When must corporal discipline be applied to a child for neglecting prayer?
Chapter on the Description of Prayer
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
Corporal discipline must be applied to the child for neglecting prayer when the child reaches ten years of age. This is supported by the Prophetic tradition: 'Instruct the child to pray at seven years, strike him for it at ten, and separate them in their sleeping places.' The discipline (*ta'dib*) is understood as striking, warning, and reprimand, intended solely for training and habituation, similar to discipline for learning calligraphy, the Quran, or a craft. This application does not differentiate between male and female.
Supporting text
Some of our companions argue that prayer becomes obligatory upon the child because divine sanction (punishment) is only prescribed for neglecting an obligation. Furthermore, Ahmad is reported to have stated that a male who reaches fourteen years of age and abandons prayer must make it up. However, this view is tempered by the established hadith that the pen is lifted from three categories, including the child until they reach puberty. Ahmad's statement regarding the fourteen-year-old is interpreted as precautionary, ensuring compliance if puberty, which marks the point where intellect and physical structure mature, has indeed occurred.