What is the ruling of carrying a child whilst praying ?

Question: What is the ruling of carrying a child whilst praying?

Answer: ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﯿﻢ In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

It is permissible to carry a child whilst praying due to necessity, e.g. there is no one to look after the child. However, if there is no need to carry the child whilst praying, then to do so would be makrooh (disliked). Furthermore, before carrying the child, one should ensure the child’s body and clothing (including the diaper) is free from impurities. On the basis thereof, during prayer, if someone carries a child whose diaper is soiled (to the extent that the impurity exceeds the amount of a dirham [hollowness of one’s palm], the prayer would be invalid.1

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah Darul Ifta Birmingham

1 In’amul Bari: v. 3, p. 290-292 (Maktabatul Hiraa); Al-Durrul Mandood ‘alaa Sunan Abi Dawud: v. 2, p. 331-332 (Maktaba Al-Shaykh); Raddul Muhtar: v. 2, p. 425 (Maktaba Imdadia); Fatawa Hindiya: v. 1, p. 113 (DKI)