If I pray behind the imam with a boy who has not reached puberty, is my prayer valid?
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The questioner : If I pray behind the imam with a boy who has not reached puberty, meaning: we are three including the imam, is my prayer valid? Does the boy complete the row? Is it permissible in the Shari'ah for boys to stand in the front rows of the prayer? I read a hadith from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari to this effect, that the men form the rows, then the boys, then the women.
The Shaykh : Yes. The stronger opinion is that a boy's row is valid, meaning that it is permissible for a person to form a row behind the imam with only a boy present, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stood to pray with Anas ibn Malik, and Anas ibn Malik stood with an orphan behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, this was in a voluntary prayer. Consequently, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on the permissibility of a boy forming a row in an obligatory prayer. Some said it is not permissible, and some said it is permissible. This is the correct opinion, as I mentioned earlier, because it is a known, established principle that what is established in a voluntary prayer is established in an obligatory prayer, and what is established in an obligatory prayer is established in a voluntary prayer, unless there is evidence indicating otherwise. Evidence for this principle is that what is established in a voluntary prayer is established in an obligatory prayer unless there is evidence, and what is established in an obligatory prayer is established in a voluntary prayer unless there is evidence. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray on his mount wherever it faced, or perform the witr prayer on his mount wherever it faced. They said: "except that he does not pray the obligatory prayer on it" so that no one would assume that the obligatory prayer is like the voluntary prayer in this case.
This indicates that for the obligatory prayer, what is established in a voluntary prayer is established in it unless there is evidence. The stronger opinion is that it is permissible for a boy to be in a row with an adult, whether that is behind the row or behind the imam.
As for boys moving up to the first row or the one next to it, there is no harm in that either. If they move up to the first row and they do not cause any disturbance to the worshippers, it is not permissible to remove them from their place, because whoever arrives at a place first has the right to it.
As for the statement of some scholars that they form rows by themselves behind the rows, there is no evidence for that. Rather, there is harm in it, because if the boys gather in one row, they cause disturbance to the worshippers and play during the prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. We return to the message of the listener Abdullah Abbas, who asks and says: I hope that you, O honorable Shaykh, will clarify for me.
The Shaykh : Yes. The stronger opinion is that a boy's row is valid, meaning that it is permissible for a person to form a row behind the imam with only a boy present, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stood to pray with Anas ibn Malik, and Anas ibn Malik stood with an orphan behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, this was in a voluntary prayer. Consequently, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on the permissibility of a boy forming a row in an obligatory prayer. Some said it is not permissible, and some said it is permissible. This is the correct opinion, as I mentioned earlier, because it is a known, established principle that what is established in a voluntary prayer is established in an obligatory prayer, and what is established in an obligatory prayer is established in a voluntary prayer, unless there is evidence indicating otherwise. Evidence for this principle is that what is established in a voluntary prayer is established in an obligatory prayer unless there is evidence, and what is established in an obligatory prayer is established in a voluntary prayer unless there is evidence. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray on his mount wherever it faced, or perform the witr prayer on his mount wherever it faced. They said: "except that he does not pray the obligatory prayer on it" so that no one would assume that the obligatory prayer is like the voluntary prayer in this case.
This indicates that for the obligatory prayer, what is established in a voluntary prayer is established in it unless there is evidence. The stronger opinion is that it is permissible for a boy to be in a row with an adult, whether that is behind the row or behind the imam.
As for boys moving up to the first row or the one next to it, there is no harm in that either. If they move up to the first row and they do not cause any disturbance to the worshippers, it is not permissible to remove them from their place, because whoever arrives at a place first has the right to it.
As for the statement of some scholars that they form rows by themselves behind the rows, there is no evidence for that. Rather, there is harm in it, because if the boys gather in one row, they cause disturbance to the worshippers and play during the prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. We return to the message of the listener Abdullah Abbas, who asks and says: I hope that you, O honorable Shaykh, will clarify for me.