When a child is told to pray

Sayyiduna Sabrah bin Ma'bad al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a boy reaches seven years of age, command him to pray, and if at ten years of age he still leaves the prayer, beat him."

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Command your children to pray when they reach seven years of age; if at ten years of age they still do not pray, beat them; and separate their beds."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to say: Wake the child for prayer, and let him pray, even if it is only a single prostration.

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once passed by a woman who was waking her child for prayer while he was being stubborn. Sayyiduna Umar said to her: "Leave him; the prayer is not obligatory on him until he understands it."

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The child is to be taught the prayer when he can tell his right from his left.

Al-A'mash said: Ibrahim used to teach the child the prayer once his milk teeth had fallen out and grown back.

Ibrahim said: The predecessors used to teach children the prayer once their milk teeth had fallen out and grown back.

Urwah used to teach his children the prayer when they reached understanding, and have them fast when they were able to bear it.

Abd al-Rahman al-Yahsubi said: When the child can count to twenty, he is to be commanded to pray.

The same is reported through another chain.

Makhul said: When the child reaches seven years of age he is to be commanded to pray, and when he reaches ten he is to be beaten for leaving the prayer.

Maymun bin Mihran said: When the child reaches puberty, he is to be commanded to pray.

Abu Ishaq used to teach the child the prayer when he was between seven and ten years of age.

Ja'far reports from his father that Ali bin al-Husayn used to command the children to pray Zuhr and Asr together, and Maghrib and Isha together. Someone said to him: "In this way they will be praying outside the prayer's time." Ali bin al-Husayn said: "This is better than them sleeping through it without praying."

Ibn Sirin said: The child is to be taught the prayer when he can tell his right from his left.

The same is also reported from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Make your children accustomed to the prayer.