My son is eight years old. Should I wake him for the Fajr prayer? And if he does not pray, am I sinful?
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The questioner : He says: Noble Shaykh, my son is eight years old. Should I wake him for the Fajr prayer? And if he does not pray, am I sinful?
The Shaykh : It appears that this requires consideration. If, for example, it is in the days of winter, cold, and hardship, there is no harm in leaving him. If he gets up, he is told: Pray. But if the weather is mild and there is no harm in staying up, wake him so that he becomes accustomed to it, prays with the people, and—praise be to Allah—now there are small boys between the ages of seven and ten whom we see coming with their fathers for the Fajr prayer. If the boy becomes accustomed to this from the beginning of his life, there is much good in that. However, with hardship, it is not obligatory for you to wake them, but if they wake up, tell them to pray. Yes.
The Shaykh : It appears that this requires consideration. If, for example, it is in the days of winter, cold, and hardship, there is no harm in leaving him. If he gets up, he is told: Pray. But if the weather is mild and there is no harm in staying up, wake him so that he becomes accustomed to it, prays with the people, and—praise be to Allah—now there are small boys between the ages of seven and ten whom we see coming with their fathers for the Fajr prayer. If the boy becomes accustomed to this from the beginning of his life, there is much good in that. However, with hardship, it is not obligatory for you to wake them, but if they wake up, tell them to pray. Yes.