Neelofa prioritizes Islamic manners and values in child-rearing

Malaysian celebrity Neelofa prioritizes teaching her children positive, Islamic-based affirmations from the age of three. She decorated her eldest son Bilal's room with phrases such as 'I Love Allah' and 'Allah Loves Me' to establish a strong foundation of faith from an early age.

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I used to put positive phrases in Bilal's room like ‘I Love Allah’, ‘Allah Loves Me’ and many others. After they can understand and read, I added other phrases like ‘I Belong to Allah’, ‘I Love the Quran’ and ‘I Follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad SAW’.

As her children gain the ability to understand and read, Neelofa plans to introduce more complex affirmations like 'I Belong to Allah,' 'I Love the Quran,' and 'I Follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad SAW.' She believes these early affirmations will become deeply ingrained as they grow, shaping their mindset from childhood.

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Why did I do this when they were three to four years old? Because those are the phrases I want them to remember and always have in their minds from a young age.

Neelofa stated that building a strong foundation of faith (akidah) is more crucial at this stage than focusing on material aspirations like becoming wealthy. She hopes her children, Bilal and Abbas, will develop into individuals with good manners and noble character, reflecting the values instilled in their upbringing.

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So that when they grow up, those things become ingrained in them. From childhood, these positive words are always in their minds.

She noted that while aspects like academic performance or speech can be improved later, good manners are paramount. Neelofa desires her children to exhibit politeness in their speech, behavior, body language, and overall demeanor, aligning with her family's values.

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Instead of saying ‘I Want to Be Rich’, that can be considered later. We need to build the foundation first, which is faith.