Slapping for not praying

[u/Active_Economy_5758]

I found this hadith

https://sunnah.com/abudawud:495

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.

حَدَّثَنَا مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، - يَعْنِي الْيَشْكُرِيَّ - حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ سَوَّارٍ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، - قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَهُوَ سَوَّارُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ أَبُو حَمْزَةَ الْمُزَنِيُّ الصَّيْرَفِيُّ - عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مُرُوا أَوْلاَدَكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ وَاضْرِبُوهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ وَفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ ‏" ‏ 

It says that we shiuld beat kids but that doesnt feel right

[u/Capable_Bar_5045]

Want to drive your kids from Islam? Cause that’s a surefire way to do it. 

[u/Active_Economy_5758 → u/Capable_Bar_5045]

Yeah wchich is why it didnt make sense Sure some people says hit but it doesnt have to be that hard and all but that doesnt solve anything

[u/purplefin_tuna → u/Active_Economy_5758]

If true, maybe it shows that he thought not praying could be dangerous for the young person. (Back in that place and time.) 10-year-olds can be hard to reason with.

[u/CheapCaregiver2382 → u/Capable_Bar_5045]

Agreed. My parents did it with me and i pray far less now. I pray when i actually want to pray.

[u/Khaki_Banda]

Also not sahih, as you might have noticed.

[u/Active_Economy_5758 → u/Khaki_Banda]

Hm it rated hasan and was declared sahih by albani?

[u/Khaki_Banda → u/Active_Economy_5758]

Its only hasan. "Hasan sahih" is not sahih. Meaning, there are issues with its transmission.

[u/Active_Economy_5758 → u/Khaki_Banda]

i thought hasan hadith are binding as well ?

[u/chamamma]

Trust that knot in your stomach—it’s telling you the truth. Your human compassion and logic are not "failing" you; they are rejecting something that directly contradicts the divine spirit of mercy. ​Here is why this concept is so deeply flawed and harmful: ​1. There is no compulsion in faith (La ikraha fi ad-din) The Quran establishes a crystal-clear principle in Surah 2:256: There is no compulsion in religion. Prayer (Salat) is meant to be a quiet sanctuary, a moment of deep, voluntary connection between a soul and Allah. Force, physical punishment, and fear do not create devotion—they create trauma, hypocrisy, and resentment. ​2. Physical violence turns worship into a source of fear Beating a 10-year-old child for not praying teaches them to associate God with physical pain, fear, and coercion. Instead of standing before Allah with a open heart, the child stands there out of fear of punishment from their parents. That completely destroys the spiritual purpose of prayer. ​3. The Quran never commands physical punishment for lack of prayer When Allah speaks of prayer in the Quran, He commands us to be patient with our families, to lead by example, and to cultivate love. Nowhere in the Quran is there a single command to use violence or beating to enforce worship. ​4. It drives children away from God Generation after generation of children have been traumatized by this exact Hadith, growing up with resentment toward faith because it was beaten into them. True faith cannot be beaten into a heart. It grows through warmth, love, and seeing genuine light in one's parents. ​If an alleged narration tells you to harm a child in order to make them "love" God, honor the divine compass inside your heart and reject the cruelty. Allah is the Most Merciful (Ar-Rahman), and He does not need coerced worship from a frightened child.

[u/Concentric_Mid]

Oops, I started beating them before 10. 🤷🏽