17th August 2024
Question: If my 5 year old son walks in front of me (mother) whilst I’m praying Salāh and starts fidgeting with my clothes then does that break my Salāh? In what instance does my Salāh break and can children be around us when praying Salāh?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, to begin with, there is a report that the Messenger of Allāh once carried a small girl (his granddaughter) on his shoulders whilst he was praying and putting her down when he prostrated. This of course did not result in excessive movement as of which the Salāh was not affected. So, there is no harm in children being around a musalli (the person praying Salāh). If your son passes in front of you then initially you may stretch out your arm to prevent him from walking in front of you. If he frequently walks in front of you and stopping him will distract your Salāh then the child can be left alone and not to be prevented, because a child walking in front of someone praying does not break the Salāh.[1] With regards to him fidgeting with your clothes during Salāh then as long as the awrah (the obligatory parts of a female worshipper’s body that must be covered which is the entire body except for the face, hands and feet) do not become exposed then the Salāh is valid.[2] Also note that frequent fidgeting or attempting to move him must not result in you excessively moving in your Salāh otherwise that would break your Salāh.
Allāh Knows Best
Written by: Apa Sumayya Qazi Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb Salāh, vol 1, p. 64
الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ فِي شُرُوطِ الصَّلَاةِ
سَتْرُ الْعَوْرَةِ شَرْطٌ لِصِحَّةِ الصَّلَاةِ إذَا قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ. كَذَا فِي مُحِيطِ السَّرَخْسِيِّ. الْعَوْرَةُ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنْ تَحْتِ السُّرَّةِ حَتَّى تُجَاوِزَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ فَسُرَّتُهُ لَيْسَتْ بِعَوْرَةٍ عِنْدَ عُلَمَائِنَا الثَّلَاثَةِ وَرُكْبَتُهُ عَوْرَةٌ عِنْدَ عُلَمَائِنَا جَمِيعًا هَكَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ. بَدَنُ الْحُرَّةِ عَوْرَةٌ إلَّا وَجْهَهَا وَكَفَّيْهَا وَقَدَمَيْهَا. كَذَا فِي الْمُتُونِ
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb Salāh, vol 1, p. 116
وَلَوْ مَرَّ مَارٌّ فِي مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ لَا تَفْسُدُ وَإِنْ أَثِمَ وَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي يُكْرَهُ الْمُرُورُ فِيهِ وَالْأَصَحُّ أَنَّهُ مَوْضِعُ صَلَاتِهِ مِنْ قَدَمِهِ إلَى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ. كَذَا فِي التَّبْيِينِ.
Ibn Nujaym, Bahr Rāiq, Kitāb Salāh, vol 2 p. 16-18
وَأَمَّا الثَّالِثُ وَهُوَ مُرُورُ الْمَارِّ فِي مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِ الْمُصَلِّي فَإِنَّمَا لَا يُفْسِدُهَا عِنْدَ عَامَّةِ الْعُلَمَاءِ سَوَاءٌ كَانَ الْمَارُّ امْرَأَةً أَوْ حِمَارًا أَوْ كَلْبًا أَوْ غَيْرَهَا لِحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحَيْنِ «عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – كَانَ يُصَلِّي وَأَنَا مُعْتَرِضَةٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَإِذَا سَجَدَ غَمَزَنِي فَقَبَضْتُ رِجْلِي فَإِذَا قَامَ بَسَطْتُهُمَا وَالْبُيُوتُ يَوْمئِذٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا مَصَابِيحُ» ………
وَكَذَا مُرُورُ الْمَارِّ فِي أَيِّ مَوْضِعٍ يَكُونُ مِنْ الْمَسْجِدِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مُرُورِهِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَفِي مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ الْمَسْجِدُ كَبِيرًا بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْجَامِعِ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ الصَّغِيرِ فَيُكْرَهُ الْمُرُورُ فِي جَمِيعِ الْأَمَاكِنِ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الصَّحْرَاءِ اهـ.
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb Salāh, vol 1, p. 101
(النَّوْعُ الثَّانِي فِي الْأَفْعَالِ الْمُفْسِدَةِ لِلصَّلَاةِ)
الْعَمَلُ الْكَثِيرُ يُفْسِدُ الصَّلَاةَ وَالْقَلِيلُ لَا
[2] Note: A more detailed explanation of Awrah can be understood by dividing it into two parts. Heavy; the buttocks and the genital area and light; all other limbs besides that. If more than one Dirham (approximately 2.75 cm in diameter) of the heavy awrah becomes exposed Salāh will become invalid and if one quarter of the light awrah becomes exposed it will invalidate Salāh.
Al-Ikhtiyar Li Ta’lilil Mukhtar, vol 1, p. 46
وَالْعَوْرَةُ عَوْرَتَانِ: غَلِيظَةٌ وَهِيَ السَّوْءَتَانِ، وَخَفِيفَةٌ وَهِيَ مَا سِوَاهُمَا، فَالْمَانِعُ مِنَ الْغَلِيظَةِ مَا تَبْدُو زِيَادَةً عَلَى قَدْرِ الدِّرْهَمِ، وَفِي الْخَفِيفَةِ رُبُعُ الْعُضْوِ كَمَا فِي النَّجَاسَاتِ، وَالذَّكَرُ عُضْوٌ بِانْفِرَادِهِ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْأُنْثَيَانِ