Advice from Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
“We need the Prophetic balance. We need to show our children mercy, compassion and affection. Many people are deficient in this regard. At the same time, we need to be firm and follow our guide, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. No-one can be compared to him in the mercy and affection he showed to children generally and to al-Hasan and al-Husayn specifically. However, when al-Hasan began eating a date that had been given in zakat (and thus was unlawful for the members of the Prophet’s family to eat), the Prophet forcibly removed it from his mouth. He did not say: “He is only a young child and it is only one date”. He showed compassion while at the same time being firm.