Where do boys stand in congregational prayer in the mosques?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : My lord, two questions. The first question concerns the boys in the mosques. Naturally, the ruling in principle is that they should be behind the women, but in our mosques today, many small boys come with their fathers.
The Shaykh : Your saying "with the women" is not correct.
The questioner : Between the men and the women, behind the men.
The Shaykh : Behind the men, okay.
The questioner : Now, when they are inside the mosque and within the rows, it is difficult to separate them on their own, or what... So, should they be placed at the end of the row, or will they be in the same row?
The Shaykh : The issue actually varies from mosque to mosque. I believe in neighborhood mosques, meaning those where the residents are known and limited, and there are children there, may Allah increase them, these children should be placed either in a separate row, like the men's rows, not on the right or left, or they should be placed on the right or left if it is more likely that the people of the mosque, if these children are placed in the second row, for example, will take up a row of men, then they should not be placed in that spot. If it is more likely that half of the row will be completed by men, they are placed on the left side. If it is more likely that the second row will not be completed by men, they are placed in the third row, and so on. As for the large mosques, it is not possible to establish a system for them here. So, as he (peace be upon him) said as a general principle:, meaning, as much as possible, they should not be in the front rows. And where is our friend Abu Ahmad? O Abu Layla, may Allah guide you.
The student : Yes, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : There was a complaint just now, but not from any of the people present, that you always put your children... in the first row, and then we see them going back and forth and crossing the rows. So, you must pay attention. You must pay attention.
The student : He, our Shaykh, allowed him that time because of the recorder, because of the microphone, we allowed him.
The Shaykh : That is one thing, and the other is that one thing reminds of another.
The Shaykh : Your saying "with the women" is not correct.
The questioner : Between the men and the women, behind the men.
The Shaykh : Behind the men, okay.
The questioner : Now, when they are inside the mosque and within the rows, it is difficult to separate them on their own, or what... So, should they be placed at the end of the row, or will they be in the same row?
The Shaykh : The issue actually varies from mosque to mosque. I believe in neighborhood mosques, meaning those where the residents are known and limited, and there are children there, may Allah increase them, these children should be placed either in a separate row, like the men's rows, not on the right or left, or they should be placed on the right or left if it is more likely that the people of the mosque, if these children are placed in the second row, for example, will take up a row of men, then they should not be placed in that spot. If it is more likely that half of the row will be completed by men, they are placed on the left side. If it is more likely that the second row will not be completed by men, they are placed in the third row, and so on. As for the large mosques, it is not possible to establish a system for them here. So, as he (peace be upon him) said as a general principle:
Be moderate and approximate.
ساددوا وقاربواBe moderate and approximate.
ساددوا وقاربواThe student : Yes, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : There was a complaint just now, but not from any of the people present, that you always put your children... in the first row, and then we see them going back and forth and crossing the rows. So, you must pay attention. You must pay attention.
The student : He, our Shaykh, allowed him that time because of the recorder, because of the microphone, we allowed him.
The Shaykh : That is one thing, and the other is that one thing reminds of another.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.