FatwaFederal TerritoriesPrayer (Salah)
AL-KAFI # 1715 : BOLEHKAH KANAK-KANAK MENJADI IMAM SOLAT ?
Can a child lead a congregational prayer when the other participants are adult women?
Short answer
A child who has reached discernment (mumayyiz) may validly lead obligatory and voluntary prayers, based on the hadith of Amru bin Salamah, who led his people at the age of six or seven.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Prayer (Salah)
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
A child who has reached discernment (mumayyiz) may validly lead obligatory and voluntary prayers, based on the hadith of Amru bin Salamah, who led his people at the age of six or seven. It is nevertheless preferable to choose an imam from among adults according to their order of qualification, and praying behind a child is regarded as makruh according to the text in al-Buwaiti. If there is no other option, a mumayyiz child may lead. An uncircumcised child's prayer is also valid once the body is cleansed of impurity.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Namun solat berimamkan kanak-kanak mumayyiz tetap sah.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI # 1715 : BOLEHKAH KANAK-KANAK MENJADI IMAM SOLAT ?”, 28 April 2020. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/4483-bolehkah-kanak-kanak-menjadi-imam-solat. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/can-a-child-lead-the-prayer/