Inayat al-Islam bi Tarbiyat al-Abna kama bayyanatha Surat Luqman
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- Inayat al-Islam bi Tarbiyat al-Abna kama bayyanatha Surat Luqman
Inayat al-Islam bi Tarbiyat al-Abna kama bayyanatha Surat Luqman (Islam's Care for Child Upbringing as Explained by Surat Luqman) is a contemporary treatise on Islamic pedagogy and family counseling authored by the scholar Arafa bin Tantawi (Abu Abd al-Rahman) . The book examines the foundational principles and methods of child education (tarbiya) in Islamic thought, utilizing the Quranic narrative and wisdom of Luqman in Surat Luqman as a pedagogical model .
Purpose and Scope
The author composed the work to present an integrated, structured guide to rearing children based on primary Islamic texts, classical exegesis, and pedagogical principles . Emphasizing that parenting is a solemn divine trust (amana) and a shared responsibility that begins in early childhood, the treatise addresses the moral, psychological, and intellectual formation of youth in a modern context marked by intellectual confusion and moral temptations . The book explores the worldly and afterlife fruits of righteous parenting, including reciprocal filial devotion, societal peace, and ongoing prayers from righteous descendants .
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into an introduction, four main chapters (mabahith), a conclusion detailing key findings and recommendations, and reference indexes :
- Chapter One: Islam's Care for Child Upbringing (Inayat al-Islam bi Tarbiyat al-Abna): Defines tarbiya linguistically and technically, outlines the core attributes of the Islamic pedagogical method—comprehensiveness, balance, divine orientation (rabbaniyya), and a synthesis of permanence and adaptability—and analyzes the key socializing institutions (family, school, mosque, and media) . It highlights the role of upbringing in preserving the five essential necessities of Islamic jurisprudence (al-daruriyyat al-khams): religion, life, intellect, family honor, and property . It further covers four manifestations of Islamic care: spouse selection, equitable marital relations, education through exemplary role models, and early childhood intervention, concluding with Quranic instructional tools such as commands, warnings, parables, and storytelling .
- Chapter Two: Introduction to Surat Luqman (al-Ta'rif bi al-Surah al-Karimah): Details the name and rationale for the surah's designation, verse count, revelation circumstances, rhetorical features, and textual ordering . It examines the thematic structure of the chapter around the three theological pillars: divine oneness (tawhid), prophethood, and resurrection .
- Chapter Three: Biography and Status of Luqman the Wise (al-Ta'rif bi Shakhsiyyat Luqman al-Hakim): Examines his lineage, background, the criteria for handling biblical and historical traditions (Isra'iliyyat), and the scholarly debate regarding whether he was an endowed prophet or a righteous, wise servant .
- Chapter Four: The Pedagogical Framework of Luqman's Exhortation (al-Manhaj al-Tarbawi kama Tusawwiruhu Maw'idat Luqman al-Hakim): Analyzes the content of Luqman's counsel through three interconnected dimensions: the theological dimension (the primacy of pure monotheism and warning against polytheism), the devotional dimension (filial piety, ritual prayer, and enjoining good and forbidding evil with endurance), and the moral dimension (humility, self-restraint, and interpersonal conduct) . The chapter concludes with a study on the jurisprudence of pedagogical priorities (fiqh al-awlawiyyat) and the organic unity binding creed, worship, and character .
Pedagogical Method
The book highlights the psychological and affective dimensions of Luqman’s approach to guidance . It analyzes how affectionate address, such as the diminutive invocation يَا بُنَيَّ ("O my dear son"), establishes a cooperative, empathetic rapport between parent and child, creating receptivity to moral instruction without coercion or harshness . Tantawi demonstrates how the chapter arranges parental duties systematically, beginning with foundational faith and divine vigilance before transitioning to outward ritual obligations and social etiquette .
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