Why you should not stop bringing your kids to the masjid

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The reality of bringing kids to the masjid is that you will not always be welcomed by everyone. No matter how adorable your kid is, there somehow will be that one person who will be disturbed by their presence. And sometimes, they will make sure that you know how they feel.

Teach kids about the manners at the masjid with this FREE printable.

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I was told not to bring my baby to the masjid

A couple of months ago, I encountered a woman who told me that I shouldn’t pray Jama’ah with my child right when the iqamah was being called. I was already in the rows, with baby in my arms. But she made sure I did not stay there.
Now, I can’t remember exactly what she said but it was along these lines;

You shouldn’t pray here.
Your baby might disturb others.
The people won’t be able to concentrate in their solah.
Mothers should not bring their bring their babies to the masjid
Pray at home instead, that’s the best place for mothers to pray.
Our ustadz here have mentioned this before.

To be fair, she was not at all rude. In fact, she tried her best to be as polite as she could and even apologized to me. Despite that, I couldn’t help but feel so upset. I felt a little angry too. My baby was not even crying and could barely crawl.

As she was talking, my mind started to recall the various hadith that I have heard before about the permissibility of bringing kids to the masjid. I wanted to throw it all out.

But I figured it wouldn’t do any good because the prayer was going to begin, and I probably will start an argument if I did. And so I gave in and moved away.

Do not stop bringing your kids to the masjid

Maybe you have encountered a similar situation, or perhaps even worse. Such incidents can leave us with a bitter taste to the point that we resent bringing our kids to the masjid.
But should those experience stop us from bringing our kids to the masjid? Definitely not.

8 Points of Bringing Kids to the Masjid

I have no authority to speak when it comes to matters pertaining to the deen. Therefore, in accordance with what Allah tells us in Surah an-Nahl verse 43, let’s refer this matter to the people of knowledge.
One of the most prominent scholars of our time, Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani has mentioned 8 points with regards to bringing kids to the masjid

#1 The Prophet ﷺ allowed children to enter the mosque

“The early Salaf, at the head of whom was our Prophet ﷺ, used to allow their children to enter his mosque ﷺ.”

#2 Reminding people to not bring their children, even kids who are not at the age where they are able to differentiate to the masjid, is not from his Sunnah

“…one of the Companions narrated, that one day he was praying ’Asr behind the Prophet ﷺ, and the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ prolonged the prostration during some of it, prolonging it to an extent which was not customary, so this Companion raises his head to make sure his Prophet ﷺ is okay, he feared that he may have passed away—when to his surprise he sees a strange sight, he sees him in prostration, and al-Hasan and al-Hussain … so the Companion feels at ease [that the Prophet ﷺ is okay] and falls back into prostration.

After he ﷺ gave salaam to end the prayer, they said to him, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! You prostrated in the prayer and prolonged it …’ so he ﷺ said, ‘My son was riding on my back and I did not want to disturb him …’

This boy went to the mosque for the prayer, he was, as you said, not at an age where he was able to differentiate—reminding those who pray, whether men or women, not to bring their children with them to the mosque, was not part of his ﷺ guidance.”

#3 Taking into consideration of the feelings of the mother, who is praying in Jama’ah, whose child is crying

“….he ﷺ never used to prevent them [from bringing their children to the mosque], in fact, he used to endorse it, in fact, he had a ruling specific to it: [where] he took into consideration the feelings of the mothers who used to pray behind him in salaah, and whose children were crying.

The Prophet ﷺ [even] while he was calling upon his Lord, would take note of the fact that there was a woman praying who had her child with her, and so, ‘I stand in prayer, then I hear a child crying, so I make my prayer brief because I do not want to cause hardship for his mother.’

Thus, he would shorten the lengthy recitation, which was a habit of his ﷺ, in order to free up a mother for her child. He ﷺ could have done the same as many of the ignorant Imaams do and have said, ‘Why do you bring your children to the mosque, disturbing us?’ and so on—he ﷺ did nothing of the sort.”

#4 Fulfilling the request of the child to go to the mosque even for play

“So based upon this, it’s more fitting that a child, if he were raised with an Islamic upbringing, and then longs to go to the mosque, even if it were [just] to play, even if it were [just] to play, if he asks to go with his father to the mosque then the father should fulfill his request..”

#5 Getting the child used to the best of all places (i.e. the masjid)

“…it will get him used to going to the best of all places.
[The place] about which the Prophet ﷺ was asked [the following question]: ‘What is the best of all places and the worst?’ and so he ﷺ answered, ‘The best of all places are the mosques, and the worst are the markets.’”

#6 A child raised to prefer the mosque instead of the streets, is a blessing

“So if a child was raised like that, and then wants to go to the mosque instead of the streets or alleys, then this is a blessing and very pleasing news.”

#7 Parents should facilitate the way for the child to go to the mosque

“So the father, in fact, the mother, should take advantage of this phenomenon and facilitate the way for him to go to the mosque.”

#8 Dealing with children with kindness

“Thereafter if he, and there is no doubt that this will happen, does something while playing or having fun which is not becoming in the mosque—and what play do you want which is greater than the Chief of Mankind ﷺ being taken as something to [climb and] ride on [as al-Hasan and al-Hussain did]—and even then he didn’t rebuke him, in fact he carried out a ruling specific to it [i.e., he prolonged the prostration], just like he had there [in that other instance I mentioned, when he shortened the prayer upon hearing a child cry, out of concern for the mother].

If this were done today there would be shouting from all corners of the mosques, ‘You made the prayer too long for us, O Shaikh … the boy, why did you bring the boy [to the mosque]?’

They don’t know the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ, they don’t know his kindness and compassion for his Ummah, and Allaah spoke the truth when He said, ‘… for the believers [he is] full of pity, kind, and merciful.’ [Tawbah 9:128]”
[Source: Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 66]

Teaching kids about the etiquette and manners of the masjid

Having said all these, bringing kids to the masjid requires a communal effort.

The people of the masjid should show understanding and support to mothers who bring young kids to the masjid. While at the same time, it is our responsibility as the guardian of the child, to try our best to keep the peace of the masjid.

Especially so when our children are able to differentiate between right and wrong. It is our job to teach our kids about the etiquette of being at the masjid.

Teach kids about the manners at the masjid with this FREE printable.

Download this FREE “Manners at the Masjid Kit” from our free resource library.

Therefore my dear sisters in Islam, do not be discouraged to bring your kids to the masjid. If you want to see your sons in the front rows of the congregation when they are older, start today. May Allah ease all our affairs. Allahumma Amiin.

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