The Stages of Life | Awaking from The Sleep of Heedlessness

You should know, May Allah grant you succes, that the stages of life are five:

• The first stage: Starts from birth until puberty and that is fifteen years. 
• The second stage: Starts from puberty until the end of youth, which is until one reaches thirty five years of age. This is deemed as the stagee of youthfulness.
• The third stage: Starts from thirty five years of age until fifty years of age, and that is the stage of maturity.
• The fourth: Stage starts from fifty years of age until seventy years of age, and that is the stage of old age.
• The fifth stage: Starts from seventy years of age until death, and that is the stage of decrepitude.

The start and end of these stages may fluctuate from person to person. Nonetheless their stages are five.

The First Stage

You should know that this stage is mainly concerning the parents, for [they spend it] disciplining, teaching, and leading their child to what benefits him. That said, parents should never slacken in disciplining and teaching their child, because "The effect of learning in early age is like engraving on a stone." (see footnote in book)

Ali ibn Abi Talib, May Allah be pleased with him, said - regarding this ayah:

"protect yourselves and your families from a fire" {Tahrim 66:6}

Teach them and discipline them." (see footnote in book) Thus the parents shouldteach the child about religious purity and how to pray, and they should lightly discipline the child for not praying after they reach nine years of age. (Authentic Hadith reported by Ahmad, al-tirmidhi, al-Tabarani, and al-Albani reported it sahih)

In addition they should encourage children to memorise the Qur'an and make them listen to the hadiths [of the Prophet (pbuh)}, and they should teach them - whatever they can handle from knowledge.

Moreover they should show them the ugliness of all that is ugly, and encourage them to acquire good morals and they should not slacken in teaching them as much as they can bear, for this is the stage of plantation.