Raising Children: Perspectives from Muslim Parents

Join scholar Shaykh Burhaan Khandia and author Suma Din for an insightful discussion on the complex roles Muslim parents play today.

Using his experience as a parent and educator, Shaykh Burhaan will discuss the traditional understanding of the role of the father in Islam as well as how to navigate the challenges some fathers face in today’s climate, such as single parenthood. Suma Din will provide a window into contemporary Muslim motherhood using her book Dear Mother – Letters from the Heart, a compendium of fictional that voices the lived realities of Muslim mothers.

Through the perspective of a mother and a father, this session will explore how parents can best nurture the next generation of Muslim children as well as protect their own spiritual, mental and physical wellbeing.

Suma Din is an author, educator and researcher with a focus on motherhood and the family. Her publications for adults explore Muslim women & spirituality and her children’s non-fiction books cover the subjects of faith, global citizenship and environmental responsibility. Dear Mother is her second book on motherhood after Muslim mothers and their Children’s Schooling. Suma lives in Buckinghamshire, UK, with her family.

Burhaan Khandia is the son of Qari Ismail Khandia who is one of the leading teachers of Qur’an in the city of Derby. Qari Ismail is renowned for his service to the community since the 1970s. He was charged with Burhaan Khandia’s education in religious affairs including Islamic jurisprudence, theology, Quranic exegesis and Prophetic narrations from an early age by virtue of being his father.

Burhaan started his journey of learning Arabic and Islam after completing his A-Levels. He travelled to India and The Yemen as well as within the UK to study at the feet of some of the leading scholars and spiritual masters of the Islamic tradition. Since returning from his studies he has been involved in teaching Arabic and Islamic studies as well as engaging with government agencies such as the NHS and the police. He has travelled extensively abroad and regularly travels across the UK to deliver courses, lectures and workshops on Islam. He currently works for Zaytouna Primary School in Derby and The Greensville Trust in Bradford.