Assalaam walaikum,
Sometimes due to the location of masjids the children do not attend the same schools. Many children are stuck Monday to Friday with the kufr. They see other Muslim children and they play.
If the behavior is bothersome to everyone..step up and do something.
When a child is five they run around; when they are fifteen they move your car; bring you food and some even come and visit.
I guess I am glad we had the Prophet.
I did not the masjid had an age limit to attend. That is a new one. Women bring children of all ages to the masjid. I have the blessing of having little toddlers pray with me.
A community takes responsibility for its members..so start taking responsibility. I love to go to the masjid because I get my hugs and kisses. Do you hug the children..do you take time to tell them to take the energy out of the building...do you take time to talk to the kids...from the responses I gather no
We are not empty churches or synagogues or temples. The energy level is very high in a masjid. The angels of Allah are there, the jinns, the Believers...and children react to that energy...
Anyhow...I would rather take a truckload of screaming little monsters than one sour old adult who is quiet.
salaams to all
whose fault is that?
we cant deny that the vast majority of muslim immigrants to the west unfortunately put dunya before deen.
amongst the first generation of immigrants-the women dont work but as the newer generations are born n raised in the west- they also see fit to work in order to afford the lifestyle they see advertised on TV.
i know the cost of living is not cheap- but again, lets be honest- the women work to afford the luxuries- not necessities
yes, some may cite a few examples bu tthose are exceptions.
then comes the issue of men marrying girls who are nor deendaar/pious.
these families also are the ones who place more importance on secular education than deeni/islamic education
i know its harder in the west but there are families who make sacrifices to their dunya just to ensure their children get a good deeni education.
i personally know people in the USa who do this
they move to places where there is an islamic school and even take alower paying job-etc
but the vast majority are not prepared to do this & then we have the above problem as one of the results of their attitude.
and you seem to trivialise the whole issue- as if hugs n kiises from sweet children makes up for violating the sanctity of the musjid n disturbing others.
this is not the only way to make children feel welcome at the musjid- cos they will grow up feeling welcome to behave anyway they wish.
it has to be made clear from the beginnig- and those that cant understand-should not be brought until they reach the age of understanding.
heres more from a scholar:
Categories of Children
There are three categories of children:
(1) The first type are those who are innocent and young. They neither understand the etiquette of the masjid nor do they know anything about prayer. They do not have the understanding that the masjid is a place for worshipping All�h. There is also the danger that they urinate in the masjid [f: this happens more often than one may initially imagine!] or play therein and violate its sanctity. Children of five to six years [f: usually] fall in this category. [f: The legal consideration is not the age itself, but being able to uphold the proper etiquette, such as causing an undue nuisance to those praying. This is what the Hanafi scholars mention, and similar details are mentioned in texts of the Malikis, Hanbalis, & Shafi`is. If the parents are reasonably sure that their child will behave, and are not expected to soil the masjid, then there is great benefit, the scholars tell us, in taking them to the masjid.]
The ruling for such children [f: who are not reasonably expected to behave and will be an undue nuisance to those praying] is that it is not permissible to bring them to the masjid.
It is the responsibility of the parents to see that they do not bring such children to the masjid. If they do so and the children violate the sanctity of All�h's house, the parents will be sinful because the children themselves are innocent. The masjid trustees can also prohibit such children from entering the masjid.
There is a limit for every act in Shari'ah. These limits are what we call D�n and we all have to abide by these limits.
[This is the category of children the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) referred to when he said, �Keep the insane and [small] children away from your masjids.� [Ibn Maja, and others] ]
(2) The second category is those children who are slightly older. They are between seven to eleven years old.
Such children understand the status of a masjid and respect it to a certain degree. However, due to lack of a complete understanding, they do not respect it fully. It is permissible to bring such children to the masjid but it is better not to do so [f: if there is still some fear that they may cause an undue nuisance. This goes back to the parents� upbringing of the child and the child�s nature. The scholars mention that there is very strong benefit in bringing children to the masjid especially in non-Muslim countries, where they do not see a lot of Muslims around them, as this is a strong part of developing their Muslim identity.]
(3) The third category of children is those who are close to maturity. Their ages range from twelve to fourteen. However, a fifteen-year-old child is considered mature even if he does not have any signs of puberty.
The ruling for this category is that they should be brought to the masjid in order to inculcate the habit of prayer with congregation because prayer becomes obligatory on them the moment they reach the age of puberty. It is obligatory on them to attend the masjid for prayer with congregation. If this habit is not inculcated before puberty, it will take time after puberty as a result of which they will forgo their prayers with congregation. Thus it is imperative to bring the youngsters to the masjid while guiding them at home to respect the masjid. They should be taught not to make a noise in the masjid as it is a sanctified place where the name of All�h is taken.
and Allah ta'ala knows best
jazakallah