Children’s rights and education: An Islamic perspective

This study aims to provide an academic foundation for discussing the issue of children’s rights from an Islamic perspective. Within this framework, it seeks to demonstrate, through reference to the primary sources of Islam, how a conceptual framework for children’s rights has been established within the Islamic tradition. In addition, the study highlights the basic differences between the children’s rights in Islam and The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Particular emphasis is placed on several distinguishing features: the recognition of children’s rights beginning before birth; the balancing of rights with responsibilities; the prioritization of the child’s spiritual development as a fundamental right; the inclusion of the right to privacy; and the acknowledgment of preserving the child’s innate disposition (fitrah) as a right in itself. In the context of education, several other distinctive characteristics emerge. Foremost among these is the treatment of the pursuit of knowledge as both a right and a responsibility. Furthermore, this framework safeguards complementarity (takāmul) through the right to education, while grounding educational practices in justice rather than gender-based distinctions. Methodologically, this study employs a literature review and document analysis, drawing upon the Quran and Hadith to conduct a comparative analysis with the UNCRC.