نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسنده English
Introduction: Any educational design, planning, or intervention fundamentally requires a precise understanding of the learner and must be grounded in sound anthropological foundations. This necessity becomes even more important during childhood. Historically, childhood was not recognized as an independent identity or a distinct developmental stage; rather, children were often regarded merely as miniature adults. The conceptualization of childhood as a unique period characterized by specific qualitative features and developmental needs is a relatively modern construct that emerged less than two centuries ago. At the same time, a deeply religious society such as Iran faces considerable ambiguity when engaging with modern approaches to early childhood education (e.g., Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf). This ambiguity stems from the fact that the relationship between the modern concept of childhood and the cultural-religious foundations of Islamic society—particularly the Quran—has not been adequately articulated. A review of the existing literature indicates that previous studies have either adopted an eclectic combination of Western and Islamic perspectives without a coherent philosophical foundation or, when examining the Quran, have focused primarily on the deficiencies and vulnerabilities of children while neglecting their capacities and potentials. Therefore, the central objective of this study is to clarify the concept of the child and childhood by developing a coherent philosophical-educational framework grounded in the Quran, the most authoritative text in Islam. This framework is intended to serve as a criterion for evaluating and contextualizing contemporary educational theories.
Methods: To develop a precise understanding of childhood in the Quran, this qualitative study employed linguistic and conceptual analysis. In linguistic analysis, concepts are examined within the specific semantic and textual context in which they occur. Accordingly, the study was conducted in two main stages. First, all Quranic terms referring to a child (including Tifl, Saghir, Sabi, Ghulam, and Bunayy) were extracted and analyzed. Second, the terms describing childhood as a biological and developmental stage (including concepts such as Da‘f [weakness], Quwwah [strength], and La‘ib [play]) were examined. To accurately identify the semantic components of childhood, the researcher drew upon etymological analysis, the examination of antonyms (such as Bulugh [maturity/puberty] and Hilm [forbearance and intellectual maturity]), authoritative Quranic exegesis (particularly Al-Mizan), and Islamic traditions (Hadith) in order to construct a comprehensive semantic network of the concept of childhood.
Findings: The findings indicate that a morphological and contextual analysis of Quranic vocabulary reveals profound dimensions of the child’s existence. The term Tifl denotes flexibility, softness (na‘im), innocence, and a state of weakness relative to the stage of maturity. The term Saghir implies smallness in both age and capability. The term Sabi highlights the presence of strong desires alongside an underdeveloped capacity for self-control and volition. Furthermore, Bunayy indicates the child’s exemption from responsibility and complete dependence on parents, who are viewed as the primary shapers of the child’s character.
In addition, the analysis of concepts associated with the childhood period demonstrates that the Quran characterizes this stage through three key features: weakness, strength, and play. While children exhibit weaknesses in cognitive, emotional, and volitional dimensions, they simultaneously possess remarkable strengths in mobility, curiosity, need-seeking, and learning. Play (La‘ib) is not portrayed in the Quran as a futile activity; rather, it is presented as a rule-governed activity driven by imaginative goals that serves as an important means of cultivating rationality and emotional balance in later life.
Synthesizing these findings, the Quranic concept of the child and childhood can be understood through six foundational components:
Flexibility and Changeability: A high capacity for learning, formation, and transformation (existential softness as opposed to rigidity).
Weakness: Evident in intellectual, cognitive, volitional, and emotional dimensions, thereby necessitating the attainment of maturity and reason.
Indeterminacy: The child does not possess a fixed and predetermined character (Shakilah) or an absolute destiny determined by prior actions.
Actual Innocence: A state of freedom from sin resulting from the absence of fully developed agency and volition, despite possessing the inherent potential for both good and evil.
Strength: Manifested in high levels of physical activity, curiosity, and rapid learning.
Imaginative Capacity: Expressed through a strong inclination toward play (La‘ib).
Conclusion: The most significant contribution of this study is its presentation of a layered, dynamic, and non-reductionist understanding of childhood. In contrast to one-dimensional perspectives that regard the child either as fundamentally deficient and weak or as inherently pure and idealized, the Quran presents childhood as a stage characterized by the simultaneous coexistence of weakness and strength. This dialectical perspective suggests that educational practices should be designed to support children’s vulnerabilities while actively cultivating and utilizing their strengths.
Furthermore, the meaningful status accorded to play and its connection with imagination elevates play from a mere recreational activity to an educational necessity, thereby underscoring the importance of storytelling, symbolic thinking, and metaphorical expression during childhood. Ultimately, this coherent conceptual framework, grounded in Islamic epistemology, provides researchers, educators, and policymakers with a robust analytical tool for critically evaluating, contextualizing, adapting, or critiquing contemporary Western psychological and educational theories.
کلیدواژهها English
