What is the ruling on striking a child under the age of ten for discipline or for prayer?
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The questioner : Your Eminence, is it permissible to strike a child under the age of ten for prayer?
And is he struck for prayer as he is for discipline?
And at what age is he struck?
The Shaykh : These are three questions. As for striking him for prayer, it is not permissible before the age of ten, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) specified that age.
As for striking him for discipline, there is nothing wrong with it, even before the age of ten, if he benefits from it and becomes disciplined. And the third question?
The questioner : And at what age is he struck?
The Shaykh : How? At what age? At ten, for prayer it is ten. For matters other than prayer, he is struck at the age where he benefits from it. And striking is restricted in all its circumstances to being non-severe. After that?
And is he struck for prayer as he is for discipline?
And at what age is he struck?
The Shaykh : These are three questions. As for striking him for prayer, it is not permissible before the age of ten, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) specified that age.
As for striking him for discipline, there is nothing wrong with it, even before the age of ten, if he benefits from it and becomes disciplined. And the third question?
The questioner : And at what age is he struck?
The Shaykh : How? At what age? At ten, for prayer it is ten. For matters other than prayer, he is struck at the age where he benefits from it. And striking is restricted in all its circumstances to being non-severe. After that?