What is the ruling on a congregational prayer led by an Imam who intentionally carries his child during the prayer, citing the Prophet's (peace be upon him) action with Umamah as an argument, even though this contradicts the solemnity (khushu') of the prayer?
There are several interpretations for the Prophet's (peace be upon him) carrying Umamah during prayer: that it occurred in supererogatory prayers, or out of necessity, or that it was abrogated, or specific to the Prophet (peace be upon him), or that Umamah clung to him. However, Al-Nawawi refuted these claims, affirming that the hadith is authentic and explicit in its permissibility, and that such actions do not invalidate the prayer if they are few or infrequent. He further explained that the Prophet's action was to demonstrate permissibility, and that human beings are pure, as are children's clothes. Therefore, the correct view is that this action is permissible and legislated for Muslims, but it should not be performed consistently.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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