Meeting the Challenge of Parenting in the West | Islamic Parenting & Tarbiyyah Guide

Meeting the Challenge of Parenting in the West | Islamic Parenting & Tarbiyyah Guide

Meeting the Challenge of Parenting in the West by Mohamed Rida Bashir is a practical Islamic guide designed to help Muslim parents raise children with a strong Islamic identity while living in Western societies. The book addresses the challenges Muslim families face when schools and wider society may not provide sufficient grounding in Islamic ethics, values, and religious identity. It emphasizes the essential role of parents and the home environment in providing holistic Islamic Tarbiyyah. The author offers guidance to help parents nurture faith, moral values, Islamic character, and a strong sense of identity in their children. This beneficial resource is especially useful for Muslim parents, educators, Islamic schools, and families seeking practical ways to balance life in the West with authentic Islamic upbringing.

From Author:

As a minority group in North America, Muslims are preoccupied with how to preserve their Islamic identity in their children. With schools playing no role in instilling ethical norms and values in children, it becomes the responsibility of the family to undertake that role. The book is an excellent guide on how to take on that role in a holistic Islamic tarbiyyah.

Amana Publications

• Mohamed Rida Bashir

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Page:01
Meeting the Challenge of
PARENTING
IN THE WEST
An Islamic Perspective
FOURTH EDITION
Dr. Ekram and Dr. Mohamed Rida Beshir
amana publications
Page:02
Acknowledgments
Foreword
CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1:
OBJECTIVES OF TARBIYAH
Chapter 2:
BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR TARBIYAH
Understand Your Child 17
Key Factors affecting Child's Personality 19 Family Atmosphere 19
A Child's Position within the Family 21
Genetic Disposition 22
Training Methods 24
Link the Child to Allah 24
Mercy 26
Gentleness, Kindness, Leniency and Love 28
Teach Them Respect 29
Brevity in Preaching 31
Never Resort to Force
Favoritism Is Not Allowed 34
Every Soul Is Accountable For What It Earns 36
Good Deeds Wipe Out Bad Ones
Emphasis and Encouragement
Do Things Step by Step
and Consider Your Child's Level 41
Expressing Feelings and
sharing Happiness and Pain 43
Being Clear in Communication
Active Listening 48
Find Suitable Alternatives 49
Assist in Skill Development 50
Controlling Anger 52
Help Your Children Cooperate with You 54
Always Fulfill a Promise 55
Follow Up on Orders and Be Consistent 57
Teach Them Haya' 59
Use Examples from Their Environment 60 Use a Holistic Approach 62
Summary 63
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CHAPTER 3: ENVIRONMENT
Introduction 65
Importance of Environment 65
Environment as a Source of Pressure 71
Parents' Role in Ensuring a Proper Environment 75
Support System 75
Other Support Mechanisms 85
Summary 88
CHAPTER 4: WAYS AND MEANS OF TARBIYAH
Upbringing by Leadership 89
Upbringing by Exhortation, Admonition
and Gentle Advice 98
Upbringing by Punishment 104
Upbringing by Storytelling 110
Upbringing by Habituation 114
Upbringing by Directing Energy 116
Upbringing by Utilizing Time 117 Upbringing by Events 119 Summary 121
CHAPTER 5: CASE STUDIES
Introduction 122
A. The First Day of School! (Kindergarten) 122
B. Peer Pressure and Home Expectation 123
C. The Mistaken/Negative Support 124
D. School Activities 126
E. Christmas Season Art Work
F. The Sleepover Dilemma 127
G. To Pay or Not to Pay 127
H. Little Ali and the Juice 128
1. The Toy Problem ("You are the Oldest,
You Should Know Better") 129
J. Bedtime 129
K. Playing Inside 131
L. Don't Be a Perfectionist 131
M. Tired Mother (Crying Baby &
Toilet Training Toddler) 133
N. Dad Is Nice, Mom Is the Police
CHAPTER 6: ANATOMY OF CASE STUDIES
A. The First Day of School! (Kindergarten) 136 B. Peer Pressure and Home Expectation 137 C. The Mistaken/Negative Support 138
D. School Activities 141
E. Christmas Season Art Work 142
F. The Sleepover Dilemma 143
G. To Pay or Not to Pay 144
H. Little Ali and the Juice 145
1. The Toy Problem ("You are the Oldest, You Should Know Better") 146
J. Bedtime 147
K. Playing Inside 149
L. Don't Be a Perfectionist
M. Tired Mother (Crying Baby &
Toilet Training Toddler) 150
N. Dad Is Nice, Mom Is the Police
CHAPTER 7: MEET OUR FAMILY
Success and Failure Survey
CHAPTER 8: TIPS TO REMEMBER
REFERENCES
Page:04
Dr. Ekram and Dr. Mohamed Rida Beshir as a wife/husband team, together co-authored several best-selling parenting books such as this book, "Muslim Teens, Today's Worry, Tomorrow's Hope," "Blissful Marriage" and "Parenting Skills based on Qur'an and Sunnah." They have also authored parenting books in Arabic. Some of their parenting books have been translated to French and German languages and are currently being translated into Malaysian.
They are teaching two courses on the subject of parenting with the Islamic American University. They are both regular contributors to the family section of several magazines such as "American Muslim," "Islamic Horizons", and the "Message magazine." Both Drs. Ekram and Mohamed Rida Beshir are also advisers on the Islam online website family section. Drs. Ekram and Mohamed Rida Beshir are the recipients of the City of Ottawa Certificate of Appreciation for the year 2003 for their volunteer work in the area of Education and the year 2006 for their positive contribution to Ottawa community children. They have traveled extensively, presenting workshops to various Muslim communities all over the world.
Dr. Ekram Beshir
• She is a medical doctor by profession, with a background in child psychology.
• She is the founder of both Abraar full-time Islamic school and Rahma School, a weekend Arabic and Islamic school, in Ottawa, Canada.
• She is the recipient of the Director's Citation Award of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board for the year 2000 for her contribution in the area of education from among 7000 employees of the board.
She has been very active with the Muslim community in Ottawa in the areas of study circles, children and youth camps, sisters programs, and marriage counseling.
She has traveled extensively to various parts of the world to present parenting workshops.
• She has also authored other books for teaching Arabic to Muslim children living in Non- Arabic speaking countries. Dr. Mohamed Rida Beshir
He is an engineer by profession, with over 30 years of experience in Da'wa work in North America
• He has held various positions with MSA and ISNA, MAS on both national and local levels.
He served as a member of the training and development department of the Muslim American Society (MAS) for over two decades.
• He is actively developing and delivering training programs to various Muslim communities all over the world. He is a regular speaker in ISNA, ICNA, MSA, MAC and MAS conferences.
• He is the recipient of the Ottawa Muslim Association and Ottawa Muslim Community Circle appreciation awards for years 1993, and 1999 for his volunteer Islamic work in the National Capital region.
Testimonials
An enlightening book for non-Muslims, too, I purchased this book for parents of one of my students, as a present; and then apologized to them for reading it before they got to see it. I opened it, just to take a quick peek, and found it so interesting I didn't want to set it down.
The excerpts from the Qu'ran, the insights into the values of American Muslim families, the balance of heart and head, make this a wonderful book. This book has nothing to do with politics - it is purely about parenting and the priorities Muslim families place on providing guidelines/boundaries with love, for their children. It has a very good section on the affects of television on all families, and the importance of both setting limits and talking with children about what they see and hear in the media. The book gives non-Muslims a rare glimpse into the parenting messages of the Qu'ran and to see the similarities in families of ALL faiths when it comes to child rearing. This book is definitely worthwhile reading for teachers who want to be more sensitive and supportive to Muslim students and their parents. L.J. Silver, United States, January 1, 2003
This really is an awesome book for parents who have children or are thinking to have children. I myself am not married, and I still found it helpful, since raising good children starts even before marriage, with raising yourself first. I read this book cover to cover and memorized it.
If every Muslim parent reads this book, then the next generation is going to be really awesome! A reader from Chicago, IL, Sept. 1999
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