Ghusl (bath) for Children and Salah (Prayer) for Them

السِّقْطُ إِذَا تَمَّ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ غُسِّلَ.

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A miscarried child (fetus) after four months is given Ghusl (bath).’”

إِذَا عَقَلَ الصَّلَاةَ قُلْتُ مَتَى تَجِبُ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ إِذَا كَانَ ابْنَ سِتِّ سِنِينَ وَ الصِّيَامُ إِذَا أَطَاقَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about Salah (prayer) of a child. He (the Imam) said, ‘There is Salah (prayer) for him when he is able to understand it (Salah (prayer)).’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘When it becomes obligatory for him? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is when he is six years old and there is fasting on him wh

رَأَيْتُ ابْناً لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِي حَيَاةِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع يُقَالُ لَهُ- عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَطِيمٌ‌[2] قَدْ دَرَجَ‌ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا غُلَامُ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي إِلَى جَنْبِكَ لِمَوْلًى لَهُمْ فَقَالَ هَذَا مَوْلَايَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَوْلَى يُمَازِحُهُ لَسْتُ لَكَ بِمَوْلًى فَقَالَ ذَلِكَ شَرٌّ لَكَ‌[1] فَطَعَنَ فِي جِنَازَةِ الْغُلَامِ فَمَاتَ‌[2] فَأُخْرِجَ فِي سَفَطٍ إِلَى الْبَقِيعِ فَخَرَجَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ

“I saw a son of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), during the life time of abu Ja‘far (a.s.), called ‘Abd Allah Fatim moved in. I asked him about their Mawla’ next to him, ‘Who is he next to you?’ He replied, ‘He is my Mawla’ (servant or follower).’ The Mawla’, joking with him said, ‘I am not your Mawla’.’ He said, ‘That is worse

مَاتَ ابْنٌ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَأُخْبِرَ بِمَوْتِهِ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَغُسِّلَ وَ كُفِّنَ وَ مَشَى مَعَهُ وَ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ وَ طُرِحَتْ خُمْرَةٌ[6]- فَقَامَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ قَامَ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ وَ انْصَرَفْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى إِنِّي لَأَمْشِي مَعَهُ فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ يُصَلَّى عَلَى مِثْلِ هَذَا وَ كَانَ ابْنَ ثَلَاثِ سِنِينَ كَانَ‌ عَلِيٌّ ع يَأْمُرُ بِهِ فَيُدْفَنُ وَ

“One of the sons of Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), died. He (the Imam) was informed of his death and he commanded for Ghusl (bath) and shroud. He (the Imam) walked in his funeral and performed Salah (prayer). A prayer mat was spread and he (the Imam) stood on it, then he (the Imam) stood on his grave until he was free, then moved

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ السِّقْطِ إِذَا اسْتَوَى خَلْقُهُ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الْغُسْلُ وَ اللَّحْدُ وَ الْكَفَنُ فَقَالَ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal (a.s.), about a miscarried child whose body is complete if Ghusl (bath) is necessary as well as al-Lahad (a horizontal or vertical) ditch in the grave). He (the Imam) said, ‘All of such things are necessary.’”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ السِّقْطِ كَيْفَ يُصْنَعُ بِهِ فَكَتَبَ ع إِلَيَّ أَنَّ السِّقْطَ يُدْفَنُ بِدَمِهِ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ‌[2].

“I once wrote to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), asking about what is done for a miscarried child. He (the Imam) wrote to me, ‘A miscarried child is buried with his blood in his place (right away).”’

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّهُ لَمَّا قُبِضَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص جَرَتْ فِيهِ ثَلَاثُ سُنَنٍ أَمَّا وَاحِدَةٌ فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا مَاتَ انْكَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ انْكَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ لِفَقْدِ ابْنِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ فَصَعِدَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْمِنْبَرَ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَ أَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ

"When Ibrāhīm, the son of the Messenger of Allah (sw), passed away, three traditions were enacted concerning him. One of them was that when he died, the sun was eclipsed, and the people said, 'The sun is eclipsed due to the loss of the son of the Messenger of Allah.' So, the Messenger of Allah (sw) ascended the pulpit,

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ النَّاسَ يُكَلِّمُونَا وَ يَرُدُّونَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْلَنَا إِنَّهُ لَا يُصَلَّى عَلَى الطِّفْلِ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُصَلِّ فَيَقُولُونَ لَا يُصَلَّى إِلَّا عَلَى مَنْ صَلَّى فَنَقُولُ نَعَمْ فَيَقُولُونَ أَ رَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا نَصْرَانِيّاً أَوْ يَهُودِيّاً أَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ مَاتَ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ فَمَا الْجَوَابُ فِيهِ فَقَالَ قُولُوا لَهُمْ أَ رَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ هَذَا الَّذِي أ

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that people speak against us and do not accept our words, ‘there is no Salah (prayer) for a deceased child’; he has not performed any Salah (prayer). They say, ‘You say that there is no Salah (prayer) for those who have not performed any Salah (prayer).’ We say, ‘Yes that is true.