Is it permissible for a boy to pray at home if he is playing in the mosque?
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The questioner : Your Eminence, what is the ruling on a boy under the age of fifteen praying at home, because he may annoy the worshippers and play with another boy?
The Shaykh : At home or in the mosque?
The questioner : At home, is it permissible for him to pray at home?
The Shaykh : It is prescribed that boys attend the mosques and pray with the people, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 674Sahih (Al-Albani) This indicates that there are young children, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) ordered the adults to move forward and come early so that they could take the superior positions. Therefore, the prayer of boys in the mosques is part of the Sunnah.
And it is not befitting for us to do things that would make them averse to the mosques, as some people do when they see a boy who has not reached puberty in the row; they drive him away and scold him. This is undoubtedly contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him), which is based on gentleness, softness, ease, and simplicity. We say: leave him in his place, even if he is in the first row, even if he is behind the imam, leave him. However, if he engages in play and they cannot be disciplined, then here we take them out of the mosque. But there is a rank before taking them out of the mosque, which is that we speak to their guardians so that they do not hold anything against us if we take them out. We speak to the guardians and say: these boys are young and do not respect the mosque or the congregation, so if you left them until they had some good conduct, it would be better.
The Shaykh : At home or in the mosque?
The questioner : At home, is it permissible for him to pray at home?
The Shaykh : It is prescribed that boys attend the mosques and pray with the people, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
let those of your who are sedate and prudent be near me
ليلني منكم أولو الأحلام والنهىAnd it is not befitting for us to do things that would make them averse to the mosques, as some people do when they see a boy who has not reached puberty in the row; they drive him away and scold him. This is undoubtedly contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him), which is based on gentleness, softness, ease, and simplicity. We say: leave him in his place, even if he is in the first row, even if he is behind the imam, leave him. However, if he engages in play and they cannot be disciplined, then here we take them out of the mosque. But there is a rank before taking them out of the mosque, which is that we speak to their guardians so that they do not hold anything against us if we take them out. We speak to the guardians and say: these boys are young and do not respect the mosque or the congregation, so if you left them until they had some good conduct, it would be better.