Abu Dawud

1736. Commentary: If small children are with their parents or guardians, they should also be included in the acts of Hajj. As much as they are able to participate on their own, it is better; the rest should be performed by the parents. Carry them during tawaf and sa’i. Keep them with you in Arafat and Muzdalifah. Throw the pebbles (rami) on their behalf, etc. The reward for these actions is for the parents, and what a great blessing and virtue it is that with little expense and minor effort, one attains the reward of additional Hajj. If there is one child, then one Hajj; if there are two, then the reward of two Hajj, and so on. However, after reaching puberty, they will have to perform their own obligatory Hajj of Islam.

(1) It is not obligatory for a minor or a child below the age of maturity to perform the obligatory acts (fara'id), but if he performs any obligatory act or is made to perform it, then it will be valid and rewardable. For example: if parents make their infant child perform Hajj, then in such a case, the responsibility of the ihram of Hajj and its restrictions will be upon the parents, that they should take care of them. That is why they will receive the reward for the child’s good deeds. Similarly, if a seven-year-old child performs prayer (salah) or fasting (sawm), then the conditions must also be observed, for example: ensuring purity (taharah) and ablution (wudu) for prayer, etc. However, this does not mean at all that the child will not receive any reward; rather, the child will also receive reward, and since the guardians make the child perform these acts with effort and hardship, they too will receive reward due to this hardship.

(2) There is near consensus on the matter that the Hajj performed before reaching maturity does not suffice for the obligatory Hajj; rather, it must be performed after reaching maturity. The fatwa of the narrator of the hadith, Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu, and other Companions is a strong proof of this.

(3) The child about whom the question was asked in this hadith appears to be very small, as the woman had lifted him up in her hand. In any case, there is certainly reward for the mother, because she carries him around.

Urdu marginal note:
"You will receive the reward." In the case of being very young, the intention (niyyah) for reward is also necessary. If the child has reached the age of discernment (tamyiz), then he will also perform the actions.

These people too were returning from Hajj. "Rauha" is the name of a place on the route between Makkah and Madinah, which is approximately forty miles from Madinah Munawwarah.

This hadith has been mentioned through five chains of transmission, the greatest benefit of which is that by combining all the chains, the complete details of the incident become known. Furthermore, it becomes clear that this hadith is neither rare (shadh) nor isolated (gharib).

583 Lexical Explanation:
«رَكْبًا» “ra” has a fatḥa (zabar) and the “kaf” is sukun (sakin). It is the plural of «راكب». It refers to a caravan.
«بِالرَّوْحَاءِ» «رَوحاء» — the “ra” has a fatḥa (zabar) and there is a madd at the end. It is the name of a place near Madinah Tayyibah.
«فَقَالُوا : مَنْ اَنْتَ» So they said, “Who are you?” Qadi ‘Iyad said that perhaps you met them at night and they did not recognize you, and it is also possible that you met them during the day but they had not seen you before. [سبل السلام]
«وَلَكِ اَخِرً» By carrying him and performing Hajj with him, you will receive reward and merit.

Benefit:
This hadith is evidence that the Hajj of a minor child is valid, but it does not suffice for the obligatory (fard) Hajj, as will be mentioned further in the hadith.

Benefit:
It is established from this hadith that a child can also perform Hajj, and its reward will be given to his parents. When that child reaches adulthood, if he possesses the means, Hajj will become obligatory upon him, and he will have to perform Hajj again. [مصنف ابن ابي شيبه : 14875 موقوف صحيح ]
It is also established from this hadith that children should also be taken along for Hajj and Umrah, if one has the means, so that they may witness the symbols of Allah (sha'air Allah) from childhood. A woman may ask questions from a non-mahram scholar.