Dear Editor:
This refers to the letter written by Dr. Tanveer Shaman, (email : [email protected]) published in the Holiday on 05 May 2011 (“May Allah protect children from bad teachers ).
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was very kind to children and loved them. He would stroke their heads out of love and would pray for their good in life. Whenever the children came near to him he would pick them up in his arms and fondle them with great love. (https:/ /www.seekersguidance.org/articles/general-artices/the-prophet-muhammads-love-concern-kindness-for-children/)
Sometimes he would bring out his tongue before children and the children would become cheerful and laugh.If several children were there, he would make them fall in a row and would himself sit stretching out his arms and would say, “Run up to me, who touches me first, will get a prize. “The children would come running to him. Some would fall on his chest, some would fall on his belly. He would embrace them and kiss them. [Khasail-I-Nabawi]
When the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) passed by children, he would salute them, put his hands on their heads and pick up the small ones in his arms.
When discussing mother’s love he would say, “Whomsoever ALLAH favours with children and he loves them as also fulfils his obligations towards them, then he would remain safe from the hell fire”.
If while returning from a journey, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) met children on the way, he would pick them up affectionately and get them seated before or behind himself on his mount.
Children also loved the Prophet much. No sooner than they saw him, they would run up to him. He would pick up each one of them, kiss him and give him something like dates or fresh fruit or some other nice things to eat. If the baby of a woman saying prayer in his leadership started crying he would shorten the prayer in order to relieve the mother from her anguish. [Khasail-e-Nabawi]
Dr. Tanveer Shaman wrote : “May Almighty Allah help the children of this nation and forgive some ignorant teachers for the irreparable damage they are doing to some students and to society on the whole. As a doctor I see the physical damage regularly. This is a hazardous experience endured by children. The fact-filled inspiring article by Sir Frank Peters about the mental scars and horrors of corporal punishment should be given as a government hand-out to all teachers in Bangladesh. I fear the majority of the teachers do not know what damage they are causing, or the true cost to society of their stupidity, ignorance and cruelty.
“If we sow violence and disrespect, that is precisely what we will reap. We cannot sow carrots and expect tomatoes.Teaching practices have gone unchecked for far too long. For decades we accepted corporal punishment as normal, even turned a blind eye to the most brutal, inhuman beatings of children. Last year Sir Frank (may Almighty Allah bless him) put forward facts and logic at us that exploded with a mighty bang and awakened the nation to its evil. Although corporal punishment is now OUTLAWED some teachers continue to beat up children. The sooner these so-called teachers are removed from the classrooms the better for Bangladesh. Is not it better to have no such teachers in the classroom? Sir Frank thinks so, and so do I, wrote Dr. Shaman.
AMKChowdhury
Narayanganj.
Thursday, September 05, 2019
