Where do I stand?

[Umm3mar]

Salamo Aleikom

The continuing saga of being Muslim in America, alhamdu'lillah.

I work in an afterschool program. At the begining of the school year a mother approached me (her son attends our program) and introduced herself and family as being Muslim as well. (She recognised me as Muslim b/c my hijab).

Dad's from Turkey but not practicing. Mom reverted, but hasn't learned much due to husband's apathy. The kids are pretty much only exposed to Islam through the grandparents when they come to visit.

Anyway, her son, as I said is enrolled in our program. I can feel him watching me constantly. I am the only leader he choses to interact with. It is almost as if mom has instructed him "She's the one to go to."

The other day, I made wudu in the wc, and was going to do duhr in the office when he asked me, "Are you going to pray?" I told him I was. Then he asked to join me.

WHAT COULD I SAY???? "Wait until you get home?" ... "You can't pray with me?" (How can an adult look at a child who is anxious to pray and turn him away?)

I told him, "Go wash".

I asked him if he would do iqamah, he said he didn't know how. I then wondered how much knowlege he did have. I asked him if he knew any surahs, "Qul huwa allahu ahad." (Al ikhlas, masha'allah).

To clarify, I asked him if he knew how to wash (make wudu). This, alhamdu'lillah, he did know. His grandfather taught him to wash to go to Jumaa prayer.

So,I find myself being imam for a non relative child (7 yrs). Where do I stand? So far, I've positioned myself so he's on my right, with my furthest toe parallel to his heel. (so he is a few inches ahead of me). Do I modify this?

Al'hamdu'lillah I have the opportunity to be an influence in his life. Insha'allah I hope to do so in a correct manner.

 

[virtualeye]

Salamo Aleikom

The continuing saga of being Muslim in America, alhamdu'lillah.

I work in an afterschool program. At the begining of the school year a mother approached me (her son attends our program) and introduced herself and family as being Muslim as well. (She recognised me as Muslim b/c my hijab).

Dad's from Turkey but not practicing. Mom reverted, but hasn't learned much due to husband's apathy. The kids are pretty much only exposed to Islam through the grandparents when they come to visit.

Anyway, her son, as I said is enrolled in our program. I can feel him watching me constantly. I am the only leader he choses to interact with. It is almost as if mom has instructed him "She's the one to go to."

The other day, I made wudu in the wc, and was going to do duhr in the office when he asked me, "Are you going to pray?" I told him I was. Then he asked to join me.

WHAT COULD I SAY???? "Wait until you get home?" ... "You can't pray with me?" (How can an adult look at a child who is anxious to pray and turn him away?)

I told him, "Go wash".

I asked him if he would do iqamah, he said he didn't know how. I then wondered how much knowlege he did have. I asked him if he knew any surahs, "Qul huwa allahu ahad." (Al ikhlas, masha'allah).

To clarify, I asked him if he knew how to wash (make wudu). This, alhamdu'lillah, he did know. His grandfather taught him to wash to go to Jumaa prayer.

So,I find myself being imam for a non relative child (7 yrs). Where do I stand? So far, I've positioned myself so he's on my right, with my furthest toe parallel to his heel. (so he is a few inches ahead of me). Do I modify this?

Al'hamdu'lillah I have the opportunity to be an influence in his life. Insha'allah I hope to do so in a correct manner.

AssalaamuAlaikum,


If he is an adult then you cant do this to her.
If he is not adult then you are actually just like a mother teaching the child on the way.


Respected Sister, Please keep in mind about the way of infidels and misguided muslims who are not going advocate the imamat of women. And the roots of all this are coming from America and Canada. So that student should not be tought in such a way that he considers the imamat of woman to be right.


On the other hand I understand that you are the only opportunity to him to learn about Islam. As I said, if he is not adult then you are just teaching him how to recite and how to perform prayer. There are some good websites (and may this website too) which teach how to offer prayer. He should be told to watch that too.


WassalaamuAlaikum WRWB,
VE

 

[Happy 2BA Muslim]

Assalamu alaikum Sister,

May Allah reward you for showing this young muslim the right path. You have been given a responsibility towards him, and ma sha Allah, I`m sure you are up to it.

To tell you the truth, I thought it was permissible for you to lead this 7-year-old boy, since you are more knowledgeable. Also, since you are teaching him. But after searching, I came up with this ruling from the Islam Q&A website.

A boy leading a woman in prayer and vice versa ​

Question:
Can my 7yr old lead me in salaah? can i lead him in salaah being his mother? note:he learnt how to pray by copying me and following me in salaah

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is OK for a boy who understands the prayer to lead others in prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “People should be led in prayer by the one who knows the most Qur’aan among them.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Masaajid wa Mawaadi’ al-Salaah, 1078). And it was narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaari that ‘Amr ibn Salamah al-Jarami said: “My father came from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said that he had heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘When the time for prayer comes, let the one among you who knows the most Qur’aan lead you in prayer.’ They looked and they did not find anyone who knew more Qur’aan than me, so they made me lead them in prayer, and I was a boy of six or seven years.” (al-Maghaazi, 3963. See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 7/389-390)

The evidence to be found in the hadeeth is that these Sahaabah asked ‘Amr ibn Salamah to lead them in prayer when he was six or seven years old. This indicates that a boy who has reached the age of discernment can lead the prayers. If that were not permitted, there would have been Revelation to say that it was not allowed. (Ahkaam al-Imaamah wa’l-I’timaam fi’l-Salaah by ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Muneef).

If your son fulfils all the conditions and obligations of the prayer, then there is nothing wrong with him leading you.

With regard to a woman leading a boy in prayer, this is not permissible, because he comes under the same rulings as a man. What is permitted is for a woman to lead other women in prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Umm Waraqah bint ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Nawfal to lead the members of her household – i.e., the women – in prayer. (Narrated by Abu Dawood, al-Salaah, Imaamat al-Nisaa’, 500, Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 553).

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

What I would suggest is that you pray in front of him separately (not in congregation with him), while he is a little behind (also praying separately), so that he can imitate you. He, of course, has to learn what to say during prayer. This is until he can pray independently with self-confidence.

Allah knows best.

 

[virtualeye]

AssalaamuAlaikum,

Brother 'Happy....' has explained very well.

Sorry I did not carefully read the age of child before. He is in the process of learning and is too young. So he can just learn as children learn from their mothers. So it is ok to teach him through the observation (Given that there is no other Male Good Muslim available around).

Then afterwards when he keeps on praying and learning, he might be able to lead the prayer if he is well taught by you (InshaAllah). Then you can simply ask him to lead prayer. After he grows up further then he can be told in the casual talk that, in Islam Men lead the prayer (since he will already be leading so will not be so surpirsed).

If he ponders as Why Women can not lead prayer, then politely you can explain that there are some duties Allah SWT has given the men and some to women. It is Father's duty to work out of home and earn for his wife and children, while its Mother's duty to nuture the child and help the child when he is very young, so that he can grow up strong and can be a better protector and helper of the women of the family.

Well, I am not as good in explaining as Brother "Happy_2B_Muslim".

Wassalaam,
VE