The ruling on the prayer of a boy who is less than fifteen years old in the mosque
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Your Eminence! What is the ruling on a boy under the age of fifteen praying in the mosque, because he may annoy the worshippers and play with his peers or the like?
It is prescribed that boys attend the mosques, and pray with the people, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Let those of you who have reached maturity and understanding stand in front of me) This indicates that there are young ones, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the adults to move forward and come early so that they take the superior positions. Thus, the prayer of boys in the mosques is a recommended practice (sunnah), and it is not befitting for us to do what drives them away from the mosques, as some people do when they see a boy who has not reached puberty in the row; they drive him out and scold him. This is undoubtedly contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is based on gentleness, softness, ease, and simplicity.We say: Leave him in his place, even if he is in the first row, even if he is behind the imam; leave him. But if he plays and it is not possible to discipline them, then here we take them out of the mosque.
But there is a rank before taking them out of the mosque, which is that we speak to their guardians so that they do not hold anything against us if we take them out.We speak to the guardians and say: These boys are young and do not respect the mosque or the congregation. So if you left them until they had some good conduct, that would be better.
It is prescribed that boys attend the mosques, and pray with the people, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Let those of you who have reached maturity and understanding stand in front of me) This indicates that there are young ones, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the adults to move forward and come early so that they take the superior positions. Thus, the prayer of boys in the mosques is a recommended practice (sunnah), and it is not befitting for us to do what drives them away from the mosques, as some people do when they see a boy who has not reached puberty in the row; they drive him out and scold him. This is undoubtedly contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is based on gentleness, softness, ease, and simplicity.We say: Leave him in his place, even if he is in the first row, even if he is behind the imam; leave him. But if he plays and it is not possible to discipline them, then here we take them out of the mosque.
But there is a rank before taking them out of the mosque, which is that we speak to their guardians so that they do not hold anything against us if we take them out.We speak to the guardians and say: These boys are young and do not respect the mosque or the congregation. So if you left them until they had some good conduct, that would be better.