Hitting Children
QUESTION:
When the words in Hadith of “hitting” appear, I believe it refers to hitting in a specific manner clearly outlined in Shari’ah. There are incidents of our Akaabireen and elders hitting their children, amd while I understand their motives were pure, is it still encouraged to follow them in this approach? Also, could the intention behind hitting the child vary according to the circumstances or need at that time?
ANSWER:
Corporal punishment refers to physical punishment inflicted on a child by an adult who is in a position of authority. In order to understand the Islamic stance on corporal punishment, we shall commence by quoting a Hadith of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مُرُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ، وَاضْرِبُوهُمْ عَلَيْهَا، وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرٍ وَفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ»
The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, “Command your children to pray when they reach seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.”
The Fuqha explain that, “It is obligatory on every Mukallaf person (i.e. one who is liable in Shari’ah) to adhere to its dictates even though it is necessary to hit a ten year-old (child) for it with a hand, not with a stick,” because of the Hadith, “Command your children to pray…” I say that fasting is similar to prayer as well as related in the chapter of Fasting of Quhustani…it is (also) related in (the chapter of) Hazr (wa’l-Ibāhah) of al-Ikhtiyār: “He (the child) will be commanded to fast and pray and he will (also) be forbidden from drinking alcohol so he becomes accustomed to good and leaves evil.”
Allamah Ibn Abideen comments on the last portion of Allamah Haskafi’s statement as follows, “The reason for narrating these two statements is to show that a child may be commanded to do all things we are commanded to do and forbidden from all things we are prohibited to do.”
Commenting on the nature of hitting itself, the Ulama explain, “The beating (in the Hadith) refers to a beating that does not inflict severe pain where the person avoids hitting the face as well.”
The Fuqaha and senior scholars of our times have laid down certain guidelines and rules that must be adhered to in this regard. We shall reiterate a few of those guidelines below:
1) There should be a genuine need to discipline the child
2) It should not lead to causing severe physical harm to the child
3) It should not result in the child holding ill-feelings
4) It should not lead to the child running away
5) For a teacher, he should have permission from the child’s guardian
6) The hitting should be limited to the extent needed to discipline the child and nothing more
7) The hitting should not be such that the child is unable to endure it
8) The use of sticks is prohibited (i.e. one may only use one’s hands)
9) The face and head must be avoided
10) One may not hit out of anger or to take revenge for something the child did
Although corporal punishment is permitted in Shariah, it is incumbent upon us to remember that this is not the ideal way of dealing with children, especially when the general attitude of the Holy Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was that of mercy and compassion towards all age groups. It is reported in Jami al-Tirmidhi and Sunan Abi Dawud (with a slight variation in wording) that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:
لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا وَيَعْرِفْ شَرَفَ كَبِيرِنَا
He is not one of us who does not have mercy upon our young, nor recognizes the honor of our elders.
(RE: Fataawa Mahmoodiyyah, v. 14 p. 126-129,; Imdadul Ahkaam, v. 4 p. 425, Fataawa Haqqaniyyah, v. 2 p. 117, Jami`ah Darul Uloom Haqqaniyyah; Fataawa Mufti Mahmood, v. 11 p. 40-41)
Radd Al-Muhtār, v. 1 p. 350-351,
[قال الحصكفي] (هِيَ فَرْضُ عَيْنٍ عَلَى كُلِّ مُكَلَّفٍ)… (وَإِنْ وَجَبَ ضَرْبُ ابْنِ عَشْرٍ عَلَيْهَا بِيَدٍ لَا بِخَشَبَةٍ) لِحَدِيثِ «مُرُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعٍ، وَاضْرِبُوهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرٍ» قُلْت وَالصَّوْمُ كَالصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الصَّحِيحِ كَمَا فِي صَوْمِ الْقُهُسْتَانِيِّ مَعْزِيًّا لِلزَّاهِدِيِّ وَفِي حَظْرِ الِاخْتِيَارِ أَنَّهُ يُؤْمَرُ بِالصَّوْمِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَيُنْهَى عَنْ شُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ لِيَأْلَفَ الْخَيْرَ وَيَتْرُكَ الشَّرَّ
Radd al-Muhtār, v. 1 p. 352,
Tuhfat al-Ahwadhī, v. 3 p. 727,
إِنَّمَا أَمَرَ بِالضَّرْبِ لِعَشْرٍ لِأَنَّهُ حَدٌّ يُتَحَمَّلُ فِيهِ الضَّرْبُ غَالِبًا وَالْمُرَادُ بِالضَّرْبِ ضَرْبًا غَيْرَ مُبَرِّحٍ وَأَنْ يَتَّقِيَ الْوَجْهَ فِي الضَّرْبِ
Radd al-Muhtār, v. 4 p. 78,
(قَوْلُهُ وَالْأَبُ يُعَزِّرُ الِابْنَ عَلَيْهِ) أَيْ عَلَى تَرْكِ الصَّلَاةِ. وَمِثْلُهَا الصَّوْمُ كَمَا صَرَّحُوا بِهِ، وَتَعْلِيلُ الْقُنْيَةِ الْآتِي يُفِيدُ أَنَّ الْأُمَّ كَالْأَبِ
Radd al-Muhtār, v. 4 p. 78,
(قَوْلُهُ وَفِي الْقُنْيَةِ إلَخْ) وَفِيهَا عَنْ الرَّوْضَةِ: وَلَوْ أَمَرَ غَيْرَهُ بِضَرْبِ عَبْدِهِ حَلَّ لِلْمَأْمُورِ ضَرْبُهُ، بِخِلَافِ الْحُرِّ.
قَالَ: فَهَذَا تَنْصِيصٌ عَلَى عَدَمِ جَوَازِ ضَرْبِ وَلَدِ الْآمِرِ بِأَمْرِهِ، بِخِلَافِ الْمُعَلِّمِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَأْمُورَ يَضْرِبُهُ نِيَابَةً عَنْ الْأَبِ لِمَصْلَحَةٍ وَالْمُعَلِّمَ يَضْرِبُهُ بِحُكْمِ الْمِلْكِ بِتَمْلِيكِ أَبِيهِ لِمَصْلَحَةِ الْوَلَدِ اهـ وَهَذَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ الضَّرْبُ فَاحِشًا كَمَا يَأْتِي فِي الْمَتْنِ قَرِيبًا
Jāmi` Ahkām al-Sighār, v. 2 p. 167,
والأب أو الوصي إذا سلم الصغير إلي معلم ليعلمه القرآن، أو عملا آخر، فضربه المعلم للتعليم، إن ضربه بإذن الأب حيث حيث يضرب مثلما يضرب للتعليم فلا ضمان علي الأب والوصي، ولا علي المعلم.
Al-Bahr al-Rāiq, v. 8 p. 344,
قُلْتُ: لِمُحَمَّدٍ إنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ الْأَبُ قَالَ لَهُ فِي أَمْرِ الضَّرْبِ شَيْئًا قَالَ يَضْمَنُ الْمُعَلِّمُ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فِي بَعْضِ النُّسَخِ إنَّ ضَرْبَ الصَّغِيرِ إنَّمَا يُضْمَنُ عَلَى قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ إذَا كَانَ لِلتَّأْدِيبِ أَمَّا إذَا ضَرَبَهُ لِتَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ لَا يَضْمَنُ كَالْمُعَلِّمِ، فَإِذًا لَا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ ضَرْبِ الْمُعَلِّمِ بِإِذْنِ الْأَبِ وَبَيْنَ ضَرْبِ الْأَبِ إذَا كَانَ لِلتَّعْلِيمِ…وَفِي كِتَابِ الْعِلَلِ لِلزَّوْجِ أَنْ يَضْرِبَ امْرَأَتَهُ عَلَى تَرْكِ الصَّلَاةِ وَلِلْأَبِ أَنْ يَضْرِبَ ابْنَهُ عَلَى تَرْكِ الصَّلَاةِ وَذَكَرَ مَسْأَلَةَ الْمُعَلِّمِ إذَا ضَرَبَ الصَّغِيرَ بِإِذْنِ الْأَبِ عَلَى الِاتِّفَاقِ قَالَ نَحْوَ مَا ذَكَرْنَا قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ ثَمَّةَ وَهَذَا عِنْدَنَا.
Radd al-Muhtār, v. 4 p. 78,
(قَوْلُهُ وَفِي الْقُنْيَةِ إلَخْ) وَفِيهَا عَنْ الرَّوْضَةِ: وَلَوْ أَمَرَ غَيْرَهُ بِضَرْبِ عَبْدِهِ حَلَّ لِلْمَأْمُورِ ضَرْبُهُ، بِخِلَافِ الْحُرِّ.
قَالَ: فَهَذَا تَنْصِيصٌ عَلَى عَدَمِ جَوَازِ ضَرْبِ وَلَدِ الْآمِرِ بِأَمْرِهِ، بِخِلَافِ الْمُعَلِّمِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَأْمُورَ يَضْرِبُهُ نِيَابَةً عَنْ الْأَبِ لِمَصْلَحَةٍ وَالْمُعَلِّمَ يَضْرِبُهُ بِحُكْمِ الْمِلْكِ بِتَمْلِيكِ أَبِيهِ لِمَصْلَحَةِ الْوَلَدِ اهـ وَهَذَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ الضَّرْبُ فَاحِشًا كَمَا يَأْتِي فِي الْمَتْنِ قَرِيبًا
Radd al-Muhtār, v. 1 p. 352,
(قَوْلُهُ: لَا بِخَشَبَةٍ) أَيْ عَصًا، وَمُقْتَضَى قَوْلِهِ بِيَدٍ أَنْ يُرَادَ بِالْخَشَبَةِ مَا هُوَ الْأَعَمُّ مِنْهَا وَمِنْ السَّوْطِ أَفَادَهُ ط.
(قَوْلُهُ: لِحَدِيثِ إلَخْ) اسْتِدْلَالٌ عَلَى الضَّرْبِ الْمُطْلَقِ، وَأَمَّا كَوْنُهُ لَا بِخَشَبَةٍ فَلِأَنَّ الضَّرْبَ بِهَا وَرَدَ فِي جِنَايَةِ الْمُكَلَّفِ. اهـ.
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Ahmed Saeed
Date: 01 Jumaadal-Ulaa 1448 / 13 October 2026
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb