Amana Parenting is a values-led parenting approach and educational framework grounded in the Islamic understanding that children are an amanah — a sacred trust entrusted to parents. It integrates timeless spiritual principles with contemporary insights from child development, psychology, and education to support the holistic upbringing of children.
Amana Parenting moves beyond outcome-driven or authority-based models of parenting, focusing instead on nurturing emotionally secure, morally responsible, and spiritually aware individuals through compassion, guidance, and conscious parenting practices.
Amana Parenting emerged in response to the growing challenges faced by families in an increasingly complex social, emotional, and digital world. Recognising the need for a parenting framework that harmonises Islamic values with modern developmental understanding, Amana Parenting was shaped through decades of educational practice, community engagement, and scholarly reflection.
Its foundations draw upon prophetic models of parenting, ethical responsibility in family life, and evidence-based approaches to child development, offering parents guidance that is both principled and practical.
Central to Amana Parenting is the Islamic concept of amanah, which frames parenting as a moral and spiritual responsibility rather than a position of ownership or control. Children are viewed as individuals entrusted to parents, each with inherent dignity, rights, and unique potential.
This perspective encourages parents to lead with mercy, fairness, and accountability, ensuring the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual wellbeing of their children.
The vision of Amana Parenting is to cultivate families and communities where children grow up feeling emotionally safe, valued, and guided by strong ethical and spiritual foundations. Success is measured not solely by academic or behavioural outcomes, but by the development of character, faith, emotional intelligence, and social responsibility.
Amana Parenting places the parent–child relationship at the heart of effective upbringing. Emotional connection, trust, and mutual respect are prioritised as the foundation upon which guidance and discipline are built.
Discipline within Amana Parenting is intentional and educative rather than punitive. Parents are encouraged to set clear boundaries while guiding children through understanding, reflection, and age-appropriate consequences that promote self-regulation and accountability.
Recognising that children’s needs evolve over time, Amana Parenting emphasises developmentally appropriate expectations and responses. Parenting practices are adapted to the cognitive, emotional, and social capacities of each stage of childhood and adolescence.
Spirituality is integrated into daily family life with gentleness and meaning. Children are guided to know Allah through love, reflection, and positive example, fostering faith that is rooted in understanding rather than fear or coercion.
Amana Parenting combines reflective practice, practical guidance, and ethical teaching to support parents in everyday challenges. The approach recognises that effective parenting begins with parental self-awareness, emotional regulation, and continuous personal growth.
Parents are encouraged to engage in ongoing learning, reflection, and community dialogue, recognising parenting as a dynamic and evolving responsibility.
The development and enrichment of Amana Parenting are strongly informed by the work and legacy of Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari MBE, an educationalist, author, parenting consultant, and respected community leader who has served Britain’s diverse communities for over three decades.
Dr Bari has held numerous leadership and advisory roles, including serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre since 2002, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain from 2006 to 2010, and a founding member of The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO).
With academic training in physics, education, and management, and professional experience as a Special Educational Needs and Behaviour Support specialist, Dr Bari’s work bridges theory and practice in family life and child development. His publications, including Marriage and Family Building in Islam, A Guide to Parenting, and Race, Religion and Muslim Identity in Britain, reflect the same ethical and relational values that underpin Amana Parenting.
Amana Parenting is more than a parenting methodology; it is a conscious and values-driven approach to family life. By honouring children as an amanah, parents are guided to raise emotionally secure, morally upright, and spiritually connected individuals who are prepared to contribute positively to their families, communities, and wider society.
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