Children are a gift from Allah, and hence parents must do their utmost to raise them upon Islamic teachings and manners. It is the right of children upon their parents that they raise them Islamically by guiding them to the right path and protecting them from all forms of evils. The parents should strive to protect their children and help them lead an Islamic life.
Almighty Allah says, (O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.) (At-Tahrim: 6)
Hence, it is the duty of parents to show their children what is right and what is wrong and explain for them the lawful uses of the new means of information revolution.
The prominent Muslim scholar, Sheikh `Abdul-MajeedSubh, states: We must instil in our children some kind of conscious immunity against the negative effects of the media rather than exclusively prohibiting it. In other words, children will have the ability to consciously discern the right from the wrong from within themselves and subsequently not fall into what is forbidden. This is opposed to external forces (like constant parental censorship) that induce children to avoid the forbidden but in an involuntary manner. The former helps our children recognize what is haram (unlawful) and enables them to willingly abstain from the negative messages the media carry.
As for exclusive prohibition, it is impossible to fulfil this in the atmosphere we live in. No one can stop the child or adult who lacks this conscious and voluntary sense of right and wrong from accessing the media, as it is always open and available worldwide. Prohibiting or preventing our children from accessing the media can induce an element of curiosity and inclination towards it.
Let’s consider the following event. Once a man came to Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked about the test of temptation by women. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “(When you see a non-mahram woman) Direct your gaze towards another side.” This order of Prophet Muhammad has two important requirements:
(a) Preference of mixing with people.
(b) The inner conscious immunity is what causes one to redirect his gaze.
In addition, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) educated his honourable Companions on the principle of Ihsan (Perfection) in worship. He said: “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you.” (Reported by al-Bukhari)