2/30. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 497 — When a Child Should Be Told to Pray
When A Boy Should Be Ordered To Offer As-Salat
Hadith About When a Child Should Start Praying
Sunan Abi Dawud : 497
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 497
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمَهْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاذُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خُبَيْبٍ الْجُهَنِيُّ، قَالَ دَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لاِمْرَأَتِهِ مَتَى يُصَلِّي الصَّبِيُّ فَقَالَتْ كَانَ رَجُلٌ مِنَّا يَذْكُرُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " إِذَا عَرَفَ يَمِينَهُ مِنْ شِمَالِهِ فَمُرُوهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ " .
Mu'adh ibn 'Abdullah ibn Khubayb al-Juhani Narrated from:
Hisham ibn Sa'd reported: We entered upon Mu'adh ibn Abdullah ibn Khubayb al-Juhani. He said to his wife: When (at what age) should a boy pray? She replied: Some person of us reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about it; he said: When a boy distinguishes right hand from the left hand, then command him to pray.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 497In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 107English translation : Book 2, Hadith 497
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 497
This hadith about when a child should pray gives a practical sign instead of only an age. Mu‘adh ibn Abdullah ibn Khubayb asked his wife when a boy should pray. She replied with a report from a person among them, saying that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was asked about this. The answer was: when a boy can distinguish his right hand from his left hand, then command him to pray. The wording is simple and very useful. It connects prayer instruction to a child’s ability to understand basic direction and difference. For readers searching for “when should children start praying hadith,” this narration gives a clear marker. It does not replace the other age-based narrations in this batch; it simply gives another wording found here: command the child when he knows right from left.
What we learn from this hadith
- A child should be commanded to pray when he can distinguish right from left.
- The hadith links prayer instruction to basic understanding.
- Questions about children’s prayer were asked and answered.
- Parents can begin teaching prayer when a child shows simple awareness.
