What is the ruling on preventing children from standing in the first row, especially behind the imam?

The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.

The questioner : O Shaykh, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged the adults to stand in the first row. Some imams rebuke the children and prevent them from the first row, especially the center behind the imam, saying to them, "This is not your place." The adults do not move forward. What is your opinion, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : We say to the one who prevents the children from the first row, or from the row behind the imam, "Where is your evidence?" He has no evidence. It is obligatory that whoever reaches a place first has the right to it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade a man from displacing his brother to sit in his place, and he said: . There is no evidence for this man who keeps the children away from the first row. Rather, this is a transgression against these boys, and it also drives them away from the mosque. It makes this man disliked in the hearts of the children; it remains in his heart that this man is the one who expelled him from the first row.
As for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): , the meaning is that he commanded the adults to move forward to stand behind him. The wording of the hadith is: . He did not say, "Let no one stand behind me except those of mature understanding." If he had said, "Let no one stand behind me except those of mature understanding," we would have kept the children back, because he forbade anyone but these people from standing behind him. But since he said: , the meaning is that he encouraged them to move forward. Yes, if it is assumed that a boy causes corruption in the mosque or disturbs the worshippers, then we discipline him, either through his guardian or directly. If he does not behave, we prevent him even from entering the mosque.

The questioner : And if the imam needs a path, for example, if he breaks his wudu and needs a substitute to lead, and the children are not prepared for that?

The Shaykh : First, may Allah reward you. When does this issue occur? When does it happen that the imam needs to bring someone forward? When does this happen? Perhaps once in a year. As for me, I have been in the mosque for more than thirty years, and this has never happened. That is one point. The second point: There is no harm in a boy moving forward if he is a reader of the Qur'an, even if he is ten years old. We bring him forward to lead the congregation in prayer, because it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . 'Amr ibn Salama al-Jarmi was intelligent, and at the age of seven, he would meet the travelers and learn the Qur'an from them. When the news came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: , they looked in the tribe and found no one with more Qur'an than this boy, so they brought him forward to lead them in prayer in his tribe while he was seven years old. This is in Sahih al-Bukhari. He was wearing a short lower garment, and when he prostrated, it would rise with the prostration until his private parts were exposed. One day, a woman from the neighborhood came out while this boy was leading the congregation, and she said to them, "Cover the backside of your reader." The backside is the rear. The custom is that "backside" refers to the front of a woman, but that is not the case; "backside" is the rear. When this woman shouted, saying, "Cover the backside of your reader for us," they bought him a new shirt. He said, "I have never been as happy since Islam as I was with this shirt."

The questioner : And discernment?

The Shaykh : Discernment usually occurs at seven years old, correct. But a boy may be discerning at five years old. Mahmud ibn al-Rabi' (may Allah be pleased with him) said: . So some children are intelligent and discerning while still young, and some reach eight years old and are not discerning.