Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
That child must be extremely fortunate into whose mouth the blessed rinsing water (kali) from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is placed.

Explanation:
Some children are so intelligent, sharp, and perceptive that even at the age of five, their maturity (bulugh) can be considered reliable. Here, such a child is intended. From this, it is established that if a boy or a donkey passes in front of someone performing prayer, the prayer is not invalidated. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has taken this as evidence that the narration of a boy is authentic, since Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma was still a boy at that time. Yet, his narration was accepted. In another narration, there is mention of Mahmood, who was very young; since he remembered this matter, his narration was deemed reliable. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam placed him (in front) purely out of compassion and for blessing.

Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah did not specify any age restriction in the chapter; he merely indicated at what age hearing (of hadith) would be valid, and as evidence, he presented the hadith of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma, which points to an age close to youth, and after that, he presented the hadith of Sayyiduna Mahmood bin Rabi’ radi Allahu anhu, who was five years old at the time. Now, the relevance is that when a boy narrates a hadith with understanding and composure, then the narration will be considered valid without any age restriction. That is why Imam Bukhari rahimahullah did not specify any age or puberty in the chapter.

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes:
«مقصود الباب الاستدلال على ان البلوغ ليس شرطا فى التحمل .» [فتح الباري ج1 ص226]
“That is, the purpose of the chapter is to establish that puberty is not a condition for bearing (hadith).”

◈ Shah Waliullah rahimahullah says:
«لا اختلاف فى أن أداء الحديث و تبليغه لا يغني الا من العاقل البالغ، وأما تحمله فيجوز من الصبي بعد ان يناهذ الاحتلام و اذا عقل فميز بين الخير و الشر، فأثبت مؤلف رحمه الله ذالك .» [شرح تراجم ابواب البخاري ص49]
“There is no disagreement in this matter that for the transmission (ada’) of hadith, being sane and mature (baligh) is necessary; however, for bearing (tahammul), being mature is not necessary. «صبي» Whoever is close to puberty and can distinguish between good and bad, his bearing is valid. The author (Imam Bukhari rahimahullah) aims to establish this.”

◈ Allamah Sindhi rahimahullah says:
“Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned here two particular incidents. From their combination, it is understood that there is no fixed limit for the validity of bearing and hearing (of hadith); rather, the absolute age of discernment and understanding is the age of valid hearing and bearing.” [حاشية السندي على صحيح البخاري، ج1، ص46]
This is also the opinion of Allamah Mahmood Hasan; see: [الابواب و التراجم۔ ص 49]

Benefit:
The hadith scholars have differed on the issue of at what age the hearing of hadith is considered valid. Various researchers have transmitted different opinions and demonstrated their scholarly abilities.
◈ According to Imam Ibn Ma’in rahimahullah, the hearing at the age of fifteen years is considered valid, and according to some scholars, the hearing at the age of twenty years is considered valid, and some have even mentioned ten years. For details, see: [الكفاية فى علم الرواية ص 73]
◈ The position of Imam Ibn Ma’in rahimahullah that fifteen years is valid for hearing hadith has been criticized by several hadith scholars, and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal rahimahullah has strongly refuted this position. See: [الكفاية ص 73]
◈ Imam Yazid bin Harun rahimahullah specifies thirteen years. [الكفاية ص55]
◈ Musa bin Harun Hammal rahimahullah says that when a child can distinguish between a cow and other animals, that is the age of bearing. [الكفاية ص65]
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Salah rahimahullah writes:
Instead of specifying an age, it should be seen whether the child understands speech and can respond. Therefore, if there is a child who is not even five years old but has the ability to understand and respond, his hearing is valid, and it is entirely possible that someone older than five years does not have the ability to understand and respond, so the hearing of such a person is not valid.
↰ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal rahimahullah has described this as “intellect and retention”—that when a child understands and has the ability to retain, his hearing is valid. [الكفاية ص 63]
◈ Qadi Iyad rahimahullah says:
«قد حدد أهل الصنعة فى ذالك ان أقله سن محمود بن ربيع .» [ألالماع ص 58]
“That is, the minimum age for bearing is that of Mahmood bin Rabi’.”

↰ The majority, who do not stipulate puberty nor specify any age, base their evidence on those narrations which are transmitted from the young Companions radi Allahu anhum, such as Sayyiduna Hasan and Husayn, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Ja’far bin Abi Talib, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, Sayyiduna Nu’man bin Bashir, Sayyiduna Sa’ib bin Yazid, Sayyiduna Miswar bin Makhramah, Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, Sayyiduna Muslim bin Makhlad, Sayyiduna Abu Salamah, Sayyiduna Yusuf bin Abdullah bin Salam, Sayyiduna Abu al-Tufayl, Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aisha radi Allahu anhum ajma’in. The hadith scholars have not made any distinction in their narrations as to whether these narrations are from before or after puberty. [فتح المغيث السخاوي ج2 ص308۔ المحدث الفاصل للرامهرمزي ص189]

◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal rahimahullah says:
The age of fifteen years is absolutely correct for fighting (qital), because physical strength and martial skill are required for that, whereas for bearing hadith, intellect and retention are required. If someone possesses intellect and retention, then he is permitted to hear hadith, and his hearing is valid. [فتح الباري ج1 ص171]

According to some hadith scholars, even the hearing at the age of five years is valid, as the hadith of Mahmood bin Rabi’ clearly indicates this. Nevertheless, if the positions of the hadith scholars rahimahumullah are examined in depth, the majority have not stipulated any age; rather, for the validity of hearing hadith, they have given preference to understanding, discernment, benefit, and capability.

◈ Sayyiduna Hasan radi Allahu anhu says that I put a date of charity in my mouth, so the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took it out and said «كخ كخ» meaning, “Throw it away.” [صحيح البخاري كتاب الزكاة رقم 1491]
«كخ كخ» This is the expression used for a child who is nursing or close to nursing. See: [النكت اللزركشي 3/468]
↰ Therefore, the preferred position is that whatever age understanding and discernment are present, that age is valid for hearing hadith. This is also the view of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah. See: [فتح المغيث 216/2، الكفاية62، مقدمه ابن الصلاح73]

Hadith Commentary:
➊
From this hadith, it is understood that intelligent children may be present in gatherings of knowledge, and people of knowledge may also engage in light-heartedness with them, provided there is no fear of temptation (fitnah). It is also understood that saliva is not impure (najis).
(Fath al-Bari: 1/227)
➋
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah did not mention here the incident of Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr radi Allahu anhu, that during the Battle of Ahzab he saw his noble father hurrying swiftly towards Banu Qurayzah, and at that time he was only three years old.
The reason for not mentioning this incident could be that no legal ruling (mas’alah) or Sunnah is established from it.
He has only narrated those reports from which a legal ruling is established.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/227)
However, he has certainly mentioned this incident in the chapter on the virtues of al-Zubayr.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Virtues of the Companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Hadith: 3720)

Commentary:
(1)
Hazrat Mahmood bin Rabee' bin Suraaqah radi Allahu anhu was from the Ansar tribe of Banu Khazraj. When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to them, this incident took place.

(2)
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did this so that it would be a source of blessing for the household.

(3)
There is blessing (barakah) in anything that comes into contact with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, which is why the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum preserved the blessed hair and other items of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. However, the Companions and the Followers (Tabi'in) did not preserve any items related to any other revered personality (whether Companion or Follower) as a means of seeking blessing (tabarruk).

(4)
On this occasion, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took water into his mouth and then sprinkled it onto the face of Hazrat Mahmood radi Allahu anhu, meaning that it is permissible to play affectionately with children.

(5)
From this hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah deduced that if a five-year-old child hears a hadith, it will be counted as a valid chain of transmission (isnad). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, Chapter: When is the hearing of a minor valid?, Hadith: 77)