al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah wa Marahil al-Numu

al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah wa Marahil al-Numu (Islamic Education and the Stages of Growth) is an educational treatise by the Sudanese scholar Abbas Mahjoub, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Da'wah at the Islamic University of Madinah, addressing the role and methods of Islamic upbringing across human developmental stages al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+1.

Scope and Core Concepts

The work conceptualizes education (tarbiyah) as an ongoing process intrinsically tied to natural human growth, capacities, and psychological inclinations al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…. Mahjoub argues that Islamic education governs the human being throughout life, providing tailored developmental guidance from conception to old age al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…. The text draws extensively on Quranic verses and prophetic traditions, integrating them with classical pedagogical remarks from Muslim thinkers such as Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and Ibn Sina, as well as contemporary psychological and biological studies al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+3.

Stages of Human Development

The study categorizes human growth into distinct chronological and educational stages, detailing Islamic guidelines for each:

• Prenatal Stage (Marhalat Ma Qabl al-Wiladah): Begins before conception through careful spousal selection prioritizing religious and moral character, accounting for hereditary physical and psychological traits al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+2. It extends through pregnancy, requiring physical, psychological, and nutritional care for the expectant mother and avoiding harmful substances such as narcotics and smoking al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+1.
• Early Childhood (al-Tufulah al-Ula): Spanning birth to age seven, this phase encompasses giving the newborn a good name, breastfeeding (rada'ah) up to two years, and maternal custody (hidhanah) al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+2. The author emphasizes that direct maternal care fosters psychological security and natural growth, whereas deprivation of maternal attention hinders physical, social, and mental development al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+1.
• Late Childhood (al-Tufulah al-Thaniyah): From age seven to twelve, coinciding with primary schooling al-Tawjih al-Islami lil-N…+1. The focus shifts to memory and learning, requiring children to be commanded to pray at seven and disciplined at ten, taught basic rulings of lawful and unlawful (halal and haram), table manners, love for the Prophet ﷺ and his family, and guided in choosing righteous friends al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+1.
• Puberty and Adolescence (Marhalat al-Bulugh wa-l-Murahaqah): Ranging from age thirteen to roughly twenty-one, matching intermediate and secondary education levels al-Tawjih al-Islami lil-N…+1. This stage marks the assumption of legal and religious accountability (taklif), requiring rational conviction in faith, cultivating modesty (haya'), and channeling youthful energy through studying heroic role models from the prophetic biographies al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+2. It incorporates sexual education (al-tarbiyah al-jinsiyyah), urging chastity, early marriage or fasting, adherence to dress codes, and refraining from unlawful practices al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+3.
• Maturity and Adulthood (Marhalat al-Rushd): Covering middle age between forty and sixty, characterized by complete intellectual maturity, renewed repentance, gratitude to God, and sustained ethical stability al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah…+1.
• Old Age (Marhalat al-Shaykhukhah): Starting from age sixty, defined by devotion, continuous worship, seeking divine aid, and providing guidance and counsel to younger generations al-Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah….