukhari 5239] Prophet Muhammad said about Hamza’s daughter: “I am not legally permitted to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 2645] Prophet Muhammad said: “When I begin the prayer, I Intend to make it long but I hear an infantcrying; I then shorten it because of his mother’s feelings.” [Sahih Muslim 470b]
Religious rights of toddler: In Islam, toddlers are considered a sacred trust (Amanah) from God. Their rights grow as they develop physically, emotionally and mentally i.e., learn to walk, talk and recognize the things and surroundings. Toddlers are inter alia entitled to right to – love, emotional affection, health, nutrition, physical care, protection from harm, early moral and behavioral teachings, play, spiritual protection from evil eye, proper sleep and rest. Toddlers learn by imitation, so parents should exercise Islamic practices, prayers and manners etc. in front of them so that they would learn from this.
—The writer is Human Rights Activist, Child Rights Expert& Lawyer.
