by Amina Inloesby Amina Inloes

Mahfil Ali, May 2015Mahfil Ali, May 2015

Can Children Can Children Believe?Believe?In honour of the birthday of Imam In honour of the birthday of Imam

‘Ali (‘Ali (عع))

Imam ‘Ali (Imam ‘Ali (عع)…exception or )…exception or example?example?

The first male, child The first male, child convertconvert

• Was Imam ‘Ali’s acceptance of Islam less important because he was a child?

• Was Imam ‘Ali’s support and practice of Islam mere imitation of his elders because he was a child?

• Is he (ع) a rule or an exception because of his spiritual position?

• In our religious heritage, have we traditionally expected children to believe?

• What do we expect for children today?

Two approachesTwo approaches

Scriptural (religious)

Scientific (research-based)

The The mithaq mithaq (covenant)(covenant)

• Two explanations:Two explanations:– Human nature (rationalist)Human nature (rationalist)– ‘‘Alam al-dharr Alam al-dharr (literalist)(literalist)

• Ramifications of thisRamifications of this

ل�وا ل�و ت� ن� تا � ت�ا ن� ه� ت� � ى� ت� ت� ل�وا ت�ا � ن� ل� ب� �ت ه� �ل �ن ت� تا ن� ه� �ه ل� ن� تا ى� ت� ت ن� ل! ت� ت� ن� تا ت" ن� ل� ت# $% ت ب& ل' ن� ه! ه& ل�و ل) ن( ه* ت+ ت, آا ه/ي ت� ن( ه* ت0 ل%� ت& ت1 ت2 تا ن' ه3ا ت"ت( ه�ي ه5 ت6ا ت1ا ىت! ن( ت %/ا ت ل7 ت%�ا ه3ا ه8 ت* تيا ه� ن� ا ت+ نو ت9 * ت$ ت: ت5 ت;ا ه� ت/ا ل� ه� ن� ل# ت5 تا � ن� ه! ه� ن: ت� ن( ه* ة8 $% ت ب& ل' %/ا ت ل7 ت" ل9 ن= ت� ن( ه* ت�ا ل< ت�ا آا ت? �ت ن� تا ت;ا �% ت ه3ا ل�وا ل�و ت� ن" تا

ت� ل�و ه@ ن= ل; ن� ا

When your Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves “am I not your Lord?”, they said “Yes! We do testify!” – lest you should say on the Day of Judgment “we were not mindful of this.” Or lest you should say “our fathers before us took false gods, and we are their descendants; will You destroy us because of what they did in falsehood” (Qur’an, 7:172-3)

Theology or tribalism?Theology or tribalism?

The The fitrahfitrah

• The famous hadith – “No baby is born but upon fitrah. It is its parents who make him/her a Jew, a Christian, or a polytheist.” - Prophet (S)

• A proof of Allah – “Every newborn is born upon the fitrah of Allah, meaning with inner knowledge that affirms that Allah is his Creator and this is the meaning of His words, “If you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they will surely say, ‘Allah’.”–Prophet (S)

�ت Aت ن7 تا ت%( ه� ىت� ت" ل� بي ت� ن� ا ل( ب�$ ا� ت0 ه� ىت' � Cه �% ت ا� Dه ن� Eت ه� ت9 ه�$ ن= ت� تGا � ت�ا ني ت� ت Hت ت%/ا ا� �ت ت@ ت5 ه#ي �% ت ا Cه �% ت ا� Iت �ت ن@ ه5 � ة�ا ه/ي Jت ه( ب�$ ه�� ت0 ت� Kن ت" ن� ه� تا ت5  ت� ل;و ت� ن: ت$ تGا Hه ت%/ا ا�

So set your face to the monotheistic faith: Allah’s fitrah on which He has made humankind. Let there be no change in the creation of Allah. That is the upright religion, but most people do not understand. (Qur’an, 30:30)

A Christian viewA Christian view

Born believers?Born believers?

• Research into how children’s brains are hard-wired for religious belief (of different kinds)

• Explores developmental process of religion

• Cross-cultural studies• Good referencing of previous

studies in the field• Challenges some secular ideas

by early 20th century psychologists

• Challenges the idea that religious belief in children is just indoctrination

• Offers suggestions on how and why to teach children about religion when they are young

• Online lectures available

Another way to put it…Another way to put it…

How are children cognitively How are children cognitively primed to understand the primed to understand the divine or supernatural?divine or supernatural?

• The “God-shaped hole”• “Teleological promiscuity”• Invisible agents• Causality and creation• Immortality• Omniscience• Moral code is not relative and cannot

be changed; human rules can be changed

The “God-shaped The “God-shaped hole”hole”

• Children have a natural capacity to learn certain things, including the supernatural

• Will create imaginary beings • Will attempt to find ways to fill it if the cultural

environment does not provide them• Cross-culturally, children seem to be inclined to

belief in a God, as well as supernatural beings (other than God) and can distinguish between them

““Teleological Teleological promiscuity”promiscuity”

This is what it is here for.

This is what it can do.

vs.

New noun. The tendency to see meaning in things (animals, plants, rocks, events) even where adults would not approve

Unlearning meaning in the Unlearning meaning in the universeuniverse

Agents, causality, and Agents, causality, and creationcreation

• Infants recognize non-human agents and causality

• Below the age of 10, children from non-theistic parents in schools which teach evolution will favour an explanation of the universe that says it was created by God

• Atheism is difficult to teach children• Young children feel that people create

artefacts (human-made objects) and supernatural beings create natural things

Is God just a big

person?

Immortality and Immortality and omniscienceomniscience

ConclusionsConclusions

• Faith in the capacity of young people to understand God and the unseen beyond mere indoctrination

• Prime age for religious development?

• Imam ‘Ali (A) – an exception or an example?

A most honoured place in history The bane of lies, and tyranny The mushrik’s worst catastrophe The guardian of prophesy 

The guardian of prophecy Began his life auspiciously Born to a holy legacy The orphaned seal of prophecy Was raised by ‘Ali’s family And the Prophet raised the great ‘Ali To be the guard of prophecy 

A child of ten on the Prophet’s knee What the Prophet saw he (too) could see, But with pure faith and certainty He Witnessed the reality That Ahmad received prophecy The first man to witness openly 

The hero of the Wells, ‘Ali The hero at Uhud, ‘Ali The hero at the Ditch, ‘Ali The hero at Hunain, ‘Ali Wisdom, valour, chivalry 

Today recall to memory The help God gave to prophecy By causing this great man to be Praise God in all sincerity. 

‘Ali ‘Ali ‘Ali ‘Ali!

O Allah Bless Muhammad's Soul And Rain Down Peace On His Household 

- Br. ‘Ali, San Diego, USA