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Is Holding a Child in Salah Permitted? The Shafi’i View Posited

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Shafiifiqh.com

Compiled by Abul Layth

Sister Umm Muhammad wrote in a comment in one of the posts on SeekingIlm.com:

Bismillaah.Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad.
As-Salaamu ‘alaykum all.
A request/suggestion:
I’d appreciate if you could research the technicalities behind the whole “not supporting filth with your person” issue during salah. Alot of sisters pick up their children when they pray, but I refrain from doing so because of the almost constant najasah (my kid’s under 2 yrs).

Bismillah, Alhamdulillah:

The following verdict was taken from Imam An-Nawawi’s Sharh of Sahih Muslim.

The following hadith is what brings forth this discussion:

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ الزُّرَقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يُصَلِّي وَهُوَ حَامِلٌ أُمَامَةَ بِنْتَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلِأَبِي الْعَاصِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ شَمْسٍ فَإِذَا سَجَدَ وَضَعَهَا وَإِذَا قَامَ حَمَلَهَا

From Abu Qatadah Al-Ansari said that the Nabi would pray while carrying Umaamah bint Zaynab – and when he would go for prostration, he would put her down, and when he arose he would carry her again.

[Reported by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad with different chains, Abdur-Razzaq in his Musannaf although he adds to this narration “He carried her upon his shoulders”, and Abu Dawud with what is apparently a weak chain and different wording.] Ibn Hajr states that Umamah bint Zaynab was very young at this time, though does not mention a specific age.

Another hadith in support of carrying children is what is reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad from Abu Hurayrah thus:

حَدَّثَنَا أَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ حَدَّثَنَا كَامِلٌ وَأَبُو الْمُنْذِرِ حَدَّثَنَا كَامِلٌ أَبُو الْعَلَاءِ قَالَ أَسْوَدُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الْمَعْنَى عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ كُنَّا نُصَلِّي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْعِشَاءَ فَإِذَا سَجَدَ وَثَبَ الْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ أَخَذَهُمَا بِيَدِهِ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ أَخْذًا رَفِيقًا وَيَضَعُهُمَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ فَإِذَا عَادَ عَادَا حَتَّى إِذَا قَضَى صَلَاتَهُ أَقْعَدَهُمَا عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرُدُّهُمَا فَبَرَقَتْ بَرْقَةٌ فَقَالَ لَهُمَا الْحَقَا بِأُمِّكُمَا قَالَ فَمَكَثَ ضَوْءُهَا حَتَّى دَخَلَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ حَتَّى دَخَلَا عَلَى أُمِّهِمَا

“We were praying with the Prophet Muhammad Salatul-’Ishaa’, whenever he went down for prostration Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn (‘Alayhim Salaam) jumped upon the His (‘alayhis salaams) back. When he went to raise his head he took hold of them both, with a soft grasp, and placed them upon the ground and he kept doing this until the end of Salah and they were setting on his thighs…” [Imam Al-Haythami states in his Majma’, “The men of this chain are impeccably trustworthy.”]

What you find in the commentaries of this hadith, such as Fat-hul Baari, or Sharh Sahih Muslim, is disagreement regarding the permissibility of carrying children. The Malikis seem to staunchly defend the prohibition arguing several things:

1) Ash-hab reports from Malik that this was only due to darurah (necessity) because no one could take care of her. The Shafi’is respond that there is no proof for such a claim.

2) That it is abrogated, as the forbiddance of to many actions in Salah was abrogated. The Shafi’is say this occurred after the Hijrah, whereas the forbiddance occurred in Makkah.

3) Some, mainly Baji and Ibn Al-Qasim, say that this was in supererogatory (nafil) prayers, and is thus restricted to such. The Shafi’is respond by saying there is a report of this in Sahih Muslim that states, “And he was the Imam of the people leading in the Masjid,” indicating that it was an obligatory prayer.

4) Some Malikis claim that this is specific to the Nabi. Actually Qadi ‘Iyad made this claim saying, “This was specifically permitted for him (‘alayis salaam).” According to Al-Hafith Ibn Hajr and others such a claim requires specific dalil to specify specificity according to the principles of the religion.

Imam An-Nawawi comes out harshly against the critics, mainly the Malikis and Imam al-Khattabi. He says, “And everything that they plea with is Baatil (Null, void, having no substance, of no merit)! Refuted, and they have no proof for their stance!”

His argument states, ‘For the human is pure (Tahir), and what is in its stomach is pardoned. And the clothing of the child, as well as its skin, is pure until An-Najasah becomes absolutely clear. And Al-‘Amaal (actions) in Salah does not nullify it if it [as long as] they are few and the actions are separated, and the clear proofs of the law manifest such, and the Nabi (‘alayhis salam) doing this clarifies the permissibility of doing this act.’

So, the verdict according to our Shafi’i master, Imam An-Nawawi & Hafith Ibn Hajr, is that you can hold the child as long as there is no najasah. If one changed the diaper prior to making Salah, the problem would be solved.

There are other issues here as mentioned by Imam Ibn Hajr and An-Nawawi:

1) Children are allowed into the Masjid.

2) That touching a child does not break one’s wudu’.

3) That principally all clothes are pure until proven otherwise.

4) That it is permitted to have children play in the area where you are praying.

5) Being soft and merciful to children is the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhis salaam)

May Allah send his abundant mercy and blessings upon our beloved Master Muhammad, his family, companions, and followers. Amin!

Download the fatwa of Imam An-Nawawi in Arabic here.

This answer was collected from Shafiifiqh.com which was a repository of Islamic answers as per the Shafi’i madhhab. The website no longer functions. At its peak, many ‘ulama were involved with the site including Shaykh Mawlana Taha Karaan, Shaykh Abdul-Fattah ibn Abdullah, and Shaykh AbdurRagman Khan.

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