What is the ruling on bringing young children to the mosques who are below the age of discernment and are wearing diapers that contain impurity? And are they to be expelled if they attend?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you and grant you reward.
Your Eminence, what is the ruling on bringing young children who are below the age of discernment, who wear diapers that may, or mostly do, contain impurity? What is the ruling on bringing them to the mosques, and if they attend, are they to be expelled or not?
The Shaykh : Bringing them is not required, because the child is small and not...
The questioner : No, he is below the age of discernment, in his third or fourth year.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : Yes, he is in his third or fourth year.
The Shaykh : A little short.
The questioner : It is not the case.
The Shaykh : In any case, bringing young children to the mosques is permissible as long as they do not cause harm. If they do cause harm, then they are to be prevented. However, the way to prevent them is to contact their guardians and say: "Your children are disturbing us, they are harming us," and the like. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to enter his prayer intending to lengthen it, but when he would hear a child crying, he would shorten his prayer for fear that the mother would be distressed. This indicates that children are present in the mosques. But as we said, if they cause harm, they are to be prevented. Through whom? Through their guardians, so that no fitnah (trial or discord) occurs. Because if you expel a seven-year-old child who is causing harm in the mosque and hit him, his father will stand up against you. For most people today do not have justice or fairness, and they will speak to you, and perhaps enmity and hatred will result. So the solution to the issue is to prevent them through their fathers so that no fitnah occurs in that.
The questioner : Is it better to bring them, O Shaykh, because the mosque is small?
The Shaykh : The issue of bringing them is that it is not better to bring them, but the mother may be compelled to bring him because there is no one in the house, and she wants to attend the lesson, or wants to attend the standing prayer in Ramadan, and the like.
The questioner : No, the father.
The Shaykh : The father is not bringing a person who is wearing diapers; you do not keep thinking...
The questioner : They are not brought; he is present with us, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : In any case, I do not know. In any case, if there is harm, or if his father, for example, is disturbing in his prayer, then based on the care for the child, he does not bring him. And if the child is small and wearing diapers, he is not benefiting from the attendance. But as for one who is seven years old or older, whom we have been commanded to command to pray, they benefit from attending the mosques. But you cannot judge every person; perhaps a person’s wife, the mother of the child, is not present, she is dead, or she has gone to work that is necessary, and there is no one in the house. So he is now between two things: either he leaves the congregational prayer and sits with his child, or he brings him. The stronger opinion is to look at what is stronger.
The questioner : Some of the Shaykhs did not say.
The Shaykh : The discussion... it means the whole question is for you. Yes, no, no, from here, they prioritize you. May Allah reward you with good, they prioritize you over themselves.
Your Eminence, what is the ruling on bringing young children who are below the age of discernment, who wear diapers that may, or mostly do, contain impurity? What is the ruling on bringing them to the mosques, and if they attend, are they to be expelled or not?
The Shaykh : Bringing them is not required, because the child is small and not...
The questioner : No, he is below the age of discernment, in his third or fourth year.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : Yes, he is in his third or fourth year.
The Shaykh : A little short.
The questioner : It is not the case.
The Shaykh : In any case, bringing young children to the mosques is permissible as long as they do not cause harm. If they do cause harm, then they are to be prevented. However, the way to prevent them is to contact their guardians and say: "Your children are disturbing us, they are harming us," and the like. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to enter his prayer intending to lengthen it, but when he would hear a child crying, he would shorten his prayer for fear that the mother would be distressed. This indicates that children are present in the mosques. But as we said, if they cause harm, they are to be prevented. Through whom? Through their guardians, so that no fitnah (trial or discord) occurs. Because if you expel a seven-year-old child who is causing harm in the mosque and hit him, his father will stand up against you. For most people today do not have justice or fairness, and they will speak to you, and perhaps enmity and hatred will result. So the solution to the issue is to prevent them through their fathers so that no fitnah occurs in that.
The questioner : Is it better to bring them, O Shaykh, because the mosque is small?
The Shaykh : The issue of bringing them is that it is not better to bring them, but the mother may be compelled to bring him because there is no one in the house, and she wants to attend the lesson, or wants to attend the standing prayer in Ramadan, and the like.
The questioner : No, the father.
The Shaykh : The father is not bringing a person who is wearing diapers; you do not keep thinking...
The questioner : They are not brought; he is present with us, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : In any case, I do not know. In any case, if there is harm, or if his father, for example, is disturbing in his prayer, then based on the care for the child, he does not bring him. And if the child is small and wearing diapers, he is not benefiting from the attendance. But as for one who is seven years old or older, whom we have been commanded to command to pray, they benefit from attending the mosques. But you cannot judge every person; perhaps a person’s wife, the mother of the child, is not present, she is dead, or she has gone to work that is necessary, and there is no one in the house. So he is now between two things: either he leaves the congregational prayer and sits with his child, or he brings him. The stronger opinion is to look at what is stronger.
The questioner : Some of the Shaykhs did not say.
The Shaykh : The discussion... it means the whole question is for you. Yes, no, no, from here, they prioritize you. May Allah reward you with good, they prioritize you over themselves.