When is it obligatory for a girl to wear the hijab if she is seven years old?
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The questioner : Okay, regarding girls who are seven years old, when is it obligatory for them to wear the hijab?
The Shaykh : This varies first from one girl to another, meaning between one who is intelligent and understands me.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, and between one who is not so. In that case, the ruling takes this distinction into account. Is that clear to you?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, but there is something that must be explained. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani). So if she has reached the age of seven, she is to pray by the command of her parents. Here, it is not hidden from you that she must cover her entire body except the face and hands in prayer. Then, outside of prayer, in order to train and accustom her to the hijab, which is not currently widespread among Muslim girls, by this consideration, it is obligatory to accustom the seven-year-old girl absolutely, whether she is intelligent or not.
The Shaykh : This varies first from one girl to another, meaning between one who is intelligent and understands me.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, and between one who is not so. In that case, the ruling takes this distinction into account. Is that clear to you?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, but there is something that must be explained. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.
مُرُوا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبع ، واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر ، وفرِّقوا بينهم في المضاجع
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.