Fatwa #52792 April 2002South Africa
Children playing with the Prophet(SAW) while he(SAW) was praying
Question
I read in one hadith that whilst the Prophet(SAW) was praying, 2 children came and jumped on his back, and he(SAW) allowed them to play on his back until they had enough fun. Firstly, is the salaat still valid if this occurs nowadays because dont you have to have full concentration whilst praying, and if something like this happened nowadays, wouldnt the person making salaat and the people following him be distracted?? Please clarify for me.Jazakallah
Answer
Concentration in Salaat is a requisite for its perfection and not its%0D%0Avalidity. Even though the Musallees (those performing Salaat) may be%0D%0Adistracted, their Salaat cannot be regarded as invalid.%0D%0A%0D%0AHowever, if the Musallee has to carry the child and place him%2Fher on the%0D%0Aground and later pick him up and put him on his shoulder - as is the case in%0D%0Athe Hadith in question - then if 'Amaal-e-Kathir' takes place (i.e. if while%0D%0Adoing so, the Musallee is seen by someone else and that the onlooker will%0D%0Aregard the Musallee as out of Salaat, i.e. under normal circumstances, such%0D%0Aan act is only done by one out of Salaat, e.g. he uses both hands %2F turns%0D%0Ahis head sideways to watch the child as he is placing it down, etc.) then%0D%0Athe Salaat will break.%0D%0A%0D%0AMoreover, the Ulama have explained that this was done by Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) with very little action (no Amal-e-Katir)%0D%0Ataking place, or this was done before the law of Amal-e-Kathir was%0D%0Aintroduced. (Mirqaat vol.3 pg.8)%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMoulana Muhammad ibn Moulana Haroon Abbassommar%0D%0AFACULTY OF SPECIALTY IN HADITH%0D%0A%0D%0ACHECKED AND APPROVED CORRECT: Mufti Ebrahim Desai