How can parents help children resist normalised haram trends while staying confident in their Islamic identity? 

Parenting Perspective 

Children today are growing up in a world where many practices forbidden in Islam are presented as normal, or even celebrated. This constant exposure can create immense pressure to conform, leaving young Muslims feeling ‘different’ or even ashamed of their faith. Parents must provide guidance that strengthens both their resilience and their pride in Islam, enabling them to resist negative trends without feeling isolated. 

Teach Them the ‘Why’ Behind the Rule 

Instead of simply stating, ‘It is haram,’ take the time to explain how certain behaviours can negatively affect a person’s mental health, their relationships, and their sense of dignity. For example, you can discuss how normalised immodesty online can lead to issues of comparison, insecurity, and self-objectification. Linking Islamic boundaries to their real-life benefits makes them easier to embrace. 

Build a Strong Sense of Identity 

Help your child to see their Islamic identity not as a source of restriction, but as a shield of honour. Reinforce the idea that choosing what is halal is an act that protects their heart, their mind, and their future. You can also share powerful stories of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who often resisted immense social pressure with courage and dignity. 

Create Positive Alternatives 

Encourage your child to get involved in hobbies, communities, and friendships where halal is the norm and is celebrated. When children feel a strong sense of connection and belonging with people who share their values, the pressure to conform in other environments becomes much easier to resist. 

Model Confidence Yourself 

Parents who are confident and unapologetic in their own Islamic practices serve as the most powerful role models. When you pray at work, wear your hijab with pride, or politely decline to participate in haram social events, you inspire children to stand firm in their own identity without feeling ashamed. 

By explaining, modelling, and creating a supportive environment, parents can equip their children not only to avoid what is harmful, but to wear their faith with a deep sense of pride. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that choosing to be different from the majority for the sake of holding onto the truth is not a weakness, but a profound source of honour. What is considered ‘normal’ by society is not always what is pleasing to Allah Almighty. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Furqaan (25), Verses 72: 

‘ And those people who choose not to verify falsehood; and whenever they pass (people engaged in) obscenities; they pass by them (as if) they respected them.‘ 

This verse beautifully describes the character of a believer. It shows that they are defined not by their participation in harmful trends, but by their ability to walk past them with their dignity and self-respect intact. 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3986, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange as it began, so glad tidings to the strangers.’ 

This profound hadith teaches us that resisting social pressure, even when it makes one feel ‘strange’ or different, is a celebrated sign of true faith and brings with it glad tidings from Allah. 

By sharing these reminders, parents can help their children to see that resisting normalised haram is not about losing out on life; it is about gaining the pleasure of Allah Almighty and living with true confidence and self-worth. Over time, they will learn that being a proud Muslim is not a burden, but the greatest of all blessings.