Does the passage of a child between the rows of worshippers invalidate the prayer?

The questioner : There is another question regarding children and preventing them from passing through. In the general hadith, it includes anyone who wants to pass through, which includes children. However, there is ... someone who might understand this as contradicting the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) where he carried his daughter in front of him. So some of the brothers ask, saying that perhaps children cannot be controlled, and they would be among those prohibited from passing. Also, preventing a child is not like pushing away a sane man. Please clarify this matter: what is the ruling on children in such a case?

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. It is known to everyone that a child is not held accountable for perfecting the Shari'ah until he reaches puberty, as stated explicitly in the hadith. However, this does not prevent the child's guardian from guiding, teaching, and raising him according to the rulings of the Shari'ah, so that he grows up with them when he reaches the age of accountability. So we distinguish now between a woman who invalidates a man's prayer if there is no sutrah in front of him, such as the back of a saddle, and a girl who has not reached puberty, if the case is as described. So it is the same for a boy. But we raise them to not pass in front of the rows, not because that is forbidden for you. Just as we order them to pray when they are seven years old, and we beat them for it when they are ten, not because prayer is obligatory upon them, but to carry out the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). It is clear that the intention is to train them in worship and prayer. Therefore, there is no significant consequence to a child passing in front of the rows. Also, as you know, it is from the Sunnah to allow children to enter the mosques and not to prevent them, based on that hadith that circulates between being weak and having no basis, as some hadith scholars said, which is It is known from the practical Sunnah that children used to attend the mosque until that pleasant incident occurred, This hadith indicates that children used to attend the mosques. This is also from the etiquette and upbringing in the Muhammadan Sunnah to teach children to get accustomed to the mosques and to watch the prayer and how the worshippers perform it ... Also, the carrying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) of Ummamah, the daughter of Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), has no relation to the issue of passing through. It has to do with bringing in children and small kids, and there is nothing wrong with carrying them during the prayer, contrary to some schools of jurisprudence that are strict and invalidate the prayer merely because of movements the worshipper makes. Some of them narrowed the matter so much that they said three consecutive movements invalidate the prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed Ummamah on his shoulder, put her down when he bowed, and she returned to him when he stood up for the prayer. All these are excused movements in the way of showing affection to children and caring for them. The point is that carrying here is not like passing through. Also, the doubt that arose for Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) when she said, after hearing the hadith of Abu Dharr that we mentioned earlier, she said: This doubt has no value from a jurisprudential perspective, especially since it contradicts the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Even though she is excused because the hadith did not reach her, the doubt is that passing through is one thing, and a woman remaining in front of the worshipper is another. Therefore, we must distinguish between the texts and not strike one with another, even if the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), her saying: is marfu' (traced to the Prophet). But this is not a contradiction to passing through. Praying toward a woman is one thing, and a woman passing in front of the worshipper is another. And there is no disagreement between the hadiths, praise be to Allah. Similarly, the carrying of the woman by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), if there were something in a child passing in front of the worshipper—and this is negated as we mentioned earlier—then the carrying of Ummamah by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is something else and is not in the meaning of the prohibited and forbidden passing through. Please proceed.

The questioner : Regarding the prohibition of passing in front of the imam in congregational prayer, does it extend to the ma'mum (those praying behind) as well?

The Shaykh : ...

The questioner : In the example the brother cited, there is no harm in her passing in front of the ma'mum, because the important one is the imam.

The Shaykh : No, he spoke about the Messenger when he was praying while carrying ... .

The questioner : No, before that. He said the back rows make a movement. As long as they do not pass in front of the imam, there is no harm in passing in front of the ma'mum.

The Shaykh : The imam's sutrah is the sutrah for those behind him.


The questioner : But our Shaykh ... those who come late and want to pray in the back of the mosque cannot cross the path without cutting off the prayer of their sisters who are praying voluntary prayers or making up missed prayers, because they are in the back rows. And they want to come to the front row because there is space in the front row. So here comes ... and from here the doubt came to my mind: should the woman not be treated specially in this matter?

The Shaykh : Okay, what is the difference between women and men in this issue? What happens to women in this situation is the same situation that happens to men, correct?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : How could she not?

The questioner : Because men are always in the front of the mosque, and the continuous flow comes from the back.

Another questioner : The continuous flow is completion from the back, but women are the opposite; they start from the back and end in the front. And here ... women complete the rows and move forward a little, while men come from the back.

The Shaykh : ... meaning you see women moving forward in the rows, this is one thing. And a second thing that can solve the problem, whether related to men or women: the passing that invalidates the prayer or makes its reward incomplete is the passing that is between the worshipper and the place of prostration. So if we assume this is the worshipper, and here is the place of prostration, if a woman passes in front of this man, there is no harm in that. Or if a man passes in front of this man, there is no harm in that. The harm is only in passing between his standing position and his place of prostration. So it is not necessary for a woman to squeeze herself between the standing position of her Muslim sister and her place of prostration. She should delay behind the place of prostration, even by a span, and the matter is settled.