Salah (Prayer) of Children and When Should They Begin Salah (Prayer)

إِنَّا نَأْمُرُ صِبْيَانَنَا بِالصَّلَاةِ إِذَا كَانُوا بَنِي خَمْسِ سِنِينَ فَمُرُوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ إِذَا كَانُوا بَنِي سَبْعِ سِنِينَ وَ نَحْنُ نَأْمُرُ صِبْيَانَنَا بِالصَّوْمِ إِذَا كَانُوا بَنِي سَبْعِ سِنِينَ بِمَا أَطَاقُوا مِنْ صِيَامِ الْيَوْمِ إِنْ كَانَ إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَوْ أَقَلَّ فَإِذَا غَلَبَهُمُ الْعَطَشُ وَ الْغَرَثُ‌[3] أَفْطَرُوا حَتَّى يَتَعَوَّدُوا ال

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘We instruct our children to perform Salah (prayer) when they are five years old. Instruct your children to perform Salah (prayer) when they are seven years old. We instruct our children to fast when they are seven years old if they can endure fasting even up to midday, or more than th

كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ص يَأْمُرُ الصِّبْيَانَ يَجْمَعُونَ بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَ الْعِشَاءِ وَ يَقُولُ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَنَامُوا عَنْهَا.

“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), would instruct children to perform Salah (prayer) of al-Maghrib and al-‘Isha’ soon, one after the other, saying that it is better for them than falling asleep.”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الصِّبْيَانِ إِذَا صَفُّوا فِي الصَّلَاةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ قَالَ لَا تُؤَخِّرُوهُمْ‌[4] عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ وَ فَرِّقُوا بَيْنَهُمْ.

‘Do not push them back from obligatory but separate them from each other (boys from girls).’”