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Is there a recommendation in Islam for starting education early?

Parenting Perspective

Yes. Islam affirms the vital importance of early education. The early years are not only a time of linguistic and cognitive growth but a period when emotional patterns, character traits, and spiritual awareness begin to form. Early education is not limited to formal instruction. It includes the tone of voice used at home, the stories told at bedtime, the way parents’ express gratitude or apologise, and how faith is gently woven into the everyday. Simple acts, like saying Bismillah before eating or Alhamdulillah after sneezing, plant seeds that anchor a child’s spiritual identity. When faith and learning are made gentle, joyful, and consistent, the child is gifted a lifelong compass.

Spiritual Insight

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Luqman, Verse 13: ‘And [mention] when Luqman said to his son while he was instructing him, ‘O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah [Almighty]. Indeed, association [with Him] is great injustice.’’ This moment shows how early guidance, given in love and clarity, becomes a spiritual inheritance.

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 224, that holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: ‘Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.’ While this Hadith addresses all believers, it reinforces that no age is too early to start a journey of understanding. Children deserve to grow in environments where knowledge is sacred, character is modelled, and learning is guided by purpose. Early education, in this light, is an act of worship and trust.

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