The hadith in question of this doubt is the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As رضي الله عنهsaying:
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُرُوا أَوْلاَدَكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ وَاضْرِبُوهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ وَفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that disciplining a child must be based on correction, not anger or harm. If a child is old enough to understand and light discipline will genuinely benefit the child, then it may be used when needed. However, if the child is too young to understand, such as a baby who is only crying, then striking is not permissible, because it only causes pain without benefit. Even when discipline is used, it must not be severe, must not cause harm, and must never be on the face or any dangerous part of the body.
He also said that guardians are obliged to command children to pray from the age of seven, because the Prophet ﷺ commanded this, and because proper guardianship requires doing what is best for the child. The command to strike them for prayer at the age of ten is also taken as an obligation, but only where it brings real correction and is light, safe, and not harmful. If striking does not benefit the child and only leads to crying or distress, then it is not to be used. As for Fajr, he mentioned that waking a child for it may involve hardship, especially in winter, and since the child is not yet morally responsible, this may be lifted from the guardian in such a case.
Fatawa Translated Below
Question: O Shaykh, is it permissible to strike a young child when the child does something wrong? Can this affect the child’s wellbeing? What is the correct way to guide a child at this age?
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn, may Allah have mercy on him, answered: If a child can actually be corrected through striking, and there is no other suitable way, then there is no harm in it. This is something people have commonly practised.
However, if striking will not correct the child, such as a baby in a cradle who cries and is then struck by the mother, then this is not permissible, because it only causes pain without any benefit.
The matter depends entirely on whether the striking will discipline the child or not. If the child will benefit from it, then the striking must not be severe. The child must not be struck on the face, nor on any place that could cause serious harm or death. Rather, it should only be on the back, shoulder, or a similar place where it will not cause destruction.
Striking the face is especially dangerous, because the face is the highest and most honoured part of a person. Being struck on the face causes greater humiliation and disgrace than being struck on the back. For this reason, striking the face has been forbidden.
Kitāb Fatāwā Nūr ʿalā al Darb li Ibn ʿUthaymīn 2/24
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Command your children to pray when they are seven years old.”
Does this command indicate obligation?
He answered that the command here does indicate obligation.
The first reason is that it is a command, and the basic rule regarding the commands of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ is that they indicate obligation.
The second reason is that this matter comes under proper care and good guardianship.
The guardian is required to do what is most beneficial and most upright for the child under his care.
Therefore, commanding the child to pray at the age of seven is obligatory upon the guardian.
Likewise, the Prophet’s ﷺ saying:
“Strike them for it when they are ten.”
This command also indicates obligation.
However, this is only where striking will actually bring benefit and correction.
Sometimes a child may be struck, but it does not benefit him at all. Rather, he only cries and screams more, and no correction is achieved.
The striking intended here is not severe striking. It is only light discipline that brings about correction without causing harm.
As for Fajr prayer, it may be said that waking a child for it can involve hardship, especially during the winter. Since the child has not reached the age of moral responsibility, and the prayer is not yet obligatory upon the child himself, this may be lifted from the guardian in such a case.
Kitāb Liqāʾ al Bāb al Maftūḥ by Ibn ʿUthaymīn 95/18
