Explanation of the author's statement: "… and a young boy is commanded to perform it at seven and struck for it at ten …".
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Then the author said "and a young boy is commanded to perform it at seven". "Is commanded" is a present tense verb in the passive voice. It is in the passive voice because the one who commands is not specified as a single individual, as it could be the father who commands him, or the older brother, or the son. Is that right?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : It is not fitting for the son to command him. A young boy is commanded to perform it at seven. His son commands him, otherwise he has no son who is seven years old. His son commands him.
The questioner : It is not possible.
The Shaykh : It is possible that it is the older brother, the paternal uncle, the maternal uncle, the mother, or the one in authority. The important point is that the verb form in this manner, being in the passive voice, is more comprehensive than if it had said "his father commands him," is it not? So the implication of the passive voice includes everyone who has authority over this boy. Any one who has authority, whether father, brother, uncle, maternal uncle, mother, judge, or ruler, or the like, falls under this expression: "he is commanded." And regarding his statement "at seven," know that when it is said "at seven," the meaning is "upon the completion of seven." "At seven" means "upon the completion of seven," not "upon reaching seven." The difference between the two is clear. If we said "upon reaching seven" or "upon entering seven," that would apply to any seven. If we say "at seven," it means that he must complete all of the seven years. When he has completed seven years and entered the eighth, we command him. We command him and say, "Pray, or we will be strict with him," is that right? We command him with a command, saying, "Pray." If we are commanding him to pray, it necessitates commanding him to fulfill the prerequisites of prayer, such as ritual purity from minor and major impurity, covering the private parts, facing the qiblah, and the like. Good. It also necessitates teaching him these things. Teaching him these things. So, when he reaches seven, we teach him how to perform wudu', how to cover himself, and how to pray, because all of this is among the prerequisites of commanding him to pray. It is not possible to command him to do something he does not know, and it is not possible to command him to do something while neglecting its prerequisites. This is not possible. So the command to pray is a command to perform it and to fulfill what it cannot be completed without, namely the conditions preceding it and the knowledge of its manner. "and struck for it at ten". "Struck"—we say in this what we said regarding "is commanded." Who is the one who strikes? The one who takes charge of his affairs, whether father, brother, mother, uncle, maternal uncle, judge, or ruler. "Struck for it at ten." And what does "for it" mean? It means he is struck for performing it.
The questioner : For leaving it.
The Shaykh : Good, so does he strike if he performs it, or if he leaves it?
The questioner : If he leaves it.
The Shaykh : He is struck for it, meaning for the prayer, so that he performs it, so that he performs it. And this does not happen except through leaving it. So we strike him until he prays. We strike him until he prays, once, twice, three times, or more, until he prays. Good. Do we strike him once for one time, or at every time? At every time. If we command him and he does not do it, then he is struck. And with what do we strike him? The hadith came in a general form. With the hand, it is possible. With the end of the garment, it is possible. Meaning, he takes this ghutrah and strikes him with it, is that not so? With a stick, it is possible, but on the condition that it not be a severe beating, meaning one that causes harm or injury, and the like. Because the intention is to discipline him, not to torture him. The intention is that he be disciplined, not that he be tortured. So he is struck with a strike that achieves the intention without harm. So for the boy, we have two stages. The first stage is the command, and the second is the striking. Good. Do we command him before seven? The apparent meaning of the Sunnah is that we do not command him, because it says So the apparent meaning of the Sunnah is that we do not command him. So it is either said that we take the apparent meaning, and even before seven, we do not say "pray" ever. Let him be. If we enter the mosque and he wants to play, we leave him. And it may be said that this is based on the majority, which is discernment at the age of seven, because the majority of cases is that the age of seven is the age at which discernment occurs. And based on that, if he discerns at an age before seven, then we command him, because he understands the address and responds to the answer. Good. Do we forbid him before seven?
The questioner : We forbid him.
The Shaykh : We forbid him. We say, "Do not pray, go to the bathroom," is that right? No. If so, we do not command and we do not forbid before seven. We do not command and we do not forbid. Do we encourage him in that? Encouragement without command, yes, it is possible. We can say that we encourage him if he discerns and understands, especially if he is the one who desires it. Meaning, some boys like to go with their family to the mosque.
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : It is not fitting for the son to command him. A young boy is commanded to perform it at seven. His son commands him, otherwise he has no son who is seven years old. His son commands him.
The questioner : It is not possible.
The Shaykh : It is possible that it is the older brother, the paternal uncle, the maternal uncle, the mother, or the one in authority. The important point is that the verb form in this manner, being in the passive voice, is more comprehensive than if it had said "his father commands him," is it not? So the implication of the passive voice includes everyone who has authority over this boy. Any one who has authority, whether father, brother, uncle, maternal uncle, mother, judge, or ruler, or the like, falls under this expression: "he is commanded." And regarding his statement "at seven," know that when it is said "at seven," the meaning is "upon the completion of seven." "At seven" means "upon the completion of seven," not "upon reaching seven." The difference between the two is clear. If we said "upon reaching seven" or "upon entering seven," that would apply to any seven. If we say "at seven," it means that he must complete all of the seven years. When he has completed seven years and entered the eighth, we command him. We command him and say, "Pray, or we will be strict with him," is that right? We command him with a command, saying, "Pray." If we are commanding him to pray, it necessitates commanding him to fulfill the prerequisites of prayer, such as ritual purity from minor and major impurity, covering the private parts, facing the qiblah, and the like. Good. It also necessitates teaching him these things. Teaching him these things. So, when he reaches seven, we teach him how to perform wudu', how to cover himself, and how to pray, because all of this is among the prerequisites of commanding him to pray. It is not possible to command him to do something he does not know, and it is not possible to command him to do something while neglecting its prerequisites. This is not possible. So the command to pray is a command to perform it and to fulfill what it cannot be completed without, namely the conditions preceding it and the knowledge of its manner. "and struck for it at ten". "Struck"—we say in this what we said regarding "is commanded." Who is the one who strikes? The one who takes charge of his affairs, whether father, brother, mother, uncle, maternal uncle, judge, or ruler. "Struck for it at ten." And what does "for it" mean? It means he is struck for performing it.
The questioner : For leaving it.
The Shaykh : Good, so does he strike if he performs it, or if he leaves it?
The questioner : If he leaves it.
The Shaykh : He is struck for it, meaning for the prayer, so that he performs it, so that he performs it. And this does not happen except through leaving it. So we strike him until he prays. We strike him until he prays, once, twice, three times, or more, until he prays. Good. Do we strike him once for one time, or at every time? At every time. If we command him and he does not do it, then he is struck. And with what do we strike him? The hadith came in a general form.
Beat them for it until they are ten years old.
اضربوهم عليها لعشرCommand your children to pray at seven
مروا أبنائكم بالصلاة لسبعThe questioner : We forbid him.
The Shaykh : We forbid him. We say, "Do not pray, go to the bathroom," is that right? No. If so, we do not command and we do not forbid before seven. We do not command and we do not forbid. Do we encourage him in that? Encouragement without command, yes, it is possible. We can say that we encourage him if he discerns and understands, especially if he is the one who desires it. Meaning, some boys like to go with their family to the mosque.