FROM WHAT AGE ONE SHOULD TEACH CHILDREN TO PRAY?
Our children are creatures whose upbringing Almighty Allah has entrusted to us. The main task of parents is to teach children what the Almighty has commanded each one of His slaves to fulfill.
To begin this important training, no doubt, one should start with namaz - prayer, because in a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) it is said, “Teach a child to pray, beginning at the age of seven, and punish him for refusing to do so from the age of ten.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi).
Concerning the instruction of children to pray in “I’anat at-Talibin”, the following is written: “Parents are obliged to command their children, regardless of their sex - male or female - after reaching seven years of age, from the moment they became mumayyiz (i.e. the age at which a child can discern between right and wrong, distinguish between a man and a woman and what to eat and drink), so that they pray with all the required conditions, be it a mandatory timely or missed prayer.
If there are no parents, the responsibility rests with grandfather and grandmother on behalf of the father or mother and on those next of kin available. And if there is neither one nor the other, the responsibility to command the performing of namaz passes to the guardian of the child.
If necessary, they should command children to perform prayer and even warn them that they will be punished if they neglect to do so.”
When a child reaches the age of ten, the above mentioned guardians of the child should punish him/her without causing them pain for any negligent attitude to the obligatory or missed prayer or its conditions.
The reason for this is the authentic hadith of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him): “You command the children to perform namaz when they are seven years old, and after reaching ten [for negligence], punish them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).
And the wisdom of this attitude is to educate and strengthen in children diligence in worship that will not allow them to forget the skills of worship.
Providing children with an Islamic education and raising them as good practicing Muslims are essential duties of parenthood. Rightfully fulfilling these duties will lead to the pleasure of God and good for the parents and the child in this life and the Hereafter. However, ignoring these duties will lead to the destruction of the child’s Hereafter and the wrath of Allah will befall the parents for not protecting their child from the traps of Satan and allowing him to choose the path of destruction.
Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock, a man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock; a woman is the shepherd in the house of her husband and is responsible for her flock, the servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for it. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
