Answered by Sidi Moustafa Elqabbany
I wanted to enquire about the etiquette for women praying with small kids? When is it acceptable for women to carry their children while praying? Is this etiquette different for fard vs. sunnah salah or while praying in ”jama vs. praying alone?
There are a number of considerations: the issue of carrying a child who might be affected with filth, the issue of movement in prayer, and miscellaneous issues related to fulfilling the prayer’s integrals and their conditions. The first of these issues has been addressed here:
Carrying a child with a wet diaper in prayer
Regarding the second issue, three consecutive motions with a heavy limb invalidate prayer. One or two consecutive motions with a heavy limb does not invalidate prayer. Consecutive here is defined according to what is commonly acknowledged. Some scholars have indicated that it means that the time between each action has to be less than what it takes to recite Surah Al-Ikhlas (qul huwa-llahu ahad).
As an exception, stretching out one’s arm and retracting it without pause counts as one movement. This does not apply to other body parts.
(All body parts are considered heavy except for the following six: lips, ears, tongue, penis, eyelids, and fingers.)
A few scenarios will help to clarify this: stretching out both of one’s arms to grasp a baby and retracting them immediately would count as two movements with a heavy limb (one for each arm) and would therefore not invalidate prayer. Bending over and standing back up to carry the child would be problematic, because bending and straightening up would be two motions, and there would be a minimum of one additional movement to carry the child.
There is an additional consideration: the person carrying a child needs to ensure that the integrals of prayer are fulfilled. For example, it is necessary for a part of the inside of each hand (even if the inside of a single finger from each hand) to touch the floor when prostrating. It is also necessary that one prostrate and bow for no purpose other than prostration and bowing. (i.e. One cannot move to pick up a child and then decide that one has already moved, so thereby simply continue on to prostrate or bow.)
There is no difference between fard and sunnah prayers, or praying alone or in a congregation.
And Allah the Exalted knows best.
Moustafa Elqabbany