Children are gifts from Allah. Whoever Allah bestows his mercy upon should make sure the children are raised to know and serve Allah.
The first knowledge children should be exposed to is the knowledge of the Quran. When a child is 4 years old, he or she should start learning the Quran. At age 4, children are expected to grab what they are taught very fast.
If we want to teach a 4-year-old child the Quran, we should start with Arabic letters. Noorani Qaida and Nurool Bayan are two books that will be helpful for 4-year-old children.
Also, we should make sure they are memorizing what we are teaching them because, at that age, it is easier to memorize. Another thing we should not forget is that we should be going to the mosque together with these children. Listening to the recitation of the Imam frequently can help children learn the Quran fast.
8 Tips to Teach the Quran to 4-Year-Old
1. Teach the Child Arabic Letters
The basic principle of teaching a child the Quran is to teach the child the Arabic letters. When a child knows and understands these letters, he or she can be taught vowels, and word formation. You have to take it step by step like that until the child can start reading the Quran. When the knowledge of Arabic letters together with word formation is strong, learning the Quran won’t be difficult.
In our intro, we mentioned two books that can be helpful for a 4-year-old. They are Noorani Qaida written by Sheikh Noor Muhammad al-Haqqani and Nurool Bayan written by Ustaz Tariq Al-Saeed. These books were written specifically for kids and beginners who want to learn how to recite the Quran.
2. Use Board not Books Only
Textbooks are important, but children should not be limited to teaching only with textbooks. A teacher who wants to teach a 4-year-old Quran must employ the use of a chalkboard so that students can write what they are learning.
Sheikh Al-Zarnuji in his book Ta’lim Muta’alim explained the importance of writing. Sheikh said the learner should use every opportunity of his time to study, constantly to gain virtue. The trick can be done by always providing a bottle of ink container to record all the things he finds.
Sheikh said Hafalan can run away, but the writing stands. Knowledge is gained from the speech of the teachers, for they memorized the good things from what they heard and said the good from what they memorized. Sheikh said he heard Sheikh al-Imam Zainul Islam with the famous title of Adib Al Mukhtar: Hilal Ibn Yasir said, ‘’I saw the Holy Prophet giving a piece of knowledge and advice to one of his companions, then he asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to repeat what he had told him.
The Messenger of Allah asked the companion if he had an ink. The companion said he didn’t have any. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told the companion not to always do away with a bottle of ink because it is always with the one who carries it.
3. Use Pictures and Signs
Pictures and signs are very important when it comes to teaching children. Pictures help to improve the communication skills of children. Also, pictures give visual learners the chance to reflect on the visual information given to them and in turn develop their senses by examining what they can touch, hear, and smell.
Also, pictures can make children more engaged in their learning and facilitate further learning. In addition to that, pictures can help some learners who may have problems with grasping words by storing the pictures in their minds for a long time.
Also, pictures tend to engage both sides of the children’s brain making it easier for them to remember and recall the visual stimuli provided.
4. Use Arabic Poems to Teach Letters
Poems are very effective when it comes to teaching children because children naturally love to sing. For example, if you want to teach a child the principles of Tanween and Noon Sakinah which consists of Izhar, Idgam, Iqlab, and Ikhfa.
Rather than teaching them the letters, you can use the letters of Izhar and form a poem with them. That way, it will be easier for them to learn.
Normally, the letters of Izhar are Hamza, Hau, Ain, Ha, Ghain, and Kha. The popular poem used to teach children the letters of Izhar are Akhi Haka ilman Hazahu Ghaira Khasir. All the letters were combined to form the poem. Children will remember the poem easily because of the love they have for poems.
5. Take the Child to the Mosque
Another effective way to teach a 4 years old the Quran is to take him or her to the mosque frequently. Let him or her also stand in prayer. The child will benefit from the recitation of imam in the long run.
6. Start with Surahs Recited in the Mosque Frequently
When the child starts learning the Quran, start with the surahs that are recited frequently in solat at the Masjid. When you teach them at home and they listen to it at the Masjid, it will go a long way in helping them retain these surahs in their memory.
7. Let the Child Listen to the Quran at Home
When you are raising a child as a Muslim, your home should not be a home where music is being listened to. Buy a children’s phone for your child and download the complete Quran on the phone. Nothing else apart from the complete Quran should be on the phone.
Let your child listen to it every time. Also, if you want to watch television with your child, you should always tune in to television stations where the Quran is recited or Islamic education is discussed. All these are what can make your child learn the Quran fast and grow to become a good servant of Allah.
8. Inculcate Memorization into a Teaching Plan
From age 4 to 20 is the best time to memorize the Quran. Therefore, a teacher should not teach children how to recite the Quran only, the teacher should inculcate a memorization plan into the study for the child.
Conclusion
Raising a child in the way of the Quran and Sunnah should be the dream of every parent. To make it a reality, parents must work hard and be willing to sacrifice their time and efforts for their children.
Frequently Asked Questions
