بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Does the participation of a Naa-Baaligh (minor) boy in Salaah with adults break the Saff or nullify the prayer of the adults therein?
If a boy stands in the Saff with adults, neither does the Saff break nor is the Salaah of adults nullified.
Ideally the sequence of Sufoof (pl. of Saff) is that if there are many children in number, they should be placed after the rows of adults.
Allamah Allaudeen Haskafi (Allah be pleased with him) states,
“If there is a single child, he should stand in the Saff.”
(Durre Mukhtaar, part 1, pg. 84, Published by H.M. Saeed Company, Karachi)
Allamah Hasan ibn Ammar Shurunbulaali (Allah be pleased with him) states,
“If there isn’t a group of boys, the child should stand in the Saff.”
(Maraaqil Falaah, pg. 308, Published by Darul Kutubul Ilmiyyah, Beirut)
Aala Hazrat Imaam Ahmed Raza Khan Barailwi (Allah be pleased with him) states,
“This is because the Salaah of a child who possesses discernment and understands (the method of) Salaah is certainly correct and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has commanded gaps in a Saff to be filled, standing together therein and has severely prohibited doing contrary to this.”
(Fataawa Razvia, Vol. 7, pg. 51, Published by Raza Foundation, Lahore)
He further states,
“Some ignorant individuals commit the following atrocity that if a child is joined in (the Saff of) Salaah already, they move him to the side – even though he has already folded his hands in Salaah – to stand in the Saff themselves. This is utter ignorance. Likewise, to think that the Salaah of an adult is not valid if a boy stands together in the Saff is wrong and baseless.”
(ibid)
Allah and His Rasool know best.
Darul Iftaa
Islamic Lifestyle Solutions
0312077276
