What if my child feels physical activity is less important than spiritual or academic growth? 

Parenting Perspective 

It is common for children to prioritise academics and spiritual practices because they are often presented as more ‘serious’ or ‘rewarding’. Physical activity, in comparison, may seem like play or a distraction. Parents can help their child see that growth is not divided into separate boxes but is connected: a healthy body supports both learning and worship. 

Showing the Connection with Learning 

Explain clearly that an active body sharpens the mind. Children who move regularly often concentrate better, remember more, and feel less fatigued while studying. Parents can say, “When your body is strong, your brain has more energy to focus on learning.” This helps them see that academics and activity work together, not against each other. 

Linking Activity with Worship 

Children should understand that physical health enables better acts of worship. Standing in prayer (Salat), fasting, or serving others all require strength and stamina. By showing how physical ability supports spiritual practices, parents can make activity feel like an act of devotion, not a competition with faith. 

Keeping Balance Clear 

Remind children that just as eating and sleeping are necessary for growth, movement is also a basic need. Neglecting it weakens the body and makes other areas harder to sustain. Encourage a balanced routine that allows adequate space for studies, worship, and physical activity. 

Avoiding Making Activity Optional 

If physical activity is always treated as secondary, children may ignore it entirely. Instead, make it a regular family practice walking after meals, stretching in the morning, or playing together. When parents model balance, children naturally adopt it as a necessary component of daily life. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches balance (wasatiyyah) between the spiritual, intellectual, and physical aspects of life. Neglecting one harms the others. A child who values only academics or spirituality but ignores the body risks weakness that affects their overall ability to live fully. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Baqarah (2), Verse 143: 

‘And thus We have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you…’ 

This verse emphasises balance and moderation in all areas of life. Parents can share this with their child to show that being just and balanced includes caring for the body as well as the soul and mind. 

It is recorded in Sahih Al Bukhari, Hadith 5199, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Your body has a right over you.’ 

This Hadith reminds us that fulfilling the body’s rights is part of worship and responsibility. Ignoring the body is not a sign of piety, but of neglect of a divine trust. 

By showing their child that physical activity is not less important but deeply connected to spiritual and academic growth, parents help them value movement as an act of gratitude to Allah Almighty and a foundation for success in all areas of life.