Q. During a congregational prayer recently, a boy of about 8 years of age was standing next to me. A man then pulled him back so as to stand behind the lines of the worshippers. At the end, the man told me that if the boy continued to stand with us, our prayer would not be proper. Please comment.

Alamgir

A. To say that the congregational prayer will be improper if a child of 7 or 8 is standing alongside adults is wrong. We are instructed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell our children to pray when they are 7. How can we teach them to pray unless we actually train them. Part of such training is to attend congregational prayers. If there are several children in the congregation, then it is better if they form a line of their own behind the men’s rows. If there is one or two, they can stand wherever is appropriate. If the child is younger, then it is better that the child stands next to his father or mother. The Prophet said: “At times I intend to make my prayer long, but then I hear a child crying, and I would cut my prayer short as a gesture for its mother’s sake.” Needless to say, this is a case of a very young child, perhaps not more than 3 years of age. Such children should stay close to their parents. Otherwise, they may wander around and their parents would be worried about them.

Some people object to such young children being brought into the mosque. This is wrong. The Prophet’s grandchildren came into the mosque when they were very young. On one occasion, one of them climbed over the Prophet’s back when he was in prostration, and the Prophet stayed long in that position until the child came down of its own accord. People were worried that something might have happened to the Prophet. When they finished, they asked him about the reason for his long prostration, and he said: “My son was on my back, and I did not like to hurry him.” On another occasion, the Prophet’s granddaughter, Umamah, was close to him, and he carried her as he led the prayer. When he prostrated himself, he would put her down, but when he stood up, he would carry her.

To conclude, if there are several children who can pray properly, i.e. aged 7 and over, they should preferably form a line behind the adults. If the number is no more than one or two, there is no harm in them standing among the adults in their rows. Younger children stand with their parents.

Employment for Women

Q. A husband is in a good position and he can provide his family with decent living. His wife is a medical doctor. Is it appropriate for her to seek employment, which will ensure a better standard of living for the family, but her children will be with servants for much of the day?

Dr. Anwar

A. There can be no simple answer to this question. Each married couple will need to decide what they do according to their own circumstances. They have to look at their obligations and commitments, considering the benefits and the negatives of each alternative. One of their top responsibilities is to bring up their children and give them the best care and education. Another is to use their abilities to what benefits them, their families and community. How do people balance these is up to them. They have to consider their own circumstances. What may be of benefit to them in making their decisions is to consult some reliable and trustworthy friends and relatives, and also to pray to God to enable them to make the right choice. This can be done through the istikharah prayer.

We cannot pronounce a ruling requiring every professional woman to stay at home when she has young children. There are situations when such a woman may be called upon to work. The income she receives from her work may yet be of very secondary importance. The reader mentions the case of a wife being a medical doctor. Suppose she lives in a village where there is no other woman doctor. If she works, she will be of great service to her community. If she does not, she will be denying her community something that is not easy to compensate for. In this case, the woman should try to find a way in which she can combine working and looking after her children, adjusting her time so as to ensure that neither responsibility impinges on the other. Having said that, I would like to add that earning a better living is not something to be despised. God says in the Qur’an: “Say, ‘Who is there to forbid the beauty which God has produced for His servants, and the wholesome means of sustenance?’ Say, ‘They are (lawful) in the life of this world, to all who believe — to be theirs alone on the Day of Resurrection.’ Thus do We make Our revelations clear to people of knowledge.” (7: 32)

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