Parenting Perspective 

Children face a host of small worries every day, from a test at school to a disagreement with a friend. If their worries are always met with only worldly comfort or distraction, they may learn to depend solely on other people for their sense of security. However, if you can gently teach them to connect these everyday worries with Allah, they will grow up with a deep sense of resilience that is rooted in faith. Simple and consistent routines can help to anchor this mindset, showing them through experience that no worry is too small to bring to Allah in dua. 

Begin Each Day with an Expression of Reliance 

Before your child leaves for school in the morning, you can say a short dua together, such as, ‘Ya Allah, please help us and make everything easy for us today.’ Linking the start of each day to a shared dua helps to set a tone of reliance upon Allah. 

Create a Habit of Pausing to Pray Together 

When your child comes to you with a worry, it is a good practice to pause and say, ‘That sounds difficult. Let us ask Allah to help with that right now.’ The dua itself can be very short and natural, for instance, ‘Ya Allah, please make this easy for us.’ Over time, your child will form a strong connection between the feeling of stress and the instinct to turn to Allah. 

Use Bedtime for Reflection and Release 

The quiet moments just before sleep are a perfect time for reflection. You can ask your child, ‘Was there anything that worried you today?’ After listening to them, you can guide them to whisper a small dua to hand their worry over, such as, ‘Ya Allah, I am leaving this with You. Please take care of it for me.’ This beautiful routine teaches children how to release their anxieties into the care of Allah. 

Connect a Calming Dhikr to Moments of Stress 

Introduce your child to a short, calming dhikr that they can use in stressful moments. A powerful phrase is, ‘HasbunAllahu wa ni’mal wakeel’ (Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs). Encouraging your child to repeat this quietly when they feel anxious can make the remembrance of Allah their primary source of comfort. 

Model Your Own Reliance on Allah 

When you are feeling stressed yourself, you can let your child hear you say, ‘This is a bit difficult, but I am going to ask Allah to help me.’ Children learn powerfully from what they witness; your own visible reliance on Allah will, in time, become their habit. 

Through these routines, your children can learn that their worries are not meant to be carried alone, but are in fact invitations to turn closer to Allah. 

Spiritual Insight 

The Quran on the Sufficiency Found in Reliance 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Talaaq (65), Verses 3: 

‘…And whoever is reliant on Allah (Almighty), then He is Sufficient for him (in every way)…’ 

This verse contains the beautiful promise that true reliance upon Allah brings with it a sense of peace and sufficiency. Teaching this to our children can reassure them that their daily worries, no matter how small they seem, are never ignored by Him. 

Prophetic Guidance on Seeking Help from Allah First 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you. If you ask, ask Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah.’ 

This hadith teaches that seeking the help of Allah should be our first and most natural instinct in every matter. By consistently linking our children’s everyday worries to the acts of dua and dhikr, we help them to internalise the profound truth that Allah is their safest and most reliable refuge. In time, they will grow into believers who naturally turn their fears into prayers, and their stress into a deep and abiding trust in Allah.