The Fajr prayer

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Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said:

Many people neglect their family and their children, especially regarding the Fajr prayer!

And this is a great abomination.

So it is the duty of every believer to take care of his children and family regarding all the prayers. He should instruct them, teach them, and guide them [to perform their prayers], and discipline those who fall behind [their duty to do so].

He ﷺ said:

«Instruct your children to pray when they are seven [years old], and smack them for it (the prayer) when they are ten [years old]; and arrange their beds [to sleep] separately.» – Abu Daawood, no.495. Graded Hasan Saheeh by al-Albaanee.

And He ﷻ said:

{O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones…} – soorah at-Tahreem, aayah 6

And He ﷻ said:

{And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein.} – soorah TaaHaa, aayah 132

So it is the duty of the believer to take care of his family, his children, his wife, his sisters, his daughters, his workers, and so on; everyone in his house.

He must take care of them, oblige them to pray, and discipline those who fall behind, because this is everyone’s duty, and included in His ﷻ saying:

{And cooperate with one another in goodness} – soorah al-Maa.idah, aayah 2

And the man is responsible for his family, [as] he ﷺ said:

«Every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you is responsible for his flock» – Saheeh al-Bukhaare no.7138 and Saheeh Muslim no.1829

So the imaam is a shepherd and responsible for his flock, and the man is a shepherd for his family and responsible for his flock, and the woman is a shepherd for her husband’s house and responsible for her flock.

The slave is a shepherd of his master’s property, and is responsible for his flock.

Then He ﷺ said:

«No doubt, every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you is responsible for his flock» – Saheeh al-Bukhaare no.7138 and Saheeh Muslim no.1829

So the man of the house must fear Allaah, and likewise the woman of the house must fear Allaah, and they must cooperate [with one another] in what is necessary in terms of [establishing and maintaining the] prayer [at home] and other matters.

And likewise, [their cooperation] in preventing them (the family) from everything that Allaah has forbidden.