What is the proper age to tell children to pray?
A person passes through stages.
He begins as a young child without discernment.
As the jurists say, he cannot tell a date from an ember, nor good from evil.
So this child is not commanded to do anything, nor held accountable.
But if he does something good we guide him to it.
Then if we find he can memorize a bit of Quran, we have him memorize it.
If he likes to pray, we do not stop him.
Rather, we encourage him to pray. But we do not command him at first.
Because he is not ready for commands.
Then he moves on to the age of discernment.
As for the age of discernment, some jurists say it has no set age.
Rather, it is based on actual ability. Once he can tell things apart.
what helps or harms him, he has reached discernment.
Some say it is age seven, and this is closer, because.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Command them to pray at seven."
And this is a gentle command.
with kindness and guidance, and encouragement, without intimidation.
Without intimidation. Come, let's pray.
If you pray, you will have from Allah.
Important, brothers. Very important.
If you pray, Allah grants you Paradise.
My Lord will admit you to Paradise, with such and such in it.
Do not accustom them.
Children to acts of devotion for worldly gain.
It is wrong to instill in a child.
to draw near to Allah only for this world.
Tell him, "Pray, and I'll give you a dirham."
Pray and get ten dirhams.
Pray, and I'll take you to such-and-such place.
This nurtures in his heart.
worldly aims.
But make the goal Paradise and Allah's pleasure.
And tell him.
Perhaps if you pray, Allah ﷻ will guide me, and I'll give you ten.
Connect him to Allah. He is a child who absorbs.
Perhaps, if you pray, Allah will make it easy for me to take you there.
Tie him to Allah.
And this is very important in faith-based upbringing.
in instilling sincerity in hearts, and linking them to Allah ﷻ.
ﷻ. That is why you find some children do not lie.
And if you ask him, 'Why?'
He says, lying leads a person to the Fire.
It leads one to the Fire. That's how I was raised.
And this stays with him.
But if he's taught, "Don't lie, or I'll be upset."
So if he is away from you he sees no problem.
So take note of this.
Now, we say: at age seven, they are instructed by encouragement.
Without intimidation or hitting No cursing, no insults, nothing.
Until age ten.
Three years. You must. And pay attention to this, brothers.
You must, O father and O mother.
to tell him to pray; it isn't obligatory yet.
That is, your obligation is to command; prayer is not obligatory.
Meaning, if you don't command him, you sin. And if he does not.
pray, then he is not sinful.
And this matter should continue.
At each prayer: So-and-so, pray.
Until age ten. Then, when he reaches ten.
He needn't pray and isn't sinful if he doesn't.
But he must be struck when he turns ten if he still does not pray.
so he's ready to pray by puberty.
So from age ten until puberty, deterrence begins.
That includes striking until he is regular in prayer.
This is what the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ indicates.