Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalam O Alaikum,

May Allah (SWT) reward you for the kind work you are doing.

I stay in India – Bangalore. I have a son of 5+ years of age. He is very fond of praying all 4 times Namaz (Salat – prayers), except Fazar – (morning). InshaAllah, very soon he’ll start morning also. He always goes to Mosque for prayers.

The problem is;

If I am at home he wants to join me during prayer and want to stand with me during (Jamat) prayer. But almost every person here will not allow children to be in SAFF (with elders) during prayer (Jamat). They send all the children in last row or outer side of mosque. If kids join together, then that seriousness will not be there. They start playing or fighting with each other. And my son wants to come to pray with me. In almost all the places this mentality exist. I want to know are they right by not allowing children of 5+ age with us during JAMAT prayers. I can understand infant kids will not be allowed. Is this behavior correct from QURAN or HADITH. What about during EID prayers, at this time every kid will be part during SAFF. What about one HADITH I had come across that states something like...once when our beloved prophet Mohammed (SWS) was in SAJDA position during prayer and his grandson sat on his back....

If I ask him to stand away / last row, as soon as I tie my hands for prayer, he comes next to me and stand with me. Even if he ties his hand for prayer, some elder person who comes later for prayer will pull the kids and take them in last row / outer mosque. This happens for certain grown up kids (10+) also if they are unlucky enough look young.

Please let me know in detail so that either I could correct or correct other with help of reference you provide to me. I insist on QURAN and Hadith reference.

Thanks in advance.

Jazakallhumma qair.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Children praying in congregation

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.116 (part)

Abdullah ibn Ghanam related that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (r.a.) gathered together the people of his tribe saying, " O Tribe of Ash'ari, gather together, and gather your women and children to teach them how the Messenger of Allah (saws) prayed with us in Madinah." They all gathered to watch him perform ablution. After it, he waited until the sun had just passed the meridian and there was some shade, and then he made the adhan. He put the men in the row closest to him, the children in a row behind the men, and the women in a row behind the children.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) in setting the rows for congregational prayers was that the men formed the rows immediately behind the imam leading the prayer; then the rows of children (below the age of puberty) were formed after the rows of men; and then the rows of women after the children.

Beloved brother, although prayer in congregation is not obligatory for children until they reach the age of puberty, it would be prudent for believing parents to encourage their children to attend the congregational prayers along with them, so that this blissful habit may be formed in their children from an early age.

Although the prayer of the adults is not invalidated simply because children are standing along with the adults in prayer, if one offers prayers in a mosque where there is an arrangement made for all the children to stand in a separate row behind the adult believers, or some amongst the adult believers are uncomfortable or cannot concentrate on their prayers with the children amongst them; one must talk to their children with love and tenderness, and explain to them that it would be best if they stood in the row of children behind the adult believers in the normal congregational prayers.

Your Question: What about during EID prayers, at this time every kid will be part during SAFF.

During the larger prayers like the Friday mid-day prayer, or the Eid prayers, or when one is fortunate enough to pray in the Sacred House in Makkah, or the Prophet’s (saws) mosque in Madinah, etc. when a large number of believers are gathered and one obviously fears for the safety of their children wandering away or getting lost, there is absolutely no harm in keeping one’s children close to them and their praying beside them in congregation.

Your Statement: What about one HADITH I had come across that states something like...once when our beloved prophet Mohammed (SWS) was in SAJDA position during prayer and his grandson sat on his back....

It is indeed reported in an authentic narration that once the Prophet (saws) was leading the prayer in congregation when his beloved grandson, Hadrat Hasan ibn Ali (r.a.) who was an infant came and climbed upon the Prophet’s (saws) back….and the Prophet (saws) lengthened his prostration and did not rise until the infant Hasan (r.a.) has satisfied himself with his blessed ‘ride’.

In conclusion, one offers prayers in a mosque where one feels that the other believers are uncomfortable or are unable to concentrate with children standing in their midst, or there is an arrangement made that all children form and stand in a row separate and behind the rows of the adult believers, then one must, with care, love, and tenderness educate their children to stand in those dedicated rows for children.

But if one offers prayers in a mosque where not a lot of children attend congregational prayers, and thus there is no arrangement made for children to stand in a separate row, and one does not fear that his brother will be uncomfortable with children praying in their midst, etc.; there is absolutely no harm in allowing their children to stand amongst them in prayer.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan