This article outlines a few of the common values and principles that provide the foundation for Muslim understandings of child–adult relationships and approaches to child protection and nurture. The author highlights passages from Islamic texts, such as the Quran and Hadith, which offer evidence of the ways in which children are considered sacred, or blessings, in Islam. The article also highlights how the Muslim tradition promotes having warm, caring relationships between parents and their children, including an overview of the dutiesrequired of parents in the Muslim faith to ensure their children’s wellbeing.
The article briefly discusses how protecting and seeking justice for abandoned children is perceived in Islam and the mandate in the Muslim community to take these children into their homes and care for them in a form similar to guardianship or foster relationships. Protection from inappropriate corporal punishment is also highlighted within the Islamic sources to which the author refers.
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