How can parents guide children to avoid forwarding hadith or Quran quotes online without checking authenticity? 

Parenting Perspective 

Teach the Value of Truthfulness 

Children often share Islamic quotes online with good intentions, not realising that many are fabricated or misquoted. A parent should explain, ‘When we share something about our deen, it becomes a responsibility. If the information is wrong, we could accidentally misguide someone.’ This helps a child to understand that forwarding religious content is a serious matter that carries real weight. 

Provide Tools for Verification 

Instead of just giving warnings, parents should equip their children with practical verification tools. They can teach them how to check a hadith using a trusted website or app, or by asking someone knowledgeable. Encouraging a child to pause before they share and ask, ‘How do I know this is true?’ instils a crucial habit of caution. Parents can model this by verifying information they receive themselves. 

Encourage Quality Over Quantity 

Children should learn that it is better to share one authentic reminder than to spread many unverified ones. A parent can emphasise this by saying, ‘One true hadith that touches a heart is more powerful than ten false ones that spread confusion.’ By praising a child when they show restraint and choose not to forward something blindly, parents reinforce the value of responsibility over online popularity. 

Spiritual Insight 

Accountability for What We Share 

The Quran teaches that we will be held accountable for our actions, including what we choose to follow and share without proper knowledge. This verse serves as a powerful reminder to be mindful and responsible with the information we spread. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Israa (17), Verse 36: 

‘ And do not pursue (to meddle in matters) with which you have no knowledge; indeed, your hearing (everything you heard), your sight (everything you observed), your conscience (everything you thought), in fact, all of these (your faculties) shall be called for questioning (on the Day of Judgment).‘ 

Repeating Without Verification is a Lie 

The prophetic tradition strongly warns against repeating everything one hears. In the digital age, this extends to forwarding messages. The act of spreading information without verifying its truthfulness is equated with lying, even if it is unintentional. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, 11, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘It is enough of a lie for a man to narrate everything that he hears.’ 

Approaching Digital Sharing with Integrity 

By teaching responsibility, providing verification tools, and encouraging a focus on quality over quantity, parents can help their children to approach digital sharing with integrity. This teaches them that honouring the Quran and Sunnah includes a commitment to accuracy, a practice that protects both their own faith and the faith of others.