The question
I have two brothers, ten and twelve years old. We have been commanding them to pray since they were seven. Recently we found out that they go but sometimes don't enter the masjid, and sometimes they pray but don't make up the rak'ahs they missed, and when they pray at home they don't pray with deliberation but rush through. We have tried with them a great deal, encouraging at times and warning at others.
My mother told them to pray at home so we could watch their prayer, because they had lied more than once.
They used to be regular with Fajr, but now a month passes with them praying Fajr only two or three times.
How do we handle them?
Our answer
May Allah preserve you and bless you. I see the necessity of bringing the study of fiqh, sirah, and hadith into their lives, teaching them what the Salaf said about the one who abandons prayer, and magnifying the matter in their hearts. Tarbiyah is an integrated process: it is not enough to command a boy to pray. We must build in his heart an understanding and awareness of why he prays, so he loves prayer as worship and fears abandoning it, out of awe of the consequences and the ruling on the one who abandons prayer.
So I see that you sit with them and make sure to teach them the essential measure of knowledge in these sciences. We will, by Allah's leave, soon provide a curriculum suited to their ages that will be useful to you. May Allah grant you success — and don't forget the du'a. May Allah set them right and keep them firm on uprightness.
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