Child and Adolescent Cultural-Social Research

Child and Childhood in the Quran: From Innocent Weakness to Imaginative Strength

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Narges sadat Sajjadieh

Associate Professor, Department of Philosophical-Social Foundations of Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Email: Sajjadieh@ut.ac.ir,

https://doi.org/10.22083/cssca.2026.564620.1096
Abstract
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.

Keywords

کودک و کودکی
قرآن
تربیت
دوران کودکی
Subjects
قرآن کریم.
نهچ البلاغه. 
ابن فارس، احمد (1979). معجم مقاییس اللغه. تهران: دارالفکر.
افروغ، عماد، خان محمدی، کریم، ربانی، محسن (1399). مفهوم فرهنگی اجتماعی کودکی از دیدگاه قرآن. فصلنامه اسلام و مطالعات اجتماعی، 8(2)، 125–154.         https://doi.org/10.22081/jiss.2020.58779.1696
آزادمنش، سعید، سجادیه، نرگس(1399). تبیین ماهیت دوران کودکی در هندسه نظریه اسلامی عمل. پژوهش‌نامه مبانی تعلیم و تربیت، 6(13)، 83–103.
باقری، خسرو(1389). نگاهی دوباره به تربیت اسلامی. تهران: انتشارات مدرسه.
باقری، خسرو(1399). عاملیت انسان: رویکردی دینی و فلسفی. تهران: انتشارات واکاوش.
جعفری، محمدتقی(1361). انسان در افق قرآن. تهران: مؤسسه بعثت.
حاتمی، زهرا(1395). تاریخ کودکی در ایران. تهران: نشر علم. 
راغب اصفهانی، ابوالقاسم الحسین بن محمد(1992). المفردات فی غریب القرآن. بیروت: دارالقلم.
راغب اصفهانی، ابوالقاسم الحسین بن محمد،  خسروی(1383). ترجمه و تحقیق مفردات الفاظ قرآن. تهران: المکتبۀ المرتضویه لإحیاء آثار الجعفریۀ.
سجادیه، نرگس سادات(1398). نگاهی به رویکرد تربیتی مونته‌سوری از منظر عاملیت انسان. دوفصلنامه فلسفه تربیت، 4(2)، 119–143.
سجادیه، نرگس سادات، صابر، زهرا(1399). تبیین و ارزیابی مبانی فلسفی نظریه تربیتی رجیوامیلیا. دوفصلنامه فلسفه تربیت: نگاهی از منظر رویکرد اسلامی عمل، 8(1)، 53–88.
صفری شالی، رضا، عباسی، مهدی(1403). بایسته‌های مطالعات کودکی به‌عنوان حوزه‌ای میان رشته‌ای: تعریف کودک. پژوهشنامه فرهنگی اجتماعی کودک و نوجوان، 2(1). 33-66.
https://doi.org/10.22083/cssca.2024.484953.1039. 
طباطبایی، سید محمدحسین(1360). تفسیر المیزان (ترجمه سید محمدباقر موسوی همدانی). قم: دفتر انتشارات اسلامی.
طبرسی، فضل بن حسن(1372). مجمع‌البیان فی تفسیر القرآن (چاپ سوم). تهران: انتشارات ناصرخسرو.
علیدوست، ابوالقاسم(1400). درس خارج اصول فقه، دوره دوم. جلسه بیست و هشتم. بازیابی‌شده از
http://a-alidoost.ir/persian/lessons/27151/
قرشی، سید علی‌اکبر(1371). قاموس قرآن. تهران: دارالکتب الاسلامیه.
کلینی، محمد بن یعقوب(1387). الکافی. قم: دارالحدیث.
کیانی، معصومه، صحراکاری، مسلم(1401). تبیین رویکرد معنوی والدورف به تربیت کودکان و نقد آن با تأکید بر آموزه‌های اسلامی. دوفصلنامه فلسفه تربیت، 7(2)، 55–83.
متقی هندی، حسام‌الدین(1989). کنز العمال فی سنن الأقوال و الأفعال. بیروت: مؤسسه الرساله.
محمدی ری‌شهری، محمد (1389). میزان الحکمه. قم: مؤسسه دارالحدیث.
مصطفوی، حسن (1368). التحقیق فی کلمات القرآن الکریم. تهران: انتشارات وزارت ارشاد.
مکارم شیرازی، ناصر و همکاران (1353). تفسیر نمونه. تهران: دارالکتب الاسلامیه.
تمیمی آمدی، عبدالواحد بن محمد (1366). تصنیف غررالحکم و دررالکلم. قم: بوستان کتاب.
The Holy Quran.
Nahj al-Balagha.
Afrough, E., Khanmohammadi, K., & Rabbani, M. (2020). The socio-cultural concept of childhood from the perspective of the Quran. Islam and Social Studies, 8(2), 125–154. https://doi.org/10.22081/jiss.2020.58779.1696. [In Persian]
Al-Kulayni, M. (2008). Al-Kafi. Qom: Dar al-Hadith. [In Arabic]
Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, H. (1989). Kanz al-Ummal fi Sunan al-Aqwal wa al-Af’al. Beirut: Mu’assasat al-Risalah. [In Arabic]
Al-Raghib al-Isfahani, A. (1992). Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran. Beirut: Dar al-Qalam. [In Arabic]
Al-Raghib al-Isfahani, A., & Khosravi (Trans.). (2004). Translation and research of Mufradat of Quranic words. Tehran: Al-Maktabah al-Murtazawiyyah. [In Persian]
Al-Tabarsi, F. (1993). Majma’ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran (3rd ed.). Tehran: Naser Khosrow Publications.
Alidoost, A. (2021). Advanced principles of Islamic jurisprudence (Kharij Usul al-Fiqh), Second course, Session 28. Retrieved from http://a-alidoost.ir/persian/lessons/27151/. [In Persian]
Azadmanesh, S. (2021). Childhood, evils, and fallible education. Philosophy of Education, 6(1), 87-103. [In Persian]
Azadmanesh, S., & Sajjadieh, N. (2016). Explaining the nature of childhood in the geometry of the Islamic theory of action. Foundations of Education, 6(13), 83–103. [In Persian]
Bagheri, K. (2010). A new look at Islamic education. Tehran: Madreseh Publications. [In Persian]
Bagheri, K. (2020). Human agency: A religious and philosophical approach. Tehran: Vakavosh Publications. [In Persian]
Bagheri, K., Sajjadieh, N., & Tavasoli, T. (2010). Research approaches and methods in the philosophy of education. Tehran: Institute for Cultural and Social Studies. [In Persian]
Dennis, J. P., & Vander Wal, J. S. (2010). The Cognitive Flexibility Inventory: Instrument development and estimates of reliability and validity. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 34(3), 241–253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-009-9276-4. 
Frank, S. M., Becker, M., Qi, A., Geiger, P., Frank, U. I., Rosedahl, L. A., Malloni, W. M., Sasaki, Y., Greenlee, M. W., & Watanabe, T. (2022). Efficient learning in children with rapid GABA boosting during and after training. Current Biology, 32(23), 5022-5030.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.021. 
Hatami, Z. (2016). History of childhood in Iran. Tehran: Elm Publishing. [In Persian]
Ibn Faris, A. (1979). Mu’jam Maqayis al-Lughah. Tehran: Dar al-Fikr. [In Arabi]
Jafari, M. T. (1982). Man in the horizon of the Quran. Tehran: Be’sat Foundation. [In Persian]
Khosronejad, M. (2005). The concept of childhood and the goal of children’s literature. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities of Shiraz University, 45, 154-168. [In Persian]
Kiani, M., & Sahrakari, M. (2022). Explaining the spiritual approach of Waldorf to early childhood education and its critique with emphasis on Islamic teachings. Philosophy of Education, 7(2), 55-83. [In Persian]
Makarem Shirazi, N., et al. (1974). Tafsir Nemouneh. Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah. [In Persian]
Mohammadi Reyshahri, M. (2010). Mizan al-Hikmah. Qom: Dar al-Hadith Institute. [In Persian]
Mustafawi, H. (1989). Al-Tahqiq fi Kalimat al-Quran al-Karim. Tehran: Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. [In Arabic]
Quraishi, S. A. A. (1992). Qamus-e Quran. Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah. (In Arabic)
Safari Shali, R., & Abbasi, M. (2024). Necessities of childhood studies as an interdisciplinary field: Defining the child. Journal of Social and Cultural Studies of Child and Adolescent, 2(1), 33-66. https://doi.org/10.22083/cssca.2024.484953.1039. [In Persian]
Sajjadieh, N. S. (2019). A look at the Montessori educational approach from the perspective of human agency. Philosophy of Education, 4(2), 119-143. [In Persian]
Sajjadieh, N. S., & Saber, Z. (2020). Explanation and evaluation of the philosophical foundations of Reggio Emilia educational theory: A look from the perspective of the Islamic approach to action. Philosophy of Education, 8(1), 53–88. [In Persian]
Tabatabai, S. M. H. (1981). Tafsir al-Mizan (S. M. B. Mousavi Hamedani, Trans.). Qom: Islamic Publications Office. [In Persian]

Home

Submit Manuscript

Contact Us