🏹🎯 Teaching your Children Archery

 

Jom bawak anak2 memanah!

Although he only recently started, it’s interesting seeing how Muawiyah develops his archery skills over the weeks with Coach Fera.

It’s a great platform for children to learn focus, precision in technique, hand-eye coordination, and even emotional self-control. In recent classes, Coach also indirectly teaches Muawiyah on the discipline of patience and restraint: relax, and don’t force the bow. Forcing only distorts accuracy, and the key to landing good shots is to remain calm. 

Being five years old, his body size limits his draw length so he can’t shoot more than 8 metres for now; so now it’s about focusing on the foundations and basics of the techniques. Looking forward to see him grow in his over the years!

Learning Archery is highly encouraged in Islam. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once passed by some people of the tribe of Bani Aslam who were practicing archery. The Prophet ﷺ said, 

ارْمُوا بَنِي إِسْمَاعِيلَ، فَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ كَانَ رَامِيًا. ارْمُوا فَأَنَا مَعَكُمْ كُلِّكُمْ

"O Children of Ismail! Practice archery, as your father Ismail was a great archer.” He further added, “shoot, and I am with all of you!”

(Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet ﷺ said,

ارْمُوا وَارْكَبُوا وَلأَنْ تَرْمُوا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ تَرْكَبُوا كُلُّ مَا يَلْهُو بِهِ الرَّجُلُ الْمُسْلِمُ بَاطِلٌ إِلاَّ رَمْيَهُ بِقَوْسِهِ وَتَأْدِيبَهُ فَرَسَهُ وَمُلاَعَبَتَهُ أَهْلَهُ فَإِنَّهُنَّ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

Practice archery and practice riding. That you should practice archery is more beloved to me than that you should ride. 

All forms of entertainment that the Muslim man engages in are considered wasteful play, except for his shooting of his bow, his training of his horse, and him playing with his family, for they are from Truth.” (At-Tirmidzi #1637)

He ﷺ also said, 

الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ

“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer” (Muslim)

He emphaszied, repeating three times: 

أَلاَ إِنَّ الْقُوَّةَ الرَّمْىُ

“Verily! Strength is in archery!” (Muslim)