Fatwa: # 15185
Category: Prayer (Salaat)
Country: South Africa
Date: 13th May 2007

Title

Can a non Baligh boy give Adhan?

Question

is it permissible for a non baligh boy of about 12/13 years who is currently doing hifz to give the iqaamat for a fard salaat in the musjid. Secondly, if the musjid usually only have only 1 row of muqtadees behind the imam and this one row is not full i.e. there is still space in this row, should the non baligh boys complete this row or should they form the second row for the salaah. Please advise what is the ruling on the above mattters. Jzk.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

1. If the boy is not baligh but has understanding, then it is permissible for him to give Azhan and Iqaamah, however it is preferable that a baligh male give the Azhan and Iqaamah.

Al-Fatawa al-Hindiya (1:54) Maktaba Rasheediya

Rad  al-Muhtar (1:391) H.M. Saeed Company

- أذان الصبي العاقل صحيح من غير كراهة في ظاهر الرواية ولكن أذان البالغ أفضل (الفتاوى الهندية)

- ( ويجوز ) بلا كراهة ( أذان صبي مراهق وعبد )  قال ابن عابدن : ( قوله : بلا كراهة ) أي تحريمية لأن التنزيهية ثابتة لما في البحر عن الخلاصة أن غيرهم أولى منهم . ا هـ . ح . أقول : وقدمنا أول كتاب الطهارة الكلام في أن خلاف الأولى مكروه أولا فراجعه . ( قوله : صبي مراهق ) المراد به العاقل وإن لم يراهق كما هو ظاهر البحر وغيره ، وقيل يكره لكنه خلاف ظاهر الرواية كما في الإمداد وغيره ، وعلى هذا يصح تقريره في وظيفة الأذان بحر . (رد المحتار)

2. It is permissible for a non-baligh child to stand in the row of baligh males.  It is preferable to make their row behind the male’s row when there are many children.  If the child is alone, then it is necessary that he stand in the row with males.

Ahsan al-Fatawa (2:289) H.M. Saeed Company

Al-Bahr al-Ra’iq (1:353) Maktaba Rasheediya

- سمجہدار بچہ بڑوں کی صف میں کہڑا ہو تو انقطاع صف نہیں ہوگا ، صرف خلاف اولی ہے وہ بہی اس صورت میں کہ بچے متعدد ہوں ، اگر بچہ ایک ہو تو اسے بڑوں کی صف میں کہڑا ہونا لازم ہے ۔ (احسن الفتاوی)

 

- ويقتضي أيضا أن الصبي الواحد لا يكون منفردا عن صف الرجال بل يدخل في صفهم وأن محل هذا الترتيب إنما هو عند حضور جمع من الرجال وجمع من الصبيان فحينئذ تؤخر الصبيان (البحر الرائق)

 

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Ml. Ehzaz Ajmeri,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

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