Expelling children from the mosque in South Africa

5-9-2004 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am a student at university studying engineering .I am a revert to Islaam. My coming to Islaam was on the basis of the love and mercy I read about. The affection that the prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, showed towards the children, Hassan, Husayn. The kindness and the fact that he instilled in them great confidence in South Africa however Islaam portrayed by the indo-pak so called "Ulamah" is extremely harsh and strange. I have especially a problem because of a certain Fatwa passed by the council of theologians which says "no children under the age of seven years to be allowed in the Masjid as they cause a nuincsance" citing the Hadith of Sunan Abu Daawood "do not allow the insane, unclean and the children into the Masjid". This sign is placed in bold letters outside Masjid doors and notice boards.
I do understand the fact that the prohibition should be on those who would mess the Masjid or be unclean, but the ruling pertains to children in general.
The reasons the ruling explains are as children cause a nuincance - make noise. How many children do you know of below the age of 3 that are not toilet trained? Is it permissible to bar people from the Masjid? How could children learn to love Islaam and recognize its beauty when we bar them from the Masjid?
Was it not Hassan and Husseyn and little Zainab, may Allaah be pleased with them, who accompanied the Prophet in prayer? Was it not the Prophet who picked up a child crawling passed him while he was performing the Khutbah?
Was it not the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, who shortened his prayer out of mercy to the children?
In South Africa in Ramadhaan, there are men from the "indo-pak" community who dedicate there entire Taraweeh Salah, to hit and to throw the children out of the Masjid. I challenge you to come to South Africa and see this. This happens in every Masjid I have visited throughout the land.
Can you imagine this? Assaulting a harmless child in the Masjid in the month of Ramadhaan? This has led to a lack of leaders in our community.
I would appreciate it if you could help me understand this and to give some sort of explanation for this apparent absurd Fatwa. May Allah preserve his pristine and beautiful faith.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

 No doubt, what the questioner has mentioned about some people who hit children and throw them out of the mosques is totally contrary to Islamic principles. Going to mosques while accompanying children was a common practice during the period of the Prophet ; much evidence supports this fact. For example, Imaam Ahmad reported from Abu Bakrah that he said: "Sometimes the Prophet used to lead people in prayer and Al-Hasan Ibn Ali both, would ride on his back whenever the Prophet prostrated. This happened more than once." Imaam Ahmad also reported that Abu Hurayrah said: "We were performing I'shaa' prayer with the Prophet and whenever he prostrated Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn both, would sit on his back. Whenever the Prophet raised his head from the prostration he removed them gently from his back and put them on the ground. He continued dong so until he finished the prayer. Thereafter, he put them in his lap. Abu Hurayrah said, 'I asked the Prophet 'should I take them to their mother? He replied "No". Suddenly, there was lightening, then the Prophet said to them: "Go to your mother"; they went to their mother seeing their way with the light of lightening."

Imaam An-Nasaa'ee reported in a long Hadeeth that Al-Hassan jumped on the back of the Prophet during one of the Maghrib or I'shaa' prayers. The Prophet made a long prostration and after finishing the prayer, he said: "My child rode upon me, so I disliked to rush him until he fulfilled his joy."

The Prophet also said: "When I stand for the prayer, I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut it short, as I dislike to trouble the child's mother." [Al-Bukhari]

There are many other narrations in this matter.

 As for the narration: "Keep your children away from your mosques", this is not an authentic narration. Therefore, this narration should not be an excuse to beat the children or expel them out of the mosque or to be harsh with them.

On the contrary, there are many benefits in taking children to the mosques; for instance, it makes them habituated to the prayers and to attend study circles in the mosques, etc. Moreover, taking them to the mosques is a useful means of protecting them from bad friends and from the wide-spread amusement and entertainment that badly affect them.

On the other hand, we would like to make clear that when we allow taking children to the mosques, we do not permit them to disturb people, or to play with the Qur'aan, or to damage the belongings of the mosque, or even soil the mosque, etc. So, the children's guardians have to supervise them and teach them the etiquettes of the mosque.

Finally, we inform the questioner that mistakes of the Muslims or some praying person should not be attributed to Islam. In fact, Islam must not be measured by the mistakes of its followers, but rather all should be judged by Islam.

Allaah knows best.