1
00:00:00,220 --> 00:00:03,500
What is the proper age
to tell children to pray?

2
00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,320
A person passes through stages.

3
00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:15,020
He begins as a young child
without discernment.

4
00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:22,840
As the jurists say, he cannot tell
a date from an ember, nor good from evil.

5
00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,020
So this child is not commanded
to do anything, nor held accountable.

6
00:00:29,420 --> 00:00:32,540
But if he does something good
we guide him to it.

7
00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,960
Then if we find he can memorize
a bit of Quran, we have him memorize it.

8
00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,570
If he likes to pray,
we do not stop him.

9
00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,140
Rather, we encourage him to pray.
But we do not command him at first.

10
00:00:47,860 --> 00:00:50,080
Because he is not ready for commands.

11
00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,980
Then he moves on
to the age of discernment.

12
00:00:56,060 --> 00:00:59,936
As for the age of discernment,
some jurists say it has no set age.

13
00:01:00,020 --> 00:01:03,236
Rather, it is based on actual ability.
Once he can tell things apart.

14
00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,980
what helps or harms him,
he has reached discernment.

15
00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:10,236
Some say it is age seven,
and this is closer, because.

16
00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:13,700
The Prophet ﷺ said,
"Command them to pray at seven."

17
00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:16,980
And this is a gentle command.

18
00:01:17,820 --> 00:01:22,240
with kindness and guidance,
and encouragement, without intimidation.

19
00:01:24,380 --> 00:01:27,500
Without intimidation.
Come, let's pray.

20
00:01:30,940 --> 00:01:33,516
If you pray, you will have from Allah.

21
00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,380
Important, brothers.
Very important.

22
00:01:36,100 --> 00:01:38,220
If you pray, Allah grants you Paradise.

23
00:01:38,740 --> 00:01:41,680
My Lord will admit you to Paradise,
with such and such in it.

24
00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:43,136
Do not accustom them.

25
00:01:43,220 --> 00:01:45,900
Children to acts of devotion
for worldly gain.

26
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:50,540
It is wrong to instill
in a child.

27
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,140
to draw near to Allah
only for this world.

28
00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,800
Tell him, "Pray,
and I'll give you a dirham."

29
00:01:57,620 --> 00:01:59,060
Pray and get ten dirhams.

30
00:01:59,420 --> 00:02:01,680
Pray, and I'll take you
to such-and-such place.

31
00:02:02,940 --> 00:02:05,080
This nurtures in his heart.

32
00:02:06,060 --> 00:02:06,840
worldly aims.

33
00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:13,130
But make the goal Paradise
and Allah's pleasure.

34
00:02:14,180 --> 00:02:14,900
And tell him.

35
00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,540
Perhaps if you pray, Allah ﷻ
will guide me, and I'll give you ten.

36
00:02:22,260 --> 00:02:25,380
Connect him to Allah.
He is a child who absorbs.

37
00:02:27,060 --> 00:02:31,620
Perhaps, if you pray, Allah will
make it easy for me to take you there.

38
00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:33,440
Tie him to Allah.

39
00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:37,640
And this is very important
in faith-based upbringing.

40
00:02:38,580 --> 00:02:42,540
in instilling sincerity in hearts,
and linking them to Allah ﷻ.

41
00:02:43,340 --> 00:02:48,340
ﷻ. That is why you find
some children do not lie.

42
00:02:50,300 --> 00:02:51,656
And if you ask him, 'Why?'

43
00:02:51,740 --> 00:02:54,760
He says, lying leads a person
to the Fire.

44
00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,700
It leads one to the Fire.
That's how I was raised.

45
00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,480
And this stays with him.

46
00:03:04,460 --> 00:03:07,380
But if he's taught,
"Don't lie, or I'll be upset."

47
00:03:10,820 --> 00:03:13,690
So if he is away from you
he sees no problem.

48
00:03:14,660 --> 00:03:16,416
So take note of this.

49
00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:20,720
Now, we say: at age seven,
they are instructed by encouragement.

50
00:03:22,580 --> 00:03:26,880
Without intimidation or hitting
No cursing, no insults, nothing.

51
00:03:29,020 --> 00:03:29,800
Until age ten.

52
00:03:31,340 --> 00:03:34,320
Three years. You must.
And pay attention to this, brothers.

53
00:03:35,580 --> 00:03:38,700
You must, O father and O mother.

54
00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,120
to tell him to pray; it isn't
obligatory yet.

55
00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,640
That is, your obligation is
to command; prayer is not obligatory.

56
00:03:47,740 --> 00:03:50,676
Meaning, if you don't command him,
you sin. And if he does not.

57
00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:52,200
pray, then he is not sinful.

58
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,220
And this matter should continue.

59
00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,440
At each prayer:
So-and-so, pray.

60
00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,600
Until age ten.
Then, when he reaches ten.

61
00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,620
He needn't pray
and isn't sinful if he doesn't.

62
00:04:14,580 --> 00:04:18,380
But he must be struck when he turns ten
if he still does not pray.

63
00:04:21,280 --> 00:04:24,240
so he's ready to pray
by puberty.

64
00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,520
So from age ten until puberty,
deterrence begins.

65
00:04:32,180 --> 00:04:36,260
That includes striking
until he is regular in prayer.

66
00:04:37,140 --> 00:04:42,100
This is what the Sunnah
of the Prophet ﷺ indicates.