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Family · When the moment comes

Let children play without scolding

The practice
When a child plays or explores around you, let them instead of scolding
When
a child is playful or curious near you
In daily life
When your toddler pulls things off the shelf, or the kids get loud while you're working from home, take a breath before saying 'no'. Move the breakables out of reach, give them a safe corner, and let them explore.

The source

أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَعَ أَبِي وَعَلَىَّ قَمِيصٌ أَصْفَرُ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ سَنَهْ سَنَهْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَهْىَ بِالْحَبَشِيَّةِ حَسَنَةٌ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَذَهَبْتُ أَلْعَبُ بِخَاتَمِ النُّبُوَّةِ، فَزَجَرَنِي أَبِي‏.‏ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ دَعْهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَبْلِي وَأَخْلِقِي، ثُمَّ أَبْلِي وَأَخْلِقِي، ثُمَّ أَبْلِي وَأَخْلِقِي ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَبَقِيَتْ حَتَّى ذَكَرَ‏.‏ يَعْنِي مِنْ بَقَائِهَا‏.

“Um Khalid bint Khalid bin Sa`id said, "I came to Allah's Messenger ﷺ along with my father and I was wearing a yellow shirt. Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Sanah Sanah!" (`Abdullah, the sub-narrator said, "It means, 'Nice, nice!' in the Ethiopian language.") Um Khalid added, "Then I started playing with the seal of Prophethood. My father admonished me. But Allah's Messenger ﷺ said (to my father), "Leave her," Allah's Messenger ﷺ (then addressing me) said, "May you live so long that your dress gets worn out, and you will mend it many times, and then wear another till it gets worn out (i.e. May Allah prolong your life)." (The sub-narrator, `Abdullah aid, "That garment (which she was wearing remained usable for a long period)”
Narrated by Sa`idSahih al-Bukhari 5993
The full hadith, with its chain and grading →

Arabic: ara-bukhari · Translation: Muhsin Khan (eng-bukhari), from the eng-bukhari edition of hadith-api (public domain), sunnah.com numbering.

Part of: Home & Family

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Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and narrations of Jami at-Tirmidhi graded sahih or hasan sahih by al-Albani.