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:

I have a 2 yrs old daughter she used to cry when she was 1 during my prayer times , I let her cry and finish my prayers then attend to her.Once I went to mosque for Eid Prayers & my daughter did the same (cried) I did the same (finish my prayers first ) but after the prayer every lady in the mosque start saying to me that " you should`t had let your child cry like that , you should have pick her up & finished your paryers , adding it had been a fatwa from muftis & you must not knowing it." please clear my doubts , had it been a fatwa of this kind & what should mothers do if their little kids cried or come in front while parying ? 

(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:

Hold child while praying

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.

Abu Qatadah reports that the Prophet (saws) was offering his ‘fajr’ prayer and Umamah bint Zainab was on his neck [shoulder]. When he (saws) performed ruku', he (saws) put her down, and when he (saws) got up from his sajdah, he (saws) would place her back on his neck.

Related by Ahmad and Nasa'i.

Abdullah ibn Shidad relates that his father said: "The Messenger of Allah (saws) came to us either during the noon or afternoon prayers and he was carrying (his grandchild) Hassan (r.a.) or Hussain (r.a.). The Prophet proceeded to the front and put him down and made the takbir for the salah. During the salah, he (saws) made a long sajdah. I raised my head and saw the child on the back of the Messenger of Allah (saws) while he was in sajdah. I returned to my sajdah. When the Messenger of Allah (saws) finished the salah, the people said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah (saws), you prostrated during your salah so long that we suspected you were thinking about some matter or you were receiving some revelation.' He (saws) said: 'None of that happened but my (grand)son was resting and I hated to rush him until he had finished what he desired."'

Related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and al-Hakim.

In light of the above guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) there is absolutely no harm if a believer picks up or holds a child while performing their prayers.

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