Taped on: April 27th, 1992

Title: Raising Your Children in America and the West

Speaker: Imam Yahia Abdul Rahman Ph.D.

Location:

     Whether or not you have children, this presentation by Dr. Yahia Abdul Rahman provides an array of beneficial strategies for creating a tranquil environment in the home. Topics in this engaging lecture include:

• Recalling the primary waves of Muslim migration to the Americas and understanding the lessons therein. Our families, some now with roots spanning several generations in America, have not arrived by chance, but according to the plan of God (Allah). The purpose? To create flourishing Muslim communities, irrespective of our cultural backgrounds.

• Bearing in mind the above, a crucial decision must be made early on about where to establish one’s family. Will it be in America?

• Don’t allow the connections with your native language or culture to dissipate by living here; teach your children their native tongue as well as giving them the gift of learning Arabic, the divine of language of the Holy Qur’an.

• Make the wisdom of the Holy Qur’an the central, unifying force in the home. It is imperative that from a very young age our children be exposed to the unequaled beauty and insight found in this final revelation. And of equal importance, establish the prayer.

• Find the balance between being decisive and flexible, yet always fair. Parents must demonstrate the difference between right and wrong conduct and be consistent in applying and adhering to these standards. Earning your children’s respect will be hard if you are indecisive and inconsistent.

• When traveling, train your children to immediately seek out the Muslim community. This will teach them to rely and look to their Muslim brothers and sisters in new and unfamiliar circumstances.

• Keep your family concerned with the plight and condition of Muslims around the world. Engage in the type of dialogue that helps them critically assess the situation the Muslims are encountering, both here in the U.S. and abroad. This will teach them to develop informed opinions, and foster concern and sympathy for their fellow man and woman.

• Since children spend more time in school than in the home, go beyond simply getting to know their teachers and school administrators and become actively