The Hanbali Stance: Prepubescent Boys May Not Lead Mature Males

Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn said:

The statement of al-Ḥajāwī (author of Zād al-Mustaqniʿ) indicates that a prepubescent boy may not lead another who has reached the age of puberty. Male puberty occurs by:

1. 1. Reaching fifteen years of age
   2. Genital hair growth
   3. Spermarche (first seminal emission) — whilst awake or asleep.

The occurrence of any one of these three is indication that a boy has reached the age of puberty.

It is the position of al-Ḥajāwī that the ṣalāh of the one being led by a prepubescent boy is invalid. This stance is supported by evidence from the Sunnah and by logic. As for the Sunnah, it was narrated that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Do not bring forth your fools, or your boys to lead your ṣalāh.”^[1] As for logic, the ṣalāh performed by a prepubescent boy is considered supererogatory (nafl), while the ṣalāh of the pubescent man he is leading is obligatory (farḍ). Obligatory actions occupy a higher station than supererogatory ones. In consideration of this, how can one whose actions occupy a higher station follow another whose actions are below it? Correct analogisation (qiyās) would dictate that those of a higher station are themselves followed, not that they are made to follow those beneath them. Consistent with this reasoning, a prepubescent boy may validly lead another prepubescent boy in ṣalāh. This is also the position espoused by al-Ḥajāwī.

Evidence of Upright Boys Leading Men in Prayer and Its Conditions

The second opinion on this issue is that it is perfectly valid for a man to be led by a prepubescent boy. The evidence for this opinion is that it was authentically reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī that the companion ʿAmr ibn Salamah al-Jarmī (رضي الله عنه) led his people in ṣalāh at the age of six or seven. He (رضي الله عنه) was an erudite, clever youth that would acquire portions of the Qurʾān from the riders that would visit his tribe from al-Madīnah, memorising the portions of it he heard from them instantaneously. After accompanying the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم), his father narrated that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “If the time for ṣalāh arrives, instruct someone amongst you to call the adhān and command the one that has memorised the greatest proportion of the Qurʾān to lead you in ṣalāh”. ʿAmr said: ‘Upon hearing this, the people examined those present but could not find another who had memorised more of the Qurʾān than I had because of the portions of it that I had acquired from the riders that visited us. Thus I was brought forth to lead the people despite being only six or seven years of age. When leading, I had donned a burdah (sleeveless piece of cloth worn as an outer garment) that would ride up when I performed sujūd such that a woman amongst the tribe said: “Could you not see to it that the backside of your reciter is thoroughly covered?” So they purchased and stitched a shirt for me to wear, and I never again felt the type of elation and happiness that I experienced upon being given that shirt.’^[2]

As for the ḥadīth: “Do not bring forth your boys to lead your ṣalāh”, it is completely baseless and therefore not authentically narrated from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

As for the analogisation mentioned by the proponents of the first opinion, there is a principle in Islamic jurisprudence: Any analogisation contrary to passages (relayed from the Qurʾān or Sunnah) is invalid. This is because all analogisation is a form of opinion that could potentially be correct or incorrect, and it is impermissible to postulate a religious view based entirely upon opinion alone. For if we possess an authentic ḥadīth that clarifies an issue, then comparatively, mere opinion lacks any importance.

[Q]: In the aforementioned ḥadīth of ʿAmr ibn Salamah (رضي الله عنه), is there any evidence to prove that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was aware that ʿAmr was leading his people in ṣalāh at that age?

[A]: We could say that he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) knew, or that he did not, or that we are unable to ascertain either way. If he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was aware of it, then this ḥaḍīth supports the second opinion in a plainly evident way. Contrarily, if he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was unaware, then indeed Allāh was aware, and His approval of this occurrence during the period in which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was receiving revelation is itself an indication of permissibility and that him leading is unobjectionable. For had it been objectionable, Allāh would have objected to it (in the form of revelation) even if the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was ignorant of it. We may further evidence this with the following:

1. The statement of the Most High:

يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لَا يَرْضَىٰ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطًا

“They may hide (their crimes) from men, but they cannot hide (them) from Allāh, for He is with them (by His knowledge), when they plot by night in words that He does not approve, and Allāh ever encompasses what they do.”
(Al-Nisāʾ, 4:108)

Here, Allāh has objected to their plotting at night despite the fact that the people were unaware of its occurrence. This is because their plotting by night relates only to that which is objectionable. This indicates that Allāh has obligated His clarification of such affairs, even if the people of the time are ignorant of this concealed plotting.

2. The companions evidenced the permissibility of ʿazl^[3] by stating that it was done while the Qurʾān was still being revealed.^[4][5]

Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz said:

There is nothing wrong with a boy leading the ṣalāh provided he has reached the age of seven and is able to pray correctly, as this was authentically narrated from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the ḥadīth: “Command your children to pray at the age of seven and beat them (i.e, discipline them) in relation to it at the age of ten”^[6]. Although the very best course of action when choosing who to lead the congregation in ṣalāh is to select the most well-versed reciter among them. If their levels of recitation are equivocal, then the most knowledgeable among them of the Sunnah. If their levels of knowledge are equivocal in this as well, then the earliest among them to perform hijrah should be selected. If they are akin to one another in the performance of hijrah, then the eldest should be selected to lead the prayer, as authentically narrated in a ḥadīth from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).^[7][8]