When One Parent Becomes Muslim, And The Child Is Given The Choice
Darussalam · Volume 4
27. The Book Of DivorceSunan an-Nasai Darussalam English translation
الحديث: 3495 ¦ الجزء: 6 ¦ الصفحة: 185
Source no. 3495 · Volume 8 · Page 67
Sahih
صحيح، ابن ماجة (٢٣٥٢)
Source no. 3270 · Volume 2 · Page 740
Sahih
(صحيح) - ابن ماجه ٢٣٥٢.
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3525. It was narrated from 'Abdul-Ḥamīd bin Salamah Al-Anṣārī, from his father, from his grandfather, that he became Muslim but his wife refused to become Muslim. A young son of theirs, who had not yet reached puberty, came, and the Prophet ﷺ seated the father on one side and the mother on the other side, and he gave him the choice. He said: "O Allāh, guide him," and (the child) went to his father. (Ḥasan)
3495 - أَخْبَرَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلَانَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عُثْمَانَ الْبَتِّيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ: أَنَّهُ أَسْلَمَ وَأَبَتْ امْرَأَتُهُ أَنْ تُسْلِمَ، فَجَاءَ ابْنٌ لَهُمَا صَغِيرٌ لَمْ يَبْلُغِ الْحُلُمَ، فَأَجْلَسَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْأَبَ هَاهُنَا وَالْأُمَّ هَاهُنَا ثُمَّ خَيَّرَهُ، فَقَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِهِ» فَذَهَبَ إِلَى أَبِيهِ
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If a husband and wife decide to go their separate ways, the child should remain in the custody of mother till the age of seven years. Thereupon, the child shall be offered an option - he or she may choose to remain with the mother or the father. In the afore-mentioned incident, the father was a Muslim, while the mother was an unbeliever. A child instinctively inclines toward his mother. Therefore, Allāh's Messenger ﷺ supplicated the child should not go to the mother, otherwise the child had the danger of falling into disbelief.