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MADRASA AL-HIDAYA |
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MUSLIM SCHOOL OF RIGHT GUIDANCE |
Bismillāh ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm
MANBA‘ AL-IMDĀD: A FOUNTAIN OF HELP
A Compendium of the talks of:
AL-HABĪB AHMAD MASH-HŪR BIN TĀHĀ AL-HADDĀD
Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Compiled by his grandson:
As-Sayyid Muhammad bin Mustafā Bū Numay
Rahmatullāhi ‘alayh
DARS 26: TEACH THE CHILD TO PRAY SALAH AT THE AGE OF SEVEN
In the words of my master, my grandfather, may Allah spread his benefit, when he explained the Saying of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace.
Teach the child to Pray Salah at the age of seven and beat him if he neglects it at ten.
He repeated, may Allah be pleased with him.
Teach the child to Pray Salah at the age of seven.
Both male and female children have been mentioned here.
And beat him for it (if he neglects it) at the age of ten.
In the same way, if he reaches the age of ten, he should be taught belief in Pure Islamic Monotheism, what is permissible and what deviates from the rightful due of Allah, the Exalted and the rightful due of the (Prophetic) Messenger (Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
And teach him about the name of the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam), and about his birth, and something from his biography, and teach him what is easy for him from the laws of Islam, as learning in childhood is like engraving on a stone.
And the wisdom to teach the child about Prayer at the age of seven is because at that time and at that age, he does not know anything, even if he can eat on his own, drink on his own, and clean himself on his own. Why has the Lawgiver urged us to teach him about Prayer? He has commanded us to habituate him because if this thing enters into someone small, it becomes like a habit for him and he sees it as something that is a must like eating. So it becomes deep-rooted in him and he becomes attached to Prayer and grows up on it. And vice versa.
So it is up to the father to bring up his son if he reaches the age of seven or nine or ten under a good watchful gaze. If he intends to go to the masjid, he takes his son with him. Or if he intends to attend a gathering of goodness, or a celebration of the birth (of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam), or a gathering of learning, he takes him with him. He raises him on it. And the habit is formed only if the zeal to goodness has been aroused and he has been raised on goodness and on worship (of Allah). So he does not return to bother him later.
Many of our parents have this character trait. The first ones raised their children on worship. So they do not need to bother about it later.
Be as it may, it is incumbent on us to act on this Prophetic character trait for our children and raise them on it. There is reward for us because the good deeds like Salah and others done by a child are recorded (as good deeds by the angels) for his father. The Pen does not write (the good deeds) for him until he reaches maturity. So if he reaches fifteen years or attains puberty, he becomes obligated to observe the precepts of religion, and from that time onwards, his good and bad deeds get recorded. But if he is not yet mature, the reward of what he does goes to his father who taught him, and this is a big benefit.
But if he has not yet attained maturity and discernment, he should not take him with him to the masjid. Perhaps he might do things that are not good, like urinate in the masjid or cry, as has happened many times in Makkah. Then he has to take him out of the masjid…..
till the end of what my master said, may Allah spread his benefit.