🌳 Elders · for grown-ups
Salam first, seat first
What it's about
Respect for elders shows in small things: greeting first, giving up a seat, listening. In Singapore, the reserved seats on buses and trains are a good place to start the conversation. If your child has no grandparents nearby, an elderly neighbour, an uncle at the masjid or the aunty at the stall works just as well.
What Allah says
[[CONTENT NEEDED: the ayah for this manner, chosen by the asatizah]]
Islam teaches us to respect our elders and to be gentle with them. Saying salam first and giving up a seat are small ways to show it.
A hadith is waiting for the asatizah to confirm the reference and grading before it is shown here.
Things to talk about
- How do you think the uncle felt when he could sit down?
- Atuk comes to visit. You are in the middle of a cartoon. What would you do?
- An elderly aunty at the market drops her oranges. What would you do?
- Nenek is telling a story you have heard before. What would you do?
- Why do you think being kind to elders matters so much?
Every family is different
Every family is different. Some children live with one parent, with grandparents, with a step-parent or with a guardian. Whoever cares for your child, the same love and good manners apply: change “Mama” and “Abah” in the stories to the people in your child's life.