Parenting Perspective 

Part of Allah’s Divine Plan 

Linking gender identity with Tawheed (the oneness of Allah) and Islamic values involves teaching your child that their gender, like every other aspect of their existence, is a part of Allah’s divine plan. You can start by explaining that Allah created them with wisdom and that every aspect of their being is part of His perfect design. You might say, ‘Allah created you as a boy/girl because that is what is best for you in His wisdom. Our gender is a sign of Allah’s creation, just like the sky, the earth, and everything around us.’ 

Equal Worth in the Eyes of Allah 

It is important to reinforce that Tawheed applies to all aspects of life, including how we view and express our gender. Teach your child that both boys and girls are equal in the eyes of Allah in terms of their spiritual worth and their potential to do good. ‘In Islam, it does not matter if you are a boy or a girl. What matters is your relationship with Allah, your actions, and how you strive to live a life of righteousness.’ 

Use Powerful Role Models 

Finally, you can use stories from the lives of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, both men and women, to show how they all contributed to the mission of Islam. This reinforces that both genders play vital roles in fulfilling the worship of Allah and in serving others. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, gender identity, like all other aspects of life, is part of Allah’s divine plan, and our actions in this life are meant to reflect our devotion to Him. Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Aa’raaf (7), Verse 172: 

‘And remember (O Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) when your Sustainer collected all the souls from the children of Adam, from all the generations of his descendants, and made them all witnesses upon themselves (and Allah Almighty said unto them): ‘Am I not your Lord’, they all replied: ‘Yes and we bear witness’…’ 

This verse shows that our essence and identity were determined by Allah, and that we are meant to live according to His plan. 

The holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also taught that a person’s gender does not determine their worth before Allah. It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 3587, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated: 

‘The best of you are those who are the best to their families.’ 

This Hadith shows that both men and women have an equal responsibility to act with kindness and justice, demonstrating that spiritual and moral excellence is not limited by gender but by one’s actions and piety.