How to Command a Child to Pray

Question:
This questioner also says, my brother Abu 'Abd al-Malik, O Shaykh, regarding the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "Command your children to pray when they are seven years old," what is the manner of commanding a child to pray? Is it obligatory for the guardian to stand over him until he prays with the Muslim congregation if he is a boy? Or is it sufficient to command him to pray and thereby clear one's conscience?

Answer:
Yes, he commands him to pray by informing him of the entry of the time and the presence of the prayer, and he commands him to perform wudu' (ablution), attain ritual purity, and prepare for the prayer. Then he takes him to the mosque and he prays with the congregation. This is for the child who has reached the age of discernment, so that he becomes accustomed to prayer and accustomed to congregational prayer. It is a voluntary prayer in his case, through which he is raised until he becomes familiar with it and it is imprinted in his heart. When he grows up, he will preserve it because he became accustomed to it beforehand. This is the meaning of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him), "Command your children to pray." It is not sufficient that he commands him and leaves him alone; rather, he must stand over him until he performs wudu' and prepares, and he takes him with him to the mosque. Because this is upbringing; this is the correct upbringing that benefits the child. It is not the upbringing where you satisfy him with food or clothing, dress him in luxurious clothes, or buy him a car or the like. This is an upbringing that may harm him. But the correct upbringing that benefits him is the upbringing of hearts and the upbringing in religion. And the greatest pillar of religion after the two testimonies is prayer. This indicates the importance of prayer and raising the young generation upon it from a young age. Yes.