The Ruling on a Son Who Does Not Pray
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Your Eminence the Shaykh! The questioner says: I have a son who does not pray. I have ordered him to pray repeatedly and advised him often, but to no avail. I am distressed by his situation because he is not in the state of a Muslim. If I expel him from the house, I find people who say, "We are with you in the truth; we will comfort you. May Allah not place you in a house of humiliation and degradation." But if I keep him, I have sheltered one who has defied Allah and His Messenger. My question is: What should I do with him, Your Eminence the Shaykh? May Allah prolong your life in obedience to Him and benefit Islam and the Muslims through you.
Answer:
It is obligatory for you, my brother, to advise him, discipline him, enjoin good upon him, and strike him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Order your children to pray when they are seven years old, and strike them [for it] when they are ten." This means the strongest form of striking. If the matter has reached its peak, it is obligatory for you to advise him and to exert yourselves—yourself, his mother, his brothers, his paternal uncles, his maternal uncles, and his neighbors. It is obligatory for all of you to cooperate in this matter: advising him, increasing your efforts with him, and striking him. You may strike him even if he is an adult; you may strike him. If all of this does not benefit, then refer his case to the Commission, the Governorate, or the court, so that your responsibility is cleared and the limit of Allah is established against him. Cooperation in righteousness and piety is necessary. However, you begin by speaking to him—yourself, your brothers, your maternal uncles, and your neighbors. You cooperate with them to guide him, perhaps Allah will guide him through your means, even through striking. But advice comes before striking. You, your neighbors, your brothers, your paternal uncles, your maternal uncles, and the neighbors—cooperate in righteousness and piety. If you are sincere, Allah will make your matter easy and guide him. We ask Allah for his guidance; we ask Allah to bestow guidance upon him.
Your Eminence the Shaykh! The questioner says: I have a son who does not pray. I have ordered him to pray repeatedly and advised him often, but to no avail. I am distressed by his situation because he is not in the state of a Muslim. If I expel him from the house, I find people who say, "We are with you in the truth; we will comfort you. May Allah not place you in a house of humiliation and degradation." But if I keep him, I have sheltered one who has defied Allah and His Messenger. My question is: What should I do with him, Your Eminence the Shaykh? May Allah prolong your life in obedience to Him and benefit Islam and the Muslims through you.
Answer:
It is obligatory for you, my brother, to advise him, discipline him, enjoin good upon him, and strike him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Order your children to pray when they are seven years old, and strike them [for it] when they are ten." This means the strongest form of striking. If the matter has reached its peak, it is obligatory for you to advise him and to exert yourselves—yourself, his mother, his brothers, his paternal uncles, his maternal uncles, and his neighbors. It is obligatory for all of you to cooperate in this matter: advising him, increasing your efforts with him, and striking him. You may strike him even if he is an adult; you may strike him. If all of this does not benefit, then refer his case to the Commission, the Governorate, or the court, so that your responsibility is cleared and the limit of Allah is established against him. Cooperation in righteousness and piety is necessary. However, you begin by speaking to him—yourself, your brothers, your maternal uncles, and your neighbors. You cooperate with them to guide him, perhaps Allah will guide him through your means, even through striking. But advice comes before striking. You, your neighbors, your brothers, your paternal uncles, your maternal uncles, and the neighbors—cooperate in righteousness and piety. If you are sincere, Allah will make your matter easy and guide him. We ask Allah for his guidance; we ask Allah to bestow guidance upon him.
Source
فتاوى الصلاة — islamhouse.com (3:09)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.