Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, and beat them for (not offering) it when they are ten, and separate them (boys and girls) in beds
Narrator in the source: ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb reported from his father on the authority of his grandfather that the Messenger of Allah
‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb reported from his father on the authority of his grandfather that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, and beat them for (not offering) it when they are ten, and separate them (boys and girls) in beds."- Grade in the source
- Hasan
- Reported by
- Narrated by Abu Dāwūd
- Source entry
- HadeethEnc · 5272 ↗
Original Arabic wording
عن عمرو بن شُعيب عن أبيه عن جدِّه قال: قال رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «مُرُوا أولادكمِ بالصلاةِ وهم أبناءُ سبعِ سِنينَ، واضرِبوهم عليها وهم أبناءُ عَشرٍ، وفرِّقوا بينهم في المَضاجِعِ».Understand this hadith
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that the father should command his children - boys and girls - to pray when they are seven years old, and he should teach them what they need to establish prayer. On reaching ten, he should add the beating if they show negligence in observing the prayer. Moreover, he should separate them in beds.
Lessons from the hadith
- Teaching young children before reaching the age of puberty matters of religion, the most important of which is prayer.
- Beating should be for the sake of discipline, not torture, so he should beat in a way that suits the child's circumstance.
- The Shariah cares about protecting people's honor and blocks all means that may lead to corruption.
References (original Arabic)
سنن أبي داود (1/ 367) (495، 496). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 299). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 382).
