The Obligation of Educating and Elevating Children Imposed on the Government and Parents in Light of the Teachings of Shia Jurisprudence

The objective of the present study is to examine the ruling regarding the obligation of upbringing from a jurisprudential perspective. The research method is document–analytical and qualitative, with data collection based on evidences derived from Kitāb, Sunnah, ijmāʿ, and ʿaql. The findings indicate that upbringing is a continuous and dynamic process aimed at the holistic development (physical, cognitive, psychological, affective, social, etc.) of the child, facilitating his/her attainment of existential perfections. In Islam, upbringing possesses an intrinsic normative essence and must be pursued as a means of drawing near to God; across all schools of thought, its implementation is regarded as an inescapable imperative. Jurists, based on ijtihadi evidences in various spheres of upbringing—particularly in religious and moral education—have ruled the obligation of upbringing. This duty has either been deemed an independent obligation or rendered obligatory as a prerequisite to another duty, with jurists considering it, at the very least, as a wājib kifāyah. Consequently, the upbringing of children—based on specific evidences—has been deemed obligatory for two groups: the family and the government. The family is incumbent not only with the duty of guardianship but also with engaging in all spheres of upbringing, especially in the religious and moral education of children. Likewise, the ruling authority is obligated to provide the societal framework for upbringing and, by employing educational institutions, to adequately promote religious and moral instruction among the populace. Moreover, as jurists have declared the undertaking of upbringing obligatory, its neglect by parents, legal guardians, educators, and those entrusted with educational institutions is considered haram. Undoubtedly, the realization of this imperative necessitates criminalization and the provision of enforceable guarantees by the legislator.