Is it permissible to reward children for maintaining the Fajr prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it permissible for us to give prizes to the young ones who maintain the Fajr prayer? We give them prizes for this, knowing that these prizes are sponsored by a commercial institution. Every young man in our mosque who is under the age of twelve has a sheet on which his attendance for the Fajr prayer is recorded, and this sheet bears the logo of the institution that gives them the prizes. Is this action permissible?
Answer:
The default is that this is permissible because it is encouragement toward good, but the young people should not become accustomed to this. Rather, it is obligatory for their guardian to compel them to pray. The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) So the one in authority should not leave them, and one person comes and gives them prizes so they pray; this is negligence regarding this command that came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for the guardians of the young ones. It is obligatory that their guardian carries out this matter. As for what the people of good have offered to encourage them, that is a praiseworthy thing.
But their guardian should not leave them; rather, he should oversee them, order them to pray, and compel them to do so. Yes.
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it permissible for us to give prizes to the young ones who maintain the Fajr prayer? We give them prizes for this, knowing that these prizes are sponsored by a commercial institution. Every young man in our mosque who is under the age of twelve has a sheet on which his attendance for the Fajr prayer is recorded, and this sheet bears the logo of the institution that gives them the prizes. Is this action permissible?
Answer:
The default is that this is permissible because it is encouragement toward good, but the young people should not become accustomed to this. Rather, it is obligatory for their guardian to compel them to pray. The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
Order your children to pray at seven years of age, and compel them to do so at ten, and separate them in their beds.
مروا أولادكم بالصلاة لسبع ويبوهم عليها لعشر وفرقوا بينهم في المضاجعBut their guardian should not leave them; rather, he should oversee them, order them to pray, and compel them to do so. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل يجوز مكافأة الصغار على محافظتهم على صلاة الفجر؟ للشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.