Book Summary
This book explores how the Prophet ﷺ interacted with, nurtured, and shaped the children around him.
Hesham Al-Awadi begins by highlighting the key qualities of the Prophet ﷺ that made him have such a deeply influential role in the lives of the young Sahabah – qualities like mercy, emotional attunement, patience, and genuine care.
Anas bin Malik (ra) said: “I never saw anyone more kindly towards children than God’s messenger ﷺ.” [Sahih Muslim]
Al-Awadi then expands on how the Prophet ﷺ laid the foundation of children’s spiritual and religious upbringing upon love, compassion, and consideration.
Once that foundation was firmly established, the Prophet ﷺ guided children toward worshipping Allah ﷻ with particular emphasis on Salah – never perceived as a burden, but as a natural extension of an already secure and loving relationship.
The book also addresses children’s moral development and sexual education through the Prophetic example, showing how guidance was age-appropriate, dignified, and preventative rather than reactive.
Al-Awadi concludes by showing us glimpses of those same young companions later in life: how children who were raised under the direct guidance of the Prophet ﷺ grew into confident, upright adults who carried Islam forward with amazing strength of character and faith.
Personal Reflections
One of the things I appreciated most about this book is how conversational it feels. Later, I discovered that it’s actually a transcription of lectures Al-Awadi delivered on this topic, which explains its warm, engaging tone.
The book is full of practical insights – some drawn from stories we’ve heard many times, and others that felt entirely new. Even familiar narrations felt different when viewed through Al-Awadi’s lens of child development and psychology.
Key Insights That Stayed With Me
I had countless “Aha!” moments while reading this book. These are the reflections that have stayed with me the most:
- The “generation gap” may be an excuse, not a reality.
- Our mercy toward our children shapes how they treat us later in life.
- The Prophet ﷺ was particular affectionate toward his daughters.
- Ages 7–10 are the foundational training years.
- Salah teaches physical boundaries and modesty.
- Teaching young children Surah Nur as a form of sexual education.
- Islam was carried forward by the youth.
1. The “generation gap” may be an excuse, not a reality.
We often attribute our lack of connection with our children to a so-called “generation gap.”
Al-Awadi challenges this idea, suggesting that it’s sometimes a convenient way to avoid meaningfully engaging with our children’s reality and understanding their struggles.
The Prophet ﷺ met children where they were. He acknowledged their fears, losses, and joys, no matter how small they may have seemed to other adults.
A well-known example is when he ﷺ consoled a young boy who had lost his pet bird, showing us that children’s grief deserves to be taken seriously.
2. Our mercy toward our children shapes how they treat us later in life.
Most of us are familiar with the Hadith: “He who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.” We usually understand this as Allah ﷻ withholding mercy from those who are harsh with others.
Al-Awadi offers another profound interpretation: If you do not show mercy and compassion to your children when they are little, they may not show mercy to you when you are elderly, weak, and dependent.
How we treat our children today shapes how they treat us tomorrow.
3. The Prophet ﷺ was particularly affectionate toward his daughters.
The Prophet ﷺ would stand when Fatima (ra) entered, kiss her, and seat her in his own place. From a young age, he nurtured her emotional well-being and fulfilled her need for love, respect, and security.
Modern research echoes this wisdom.
Research with adolescent girls shows that a positive father-daughter relationship is directly associated with higher well-being and lower psychological distress. When daughters feel emotionally safe with their fathers, they tend to experience better mental health outcomes.
The Prophet ﷺ demonstrated this long before psychology gave it a name.
4. Ages 7–10 are the foundational training years.
These 3 years are critical for building lifelong habits and discipline. When a child’s upbringing is built on the foundation of trust, mercy, and compassion, they are far more receptive to instruction around religious practices, starting with Salah.
The companions also trained their children to fast from an early age, encouraging them to endure hunger and thirst for as long as they could. This exercise in self-restraint allows them to abstain from other temptations in life as they grow older.
Developing discipline from an early age thus nurtures their ability to delay gratification, a trait strongly associated with resilience and long-term success – something modern research proved through the famous Marshmallow Test.
5. Salah teaches physical boundaries and modesty.
Salah instills the principles of sexual education in subtle but powerful ways. Children learn that certain parts of the body are covered during prayer, nurturing modesty early on.
Children are also taught to seek permission before entering their parents’ room at specific times: before Fajr, after Zuhr, and after Isha. After puberty, permission is required at all times.
These physical boundaries are intentionally tied to prayer times, adding another layer of meaning to the verse that Salah prevents immorality and wrongdoing [29:45].
6. Teaching young children Surah Nur as a form of sexual education.
Earlier generations of Muslims would teach their children the verses and Tafsir of Surah An-Nur before they reached puberty.
This Surah elaborates the core concepts of privacy, modest, and propriety through preventive measures of Zina, such as:
- Getting married young
- Lowering the gaze
- Wearing the Hijab
- Guarding people’s honor (and your own)
These teachings work preventatively, protecting the youth before temptation takes hold.
7. Islam was carried forward by the youth.
Many of the prominent Sahabah Karaam accepted Islam as children or young teens:
- Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) was 8 or 10 years old
- Zubair ibn Al-Awwam (ra) accepted Islam at 8
- Talha ibn Ubaydullah (ra) became Muslim at 11
- Arqam ibn Abi Arqam (ra) was 12
- Mus‘ab ibn Umair (ra) was in his early 20s and transformed his entire lifestyle for Islam
This list is far from exhaustive, but seeing the ages of these young Sahabah written in plain writing is deeply humbling.
It really drives home the fact that children are capable of extraordinary faith, responsibility, and leadership with the right guidance and mentorship.
Favorite quotes
“Talk to your children about Allah when they are having a good time; that’s when they will listen most.”
“Good morals, or khuluq hasan, is the level of behavior expected of a Muslim. However, when Alah praised the moral character of the Prophet, he used a more exalted Arabic word – which is azeem. Azeem – also one of the names of Allah – connotes greatness, magnanimity, dignity, honor, esteem, and pride.”
“Believing in your child and telling him so is the best gift you can offer.”
Final Thoughts
Children Around the Prophet ﷺ is a beautiful book that illustrates through the Prophetic example that raising children is not only about rules and instruction, but about presence, mercy, and intentional care.
Highly recommended for:
- Parents who want their children to grow up spiritually, mentally, and emotionally strong
- Teachers who are entrusted with the Amanah of nurturing young minds during their formative years
- Mentors and leaders who hold positions of influence and authority
- Anyone who wishes to grow in love for the Prophet ﷺ by witnessing the beauty of his character through the way he loved and guided young children
Let’s Read Together
If you enjoy books that inspire self-reflection, healing, and growth through an Islamic lens, you’ll love being part of The Reading Nest!
It’s a warm, reflective space where we read, reflect, and grow together — one book at a time.
