Quran with Children: Planting Love in a Child’s Heart
A Mother’s Ramadan Reflection
Every Ramadan many of us set Quran goals for ourselves and our children and many times Quran with Children becomes about
Finish this many pages.
Complete this much Quran.
Reach this milestone.
This year, as I sat with my child for daily Quran reading and listening, I paused and asked myself:
What am I really building?
A finished target?
Or a lifelong relationship?
That pause led me to write this reflection.
The Beginning Reality
I know it’s hard.
Reading Quran is hard for a child, especially in the beginning when they are not fluent yet.
And if I am honest…
It is hard for me too.
So I remind myself that my first work is on my patience.
On staying very, very calm.
I expect him to stumble.
To be slow.
To make mistakes.
And I consciously try to avoid negative comments, judgement, or sarcastic remarks like:
“Dekh kar nahi padh sakte?”
“Bhool gaye?”
“Roz nahi baithte na isliye itni galti hoti hai.”
“Pehle toh kitna achha aata tha tumko.”
Instead, I remind myself:
How difficult it is for me to stay consistent with my own Quran.
So how can I expect more from my six-and-a-half-year-old than I expect from myself?
I also remind myself that making him sit daily is also my responsibility.
So if something lapses, it is not only him.
It is me too.
What I Try to Do Instead
Before beginning, we do affirmations and du’as.
We talk about why we are doing this.
Who we are.
We connect it to identity.
Instead of telling him what he must become, I ask:
Why do you read Quran?
Who are you?
And then I remind him gently:
You are a Quran companion.
You are a friend of the Quran.
And friends meet every day.
Friends listen to each other’s words.
Sometimes I pause and tell him the stories of what we are reading.
The story of Adam (AS).
The story of Moosa (AS).
The struggle with Shaytan.
The mercy of Allah.
Stories turn words into meaning.
When he says:
“Bohot time lagta hai.”
“Nahi padhna.”
“I don’t feel like it.”
I gently tell him:
Even when we don’t feel like it, we still try.
That is how we keep moving forward.
Sometimes we count rewards.
One letter equals ten hasanat.
We count letters in Alhamdulillah.
We count pages already read.
We imagine how many rewards are already in his account.
It makes him feel happy.
It gives energy.
Sometimes we use a stopwatch and see how in just a few minutes he read so much.
Then I show him:
Out of 720 minutes in a day, you only need a few minutes for the Quran.
Perspective changes everything.
These are strategies we can use for any ibadah.
And honestly…
For ourselves too.
When I Feel Like Pushing
Many times, I feel the urge to push harder.
Finish this many pages.
Complete this ruku.
Reach this juz.
Then I pause and ask myself:
What matters more?
Quantity at the cost of connection?
Or quality with the heart in the right place?
Sometimes when a child is gifted or shows potential, we begin to push them more.
Expect more.
Demand more.
Slowly…
Their light starts to dim.
Sometimes I almost end up doing that too.
Then I pause.
And I try to see my child again as who he truly is:
A small child.
Not a project.
Not a burden of my expectations.
Just because a child is capable does not mean I keep increasing the load.
Remembering My Intention
I did not start this so my child “finishes” the Quran once and I walk around with a badge.
I started this because I want him to build a lifelong relationship with the Quran.
It is not about me.
It is about his journey.
Not a goal to accomplish.
But an identity to build.
A Note to Mothers
Yes, this takes effort.
Yes, it takes time.
But we remember who we are.
And why we do this.
This work cannot be done when we are constantly burnt out, exhausted, and emotionally empty.
So resting.
Slowing down.
Taking care of ourselves.
This is also part of the work.
Because raising children who love Allah and His Book
is not the work of the weak.
Ya Allah, make our children people of the Quran.
Make the Quran the light of their hearts, the comfort of their souls, and their companion in this world and the next. Ameen.
Leave a Reply