Question: Asalaaualaikum Sheikh, I would like to know if it is permissible to hold my child in Salaah according to the Hanafi Madhhab. If i do, will this action be Amal-e-katheer?
Answer:
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
نحمده ونصلى على رسوله الكريم
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
With regards to holding a child in Salaah, the Fuqahaa have mentioned that to do so will be permissible in the case of necessity, viz: fear of a predatory animal attacking or fear of them drowning etc, to hold them in Salaah without there being any need for it will be Makrooh.
The Fuqahaa and Muhadithun have established that holding a child in Salaah and placing him down while going into Ruku’ and thereafter picking the child up whilst coming up from Sajdah does not constitute Amal-e-Katheer as is understood from the Ahadith of Rasulullaah Salallaahu Alaihi Wasallam.[1] These were non-consecutive actions taking place in different Rukn’s of Salaah.
Majority of the Ulama state that such an action of Nabi Salallaahu Alaihi Wasallam were non-continuous and non-consecutive actions which did not disrupt his composure in Salaah. It is also possible for it to be carried out with one hand; hence both the above fall under the ambit of Amale Qaleel. Amale Qaleel according to the Madh-hab does not render the Salaah Faasid.
Allaamah Shaami has mentioned that Amal-e-Katheer –according to the most correct opinion – is when the onlooker, due to the actions of the person performing Salaah has no doubt (i.e. he is convinced) that he is not in Salaah. Such actions which put the onlooker into uncertainty will be termed as Amal-e-Qaleel.
Note: Onlooker refers to a person who is unaware that the person performing Salaah has started it already.
It should also be noted, that which is done with two hands or done consecutively in one Rukn normally does give an onlooker the impression that this person is not in Salaah.
In light of the above view of Allaamah Shaami and what Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Ludhyanwi (Rahimahumallaah) has mentioned, if the onlooker sees a person doing three non-consecutive actions in three separate Rukn, he will not be convinced that the person is not in Salaah. This is more so when the Rukn is lengthy and there is a considerable duration of time between the actions.
Thus we can safely say that Amal-e-Katheer will render the Salaah invalid and Nabi Salallaahu Alahi Wasallams actions were not Amal-e-Katheer rather it was Amal-e-Qaleel.
Allaamah Kaasaani [D.587] has stated: the same ruling will apply in our times as well if a person holds a child due to necessity however, without necessity it will be Makrooh.
{See: Sharah Muslim of Nawawi (marginal notes of Muslim) pg.205 vol.1, I’laa-us-Sunan vol.4 pg. 1593 – Dar-ul-Fikr, Fathul Mulhim vol. 4 pg. 78 – Dar-ud-Dhiyaa, In’aam-ul Baari vol. 3 pg. 289- 290, Umda-tul-Qari vol. 3 pg. 606, Shaami vol. 2 pg. 385- Maktabah Zakariyyah Deoband, Badaai’-us-Sanaai’ pg. 533 vol. 1, Ahsan-ul-Fataawa vol. 3 pg. 419}
In the case where one does pick up the child in Salaah or the child sits on the lap while performing Salaah one will need to be cautious that the child has not spoiled his/her diaper. If the child is of age where he is no longer suckling then his/her sitting on the lap whilst performing Salaah will not invalidate the Salaah as the Najaasat will be attributed towards the child however, in the case where the child is of suckling age then his/her Najaasat will invalidate the Salaah as the Najaasat will be attributed towards the person performing Salaah. The latter will be when it is proven that the child did have Najaasat on him/her.
{See: Radd-ul-Muhtaar ala-Ad-Durr pg. 317 vol. 1- H.M Saeed, Tahtaawi Ala-al-Maraaqi pg. 208 – Darul-KutubAl- Ilmiyah, Faidhul Baari vol. 2 pg. 86}
The following passages from the books of Fiqh have elaborated on this:
ومنها : العمل الكثير الذى ليس من اعمال الصلاة فى الصلاة من غير ضرورة فأما القليل فغير مفسد……وقال بعضهم : كل عمل لو نظر الناظر اليه من بعيد لا يشك أنه فى غير الصلاة فهو كثير، وكل عمل لو نظر اليه ناظر ربما يشتبه عليه أنه فى الصلاة فهو قليل وهو الاصح……وعلى هذا الاصل يخرج….. وكذا لو ادهن أو سرح رأسه أو حملت امرأة صبيها وأرضعته لوجود حد العمل الكثير على العبارتين فاما حمل الصبي بدون الارضاع فلا يوجب فساد الصلوة لما روى “ان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يصلى في بيته، وقد حمل أمامة بنت أبى العاص على عاتقه، فكان اذا سجد وضعها واذا قام رفعها” ثم هذا الصنيع لم يكره منه صلى الله عليه وسلم لانه كان محتاجا الى ذلك لعدم من يحفظها أو لبيانه الشرع بالفعل أن هذا غير موجب فساد الصلوة ، ومثل هذا فى زماننا ايضا، لا يكره لواحد منا، لو فعل ذلك عند الحاجة، أما بدون الحاجة فمكروه {بدائع الصنائع ص553 ج1 ـ كتاب الصلوة، مفسدات الصلوة}
وكذا يكره حمل الصبى فى حالة الصلاة وإن كان بعذر لا يكره {الفتاوى التاتارخانية ص208 ج2 ، كتاب الصلوة، الفصل: 4 ما يكره للمصلى و ما لا يكره}
وحمل الصبى بلا عذر، وهو الخوف من سبع، أو ماء، أو نار، فحينئذ لا يكره {نفع المفتى والسائل ص295،كتاب الصلوات، المكروهات المتفرقة}
{انظر ايضًا: الحاوى القدسي ص211 ج1 ،كتاب الصلوة، باب ما يفسد الصلوة وما لا يفسدها}
قال ابن عابدين: قال فى الفتح وغيره: ثم انما يعتبر المانع مضافا إلى المصلى ، فلو جلس الصبى أو الحمام المتنجس فى حجره جازت صلاته لو الصبى مستمسكا بنفسه ، لأنه هو الحامل لها ، بخلاف غير المستمسك كالرضيع الصغير حيث يصير مضافا إليه…..{رد المحتار على الدر المختار ، باب الانجاس ص317 ج1}
وكذا:حاشية الطحطاوى على المراقى ، كتاب الصلوة ـ باب شروط الصلوة ص208
And Allaah Ta’ala knows best
Musayyab Sahib
10th Sha’baan 1436
29th May 2015
Checked and Approved by
[Mufti] Muhammad Irshad
[1] Saheeh-ul-Bukhaari # 516, Saheeh Muslim # 543, Sunan Abu Dawood # 917
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