LECTURE AVAILABLE AT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtM9mbBYD_Y Discussion of Qur'an and hadith as well as research in child development and religion focusing on the book Born Believers: The Science of Children's Religious Belief by Justin Barrett. Video of lecture and Q&A to be uploaded soon! Presentation at Mahfil Ali by Amina Inloes

1. by Amina Inloesby Amina Inloes
Mahfil Ali, May 2015Mahfil Ali, May 2015
Can Children Believe?Can Children Believe?
In honour of the birthday of Imam ‘Ali (In honour of the birthday of Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬‫ع‬))

2. Imam ‘Ali (Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬‫ع‬)…exception or example?)…exception or example?

3. The first male, child convertThe first male, child convert
• Was Imam ‘Ali’s acceptance of Islam less important
because he was a child?
• Was Imam ‘Ali’s support and practice of Islam mere
imitation of his elders because he was a child?
• Is he (‫)ع‬ a rule or an exception because of his spiritual
position?
• In our religious heritage, have we traditionally
expected children to believe?
• What do we expect for children today?

4. Two approachesTwo approaches
Scriptural
(religious)
Scientific
(research-
based)

5. TheThe mithaqmithaq (covenant)(covenant)
• Two explanations:Two explanations:
– Human nature (rationalist)Human nature (rationalist)
– ‘‘Alam al-dharrAlam al-dharr (literalist)(literalist)
• Ramifications of thisRamifications of this
‫ى‬‫ل‬َ‫ب‬َ ‫لوا‬ُ‫قا‬َ ‫م‬ْ ‫ك‬ُ ‫ب‬ّ‫ر‬َ ‫ب‬ِ ‫ت‬ُ ‫س‬ْ ‫ل‬َ‫أ‬َ ‫م‬ْ ‫ه‬ِ ‫س‬ِ ‫ف‬ُ‫ن‬ْ‫أ‬َ ‫ى‬‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ ‫م‬ْ ‫ه‬ُ ‫د‬َ‫ه‬َ ‫ش‬ْ ‫أ‬َ‫و‬َ ‫م‬ْ ‫ه‬ُ ‫ت‬َ‫ي‬ّ‫ر‬ّ ‫ذ‬ُ ‫م‬ْ ‫ه‬ِ ‫ر‬ِ ‫هو‬ُ ‫ظ‬ُ ‫ن‬ْ ‫م‬ِ ‫م‬َ‫د‬َ‫آ‬ ‫ني‬ِ‫ب‬َ ‫ن‬ْ ‫م‬ِ ‫ك‬َ ‫ب‬ّ‫ر‬َ ‫ذ‬َ‫خ‬َ ‫أ‬َ ‫ذ‬ْ ‫إ‬ِ‫و‬َۛ ٰ ۖ ٰ
‫ن‬َ ‫لي‬ِ‫ف‬ِ‫غا‬َ ‫ذا‬َ‫ه‬َ ‫ن‬ْ ‫ع‬َ ‫نا‬ّ‫ك‬ُ ‫نا‬ّ‫إ‬ِ ‫ة‬ِ ‫م‬َ ‫يا‬َ‫ق‬ِ‫ل‬ْ‫ا‬ ‫م‬َ‫و‬ْ ‫ي‬َ ‫لوا‬ُ‫قو‬ُ‫ت‬َ ‫ن‬ْ ‫أ‬َ‫نا‬َ‫د‬ْ ‫ه‬ِ ‫ش‬َٰ ۛ*‫نا‬ّ‫ك‬ُ ‫و‬َ ‫ل‬ُ ‫ب‬ْ‫ق‬َ ‫ن‬ْ ‫م‬ِ ‫نا‬َ‫ؤ‬ُ ‫با‬َ‫آ‬ ‫ك‬َ ‫ر‬َ ‫ش‬ْ ‫أ‬َ ‫ما‬َ ‫ن‬ّ‫إ‬ِ ‫لوا‬ُ‫قو‬ُ‫ت‬َ ‫و‬ْ ‫أ‬َ
‫ن‬َ ‫لو‬ُ‫ط‬ِ ‫ب‬ْ‫م‬ُ ‫ل‬ْ‫ا‬ ‫ل‬َ ‫ع‬َ ‫ف‬َ ‫ما‬َ ‫ب‬ِ ‫نا‬َ‫ك‬ُ ‫ل‬ِ‫ه‬ْ ‫ت‬ُ‫ف‬َ‫أ‬َ ‫م‬ْ ‫ه‬ِ ‫د‬ِ‫ع‬ْ ‫ب‬َ ‫ن‬ْ ‫م‬ِ ‫ة‬ً ‫ي‬ّ‫ر‬ّ ‫ذ‬ُۖ
When your Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam – from their loins – their
descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves “am I not your Lord?”,
they said “Yes! We do testify!” – lest you should say on the Day of Judgment “we
were not mindful of this.” Or lest you should say “our fathers before us took false
gods, and we are their descendants; will You destroy us because of what they did
in falsehood” (Qur’an, 7:172-3)

6. Theology or tribalism?Theology or tribalism?

7. TheThe fitrahfitrah
• The famous hadith – “No baby is born but upon fitrah. It is
its parents who make him/her a Jew, a Christian, or a
polytheist.” - Prophet (S)
• A proof of Allah – “Every newborn is born upon the fitrah
of Allah, meaning with inner knowledge that affirms that
Allah is his Creator and this is the meaning of His words, “If
you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’
they will surely say, ‘Allah’.”–Prophet (S)
‫ن‬ُ ‫دي‬ّ‫ال‬ ‫ك‬َ ‫ل‬ِ‫ذ‬َ ‫ل‬ِّ ‫ا‬ ‫ق‬ِ ‫ل‬ْ‫خ‬َ ‫ل‬ِ ‫ل‬َ ‫دي‬ِ‫ب‬ْ‫ت‬َ ‫ل‬َ ‫ها‬َ ‫ي‬ْ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ ‫س‬َ ‫نا‬ّ‫ال‬ ‫ر‬َ ‫ط‬َ ‫ف‬َ ‫تي‬ِ‫ل‬ّ‫ا‬ ‫ل‬ِّ ‫ا‬ ‫ت‬َ ‫ر‬َ ‫ط‬ْ ‫ف‬ِ ‫فا‬ً‫ني‬ِ‫ح‬َ ‫ن‬ِ ‫دي‬ّ‫لل‬ِ ‫ك‬َ ‫ه‬َ ‫ج‬ْ ‫و‬َ ‫م‬ْ ‫ق‬ِ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬َٰ ۚ ۚ ۚ
‫ن‬َ ‫مو‬ُ ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ْ ‫ي‬َ ‫ل‬َ ‫س‬ِ ‫نا‬ّ‫ال‬ ‫ر‬َ ‫ث‬َ‫ك‬ْ ‫أ‬َ ‫ن‬ّ ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬ َ ‫و‬َ ‫م‬ُ‫ي‬ّ‫ق‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ا‬ٰ
So set your face to the monotheistic faith: Allah’s fitrah on which He has made
humankind. Let there be no change in the creation of Allah. That is the upright
religion, but most people do not understand. (Qur’an, 30:30)

8. A Christian viewA Christian view

9. Born believers?Born believers?
• Research into how children’s brains
are hard-wired for religious belief (of
different kinds)
• Explores developmental process of
religion
• Cross-cultural studies
• Good referencing of previous studies
in the field
• Challenges some secular ideas by
early 20th
century psychologists
• Challenges the idea that religious
belief in children is just indoctrination
• Offers suggestions on how and why
to teach children about religion
when they are young
• Online lectures available

10. Another way to put it…Another way to put it…

11. How are children cognitively primed toHow are children cognitively primed to
understand the divine or supernatural?understand the divine or supernatural?
• The “God-shaped hole”
• “Teleological promiscuity”
• Invisible agents
• Causality and creation
• Immortality
• Omniscience
• Moral code is not relative and cannot
be changed; human rules can be
changed

12. The “God-shaped hole”The “God-shaped hole”
• Children have a natural capacity to learn certain
things, including the supernatural
• Will create imaginary beings
• Will attempt to find ways to fill it if the cultural
environment does not provide them
• Cross-culturally, children seem to be inclined to
belief in a God, as well as supernatural beings
(other than God) and can distinguish between
them

13. ““Teleological promiscuity”Teleological promiscuity”
This is what it
is here for.
This is what it
can do.
vs.
New noun. The tendency to see meaning in things (animals, plants,
rocks, events) even where adults would not approve

14. Unlearning meaning in the universeUnlearning meaning in the universe

15. Agents, causality, and creationAgents, causality, and creation
• Infants recognize non-human agents and causality
• Below the age of 10, children from non-theistic
parents in schools which teach evolution will
favour an explanation of the universe that says it
was created by God
• Atheism is difficult to teach children
• Young children feel that people create artefacts
(human-made objects) and supernatural beings
create natural things Is God just a
big person?

16. Immortality and omniscienceImmortality and omniscience

17. ConclusionsConclusions
• Faith in the capacity of
young people to understand
God and the unseen beyond
mere indoctrination
• Prime age for religious
development?
• Imam ‘Ali (A) – an exception
or an example?

18. A most honoured place in history
The bane of lies, and tyranny
The mushrik’s worst catastrophe
The guardian of prophesy
The guardian of prophecy
Began his life auspiciously
Born to a holy legacy
The orphaned seal of prophecy
Was raised by ‘Ali’s family
And the Prophet raised the great ‘Ali
To be the guard of prophecy
A child of ten on the Prophet’s knee
What the Prophet saw he (too) could see,
But with pure faith and certainty
He Witnessed the reality
That Ahmad received prophecy
The first man to witness openly
The hero of the Wells, ‘Ali
The hero at Uhud, ‘Ali
The hero at the Ditch, ‘Ali
The hero at Hunain, ‘Ali
Wisdom, valour, chivalry
Today recall to memory
The help God gave to prophecy
By causing this great man to be
Praise God in all sincerity.
‘Ali ‘Ali ‘Ali ‘Ali!
O Allah Bless Muhammad's Soul
And Rain Down Peace On His
Household
- Br. ‘Ali, San Diego, USA