Separate row for children in the Masjid.

Question:

I take my son to mosque for prayers. For some reason I come across elders asking for children to be sent in the last row. Why can’t a child pray alongside with me. It is good for his tarbiyat. Is there any Hadith regarding child not to pray with elders or parents at their side. I didn’t see this happening in Saudi mosques. If there is no such Hadith then should I continue to keep my son by my side for salah.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

It is stated in a Hadith,

عنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ لِيَلِنِي مِنْكُمْ أُولُو الأَحْلاَمِ وَالنُّهَى ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ

‏The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Let those who are mature and wise stand closest to me, then those who are next to them..( Sahih Muslim 432)

عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ عَبَّادٍ، قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فِي الصَّفِّ الْمُقَدَّمِ فَجَبَذَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ خَلْفِي جَبْذَةً فَنَحَّانِي وَقَامَ مَقَامِي فَوَاللَّهِ مَا عَقَلْتُ صَلاَتِي فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ فَإِذَا هُوَ أُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ فَقَالَ يَا فَتَى لاَ يَسُؤْكَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ هَذَا عَهْدٌ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَيْنَا أَنْ نَلِيَهُ

It is narrated that Qais bin ‘Ubad (Radhiallahu Anhu) said:

“While I was in the Masjid in the first row, a man pulled me from behind and moved me aside, and took my place. By Allah, I could not focus on my prayer, then when he left I saw that it was Ubayy bin Ka’b. He said: ‘0 boy, may Allah protect you from harm. This is what the Prophet instructed us to do, to (the adult men) stand directly behind him.(‘Sunan an-Nasa’i 808)

The Fuqaha (Scholars) have stated that when forming the Sufoof (rows) for Salah, children should stand behind the adult men.[1] But if there is only one child, he may stand in the saff of the men.[2]

Thus, it is better if your child stands with the other children in a separate row behind the men.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Arshad Ali

http://fatwa-tt.com

[1] حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح (ص: 593)

فيجعل الرجال مما يلي الإمام ثم الصبيان بعدهم” أي بعد الرجال

بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (1/ 159)

يَقُومُ الرِّجَالُ صَفًّا مِمَّا يَلِي الْإِمَامَ، ثُمَّ الصِّبْيَانُ بَعْدَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الْخَنَاثَى، ثُمَّ الْإِنَاثُ، ثُمَّ الصَّبِيَّاتُ الْمُرَاهِقَاتُ.

[2] الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (1/ 571)

فَلْيُحَرَّرْ (الرِّجَالُ) ظَاهِرُهُ يَعُمُّ الْعَبْدَ (ثُمَّ الصِّبْيَانُ) ظَاهِرُهُ تَعَدُّدُهُمْ، فَلَوْ وَاحِدًا دَخَلَ الصَّفَّ