Explaining the limits of the 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) of a pre-pubescent girl, and explaining the hadith: (Order your children to pray when they are seven years old)
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : After this introduction and this explanation, we can proceed to the answer: You mentioned girls from the age of five to ten. Who is obligated to observe all the rulings of the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law)? It is undoubtedly the one who has reached the age of legal responsibility. However, here there is a matter that does not concern the person of legal responsibility, but rather concerns the guardian of the person of legal responsibility. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) points to this in his saying: Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) The meaning of this hadith is that it is obligatory for the guardian of a child, whether male or female, to train and accustom them to the rulings of the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) from the age of seven. Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) It is not hidden from you that the intention is whether they are males or females. Furthermore, this command to order prayer implicitly includes the command to observe the conditions and pillars of prayer, as a matter of course; for as jurists based on the Book and the Sunnah, we cannot imagine that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he commands us in his saying: Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) means: that they pray without ritual purity. This does not occur to the mind of a jurist! Order them to pray even if they are naked! Meaning, O Lord, as You created me. If the person of legal responsibility prays this prayer, it is not a prayer; it is not the prayer that Allah commanded.
Thus, we understand from this Prophetic command alone a very broad statement. This is as it came in his characteristics (peace be upon him), or more accurately, in the conciseness of his words, when he said: meaning: with prayer, its conditions, its pillars, its obligations, and everything related to its forms.
Since that is the case, when the girl reaches the age of seven, she must be dressed in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) clothing, not only for prayer, but because Islam commanded the adult woman with what you just heard:[An-Nur 24:31] This is after the age of seven. As for before the age of seven, one may overlook this detail.
As for the school, as you mentioned, it contains girls from five to ten. And I cannot fixate on the age of ten, because it is possible that there are those who are eleven or twelve, is that not so?
The questioner : They move to other schools.
The Shaykh : Meaning, is it a definite system where there cannot be anyone over the age of ten there?
The questioner : Except for those who are behind in their studies.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Up to twelve years old.
The Shaykh : Ah, that is what I thought.
The questioner : Only the one who is behind, meaning mentally slow, stays until twelve years old.
The Shaykh : If he is a bit slow, he might be one of the wolves, more desirable, - he laughsThe Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on him - So is slowness an excuse here? Or is it an excuse worse than a sin?
The Shaykh : The point is: I do not imagine this precision in application; there must be someone who has passed the age of ten.
The Shaykh : The evidence is: From the age of seven, it is obligatory upon you, O Muslims, and those in authority, truly, that you do not allow a daughter of yours who has entered her seventh year except that she wears the full hijab (the covering prescribed for women) as if she had reached the age of legal responsibility.
The Shaykh : And the age of legal responsibility for women is not limited except by menstruation, just as the age of legal responsibility for young men is not limited by a specific age but by the emission of semen, like this.
The Shaykh : And since that is the case, and you are the owners of schools in those countries where you have been afflicted with residence, it is not permissible for you to allow these girls to wear the clothing for swimming, and for some of them to see of others what is not of the apparent adornment, excuse me, what is not of the hidden adornment.
Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.
مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبع ، واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر ، وفرقوا بينهم في المضاجعCommand your children to pray when they become seven
مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبعCommand your children to pray when they become seven
مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبعThus, we understand from this Prophetic command alone a very broad statement. This is as it came in his characteristics (peace be upon him), or more accurately, in the conciseness of his words, when he said:
Order your children to pray
مروا أولادكم بالصلاةSince that is the case, when the girl reaches the age of seven, she must be dressed in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) clothing, not only for prayer, but because Islam commanded the adult woman with what you just heard:
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ... أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّAs for the school, as you mentioned, it contains girls from five to ten. And I cannot fixate on the age of ten, because it is possible that there are those who are eleven or twelve, is that not so?
The questioner : They move to other schools.
The Shaykh : Meaning, is it a definite system where there cannot be anyone over the age of ten there?
The questioner : Except for those who are behind in their studies.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Up to twelve years old.
The Shaykh : Ah, that is what I thought.
The questioner : Only the one who is behind, meaning mentally slow, stays until twelve years old.
The Shaykh : If he is a bit slow, he might be one of the wolves, more desirable, - he laughsThe Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on him - So is slowness an excuse here? Or is it an excuse worse than a sin?
The Shaykh : The point is: I do not imagine this precision in application; there must be someone who has passed the age of ten.
The Shaykh : The evidence is: From the age of seven, it is obligatory upon you, O Muslims, and those in authority, truly, that you do not allow a daughter of yours who has entered her seventh year except that she wears the full hijab (the covering prescribed for women) as if she had reached the age of legal responsibility.
The Shaykh : And the age of legal responsibility for women is not limited except by menstruation, just as the age of legal responsibility for young men is not limited by a specific age but by the emission of semen, like this.
The Shaykh : And since that is the case, and you are the owners of schools in those countries where you have been afflicted with residence, it is not permissible for you to allow these girls to wear the clothing for swimming, and for some of them to see of others what is not of the apparent adornment, excuse me, what is not of the hidden adornment.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.