دَعِ ابْنَكَ يَلْعَبُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ وَ أَلْزِمْهُ نَفْسَكَ سَبْعاً فَإِنْ أَفْلَحَ وَ إِلَّا فَإِنَّهُ مِمَّنْ لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ.
“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Allow your child to play for seven years and keep him with yourself for another seven years (to practice and behave as you do) if he succeeds; otherwise, he is of the ones in whom there is nothing good.’”
أَمْهِلْ صَبِيَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ لَهُ سِتُّ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ ضُمَّهُ إِلَيْكَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ فَأَدِّبْهُ بِأَدَبِكَ فَإِنْ قَبِلَ وَ صَلَحَ وَ إِلَّا فَخَلِّ عَنْهُ.
‘You should give your child time until he is six years old, then keep him with yourself (to practice and behave as you do) for another seven years; teach him your disciplines and moral manners, to see if he accepts and is established in good manners; otherwise, leave him alone (there is not much in him to hope for).”’
الْغُلَامُ يَلْعَبُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ وَ يَتَعَلَّمُ الْكِتَابَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ وَ يَتَعَلَّمُ الْحَلَالَ وَ الْحَرَامَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A boy can play for seven years, learn how to read and write for another seven years and learn the lawful and unlawful matters in another seven years.’”
قَالَ[1] أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَلِّمُوا أَوْلَادَكُمُ السِّبَاحَةَ وَ الرِّمَايَةَ.
‘You should teach your children swimming and sharp shooting.’”
بَادِرُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِالْحَدِيثِ[2] قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْبِقَكُمْ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمُرْجِئَةُ[3].
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You should hasten (take the initiative) to teach Hadith to your children before al-Murji’ah (name of a sect) takes control over their mind and belief.’”
يُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَ الْغِلْمَانِ وَ النِّسَاءِ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ إِذَا بَلَغُوا عَشْرَ سِنِينَ.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When boys become ten years old, their bed must be separated from women.’”
إِنَّا نَأْمُرُ الصِّبْيَانَ أَنْ يَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ الْأُولَى وَ الْعَصْرِ وَ بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَ الْعِشَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ مَا دَامُوا عَلَى وُضُوءٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَشْتَغِلُوا.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘We instruct children to perform two Salat (prayer) together, one Salat (prayer) soon after the other, like al-Zuhr and al-‘Asr, al-Maghrib and al-‘Isha ’ as long as they have valid wudu before they get busy.’”
قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع أَدِّبِ الْيَتِيمَ بِمَا تُؤَدِّبُ مِنْهُ[4] وَلَدَكَ وَ اضْرِبْهُ مِمَّا تَضْرِبُ مِنْهُ وَلَدَكَ.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘You must discipline an orphan as you discipline your own child and deal with him as you would deal with your own child (in matters of discipline).’”