Is reaching puberty a condition for a boy to stand in a row in prayer?
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The questioner : Is reaching puberty a condition for a boy to stand in a row?
The Shaykh : Reaching puberty is not a condition for a boy to stand in a row in voluntary prayer. For example, if a group of people pray together in the night prayer of Ramadan, and there is an adult man and a boy behind the row, then this standing in a row is valid. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with Anas ibn Malik, and Anas and an orphan stood behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And is this valid in the obligatory prayer? The scholars differed on this. Some said it is not valid because the boy's prayer is voluntary and the adult's prayer is obligatory, so this man who has an obligation would be standing in a row with someone who is performing a voluntary act, and thus his standing in a row with him would not be valid. However, the correct view is that it is valid for an adult man to stand in a row with a boy, and they both pray behind the row. The evidence for this is what we mentioned from the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). What is established in voluntary prayer is established in obligatory prayer unless there is evidence to the contrary. Furthermore, it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari that 'Amr ibn Salama al-Jarmi (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed with his people when he was six or seven years old. He led them as imam while they were adults. If the imamate of a boy is valid in the obligatory prayer, then the validity of his standing in a row in it is even more so. Therefore, the correct view is that it is valid for a boy to stand in a row in the obligatory prayer and in the voluntary prayer, just as it is valid for him to be an imam in the obligatory prayer and in the voluntary prayer.
There is an issue I would like to address on this occasion, which is that some people, when they see boys in the first row, drive them out of it. This is a mistake, because if the boy is not causing any harm to the worshippers or to the mosque, and he sits in a place that he has more right to than others, since mosques belong to those who arrive first. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade a man from moving his brother from his place to pray in it. There is no doubt that this action will affect the boy's psyche, and he will hate the one who moved him and will hate coming to the mosque, and this will affect his heart in the future. As for the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)Mishkat al-Masabih 1088 Rather, he said , and this is a command directed to the mature and sensible to move forward so that they are the ones who stand next to him.
Moreover, the criterion is the majority, and it is known that the majority of the row will not be boys who do not understand or reason. If someone says, "If we let them, they will play and disturb the people," we say, rather, if we gathered them in one row behind the row, they would be closer to causing disturbance and closer to playing. But if we leave them in their places and separate them, this prohibition is removed. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Reaching puberty is not a condition for a boy to stand in a row in voluntary prayer. For example, if a group of people pray together in the night prayer of Ramadan, and there is an adult man and a boy behind the row, then this standing in a row is valid. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with Anas ibn Malik, and Anas and an orphan stood behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And is this valid in the obligatory prayer? The scholars differed on this. Some said it is not valid because the boy's prayer is voluntary and the adult's prayer is obligatory, so this man who has an obligation would be standing in a row with someone who is performing a voluntary act, and thus his standing in a row with him would not be valid. However, the correct view is that it is valid for an adult man to stand in a row with a boy, and they both pray behind the row. The evidence for this is what we mentioned from the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). What is established in voluntary prayer is established in obligatory prayer unless there is evidence to the contrary. Furthermore, it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari that 'Amr ibn Salama al-Jarmi (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed with his people when he was six or seven years old. He led them as imam while they were adults. If the imamate of a boy is valid in the obligatory prayer, then the validity of his standing in a row in it is even more so. Therefore, the correct view is that it is valid for a boy to stand in a row in the obligatory prayer and in the voluntary prayer, just as it is valid for him to be an imam in the obligatory prayer and in the voluntary prayer.
There is an issue I would like to address on this occasion, which is that some people, when they see boys in the first row, drive them out of it. This is a mistake, because if the boy is not causing any harm to the worshippers or to the mosque, and he sits in a place that he has more right to than others, since mosques belong to those who arrive first. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade a man from moving his brother from his place to pray in it. There is no doubt that this action will affect the boy's psyche, and he will hate the one who moved him and will hate coming to the mosque, and this will affect his heart in the future. As for the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
Let those of you who are sedate and prudent be near me
ليلني منكم أولوا الأحلام والنهىLet me
ليلنيMoreover, the criterion is the majority, and it is known that the majority of the row will not be boys who do not understand or reason. If someone says, "If we let them, they will play and disturb the people," we say, rather, if we gathered them in one row behind the row, they would be closer to causing disturbance and closer to playing. But if we leave them in their places and separate them, this prohibition is removed. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.