This is a continuation of last week’s post about connecting children to the best of the best.

Dear parent/educator, whatever characteristic you want to inculcate in your child, there is a story of a Prophet or a Sahaabi that you can relate to him/her.

For example, if you want to inculcate the habit of always telling the truth and the outcome of that, you narrate to them the story of Ka’b ibn Maalik during the incident of Taabuk!

If you want to inculcate the belief in your child that Allah can make the impossible possible just by firm belief and certainty in Him.. narrate to him/her the story of how Allah parted the sea for Prophet Musa (AS) and his people; just when the people thought they were about to drown, but Prophet Musa firmly believed and professed his belief that Allah was with Him!

If you want them to learn patience in the face of life’s adversities... narrate to them the story of Ayyub (AS) and Yusuf (AS).

If you want them to learn what it means to love and follow the Prophet’s Sunnah stringently, narrate the story of Abdullah ibn Umar (RA)... how he followed the Sunnah of the Prophet in everything!

If you want your female child to believe that Islam truly doesn’t oppress women and that even females can be scholars of Islam, narrate to her the story of Aisha (RA) and Faatimah bint Maalik (the daughter of Imaam Maalik).

There are countless more examples that could be cited. The point is that, whatever character or belief that you want to inculcate in your child, just look for a story that teaches that in the Qur’an and the sunnah and narrate that to them with the lessons. You'll be shocked how they will remember such stories and inculcate the lessons learnt in their lives. Children absolutely love stories and can narrate the same story over and over again! I mean, who just doesn’t love stories?
“So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought.” (Al-A’raf: 176)