Do not forbid them from going to the Masjid... kids that is.

Assalaamu alaykum all,

I have been helping out in a new masjid here recently so not had much time for the blogg, we are basically organising a masjid open day where we throw open the doors of the masjid and invite all the kuffar in to take a look around, take a tour, listen to short talks and long Q and A sessions and recieve free food and literature.

Alhamdulillah has been going very well, the local brothers there are learning a lot about Dawah and us brothers who do Dawah who are normally kept at arms length due to be vocal on certain topics around the rulers in the Muslim lands have been welcomed in and are being helped and listened to as well so win-win for us, win because gets more people out giving Dawah and win as more trusted in the community also.

Anyway... this masjid has always let kids in, who are generally well behaved, sit still or join in during salaat and then might play a little after but nothing too bad and anyway I always think it is great to see kids playing and Abdullah loves it, running and playing with other kids his age and older when the masjid is empty.

So we are stuffing envolopes, sending out to churches, doctors surgeries etc and Abdullah is playing, when a committee member comes up and tells me not to bring children to the masjid. I tried to politely point out I am trying to help the masjid but he said ok, but don't bring your kids next time.

It is so wrong and frustrating, did the Prophet (saws) not have children climbing all over him once in salaah? did Umar ibn Al-Khattab not rebuke a man not kissing his son when he came to see him in the Masjid?

This is far removed from the Sunnah, turns the masaajid into cold lifeless places, subhanallah we should allow the kids to wrestle and the men as well in the masjid as this also is a sunnah but instead we are making them into churches instead.

I'll write some more posts on the open day when I get chance and let you all know how it goes.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah