Beating Children to Pray: Between Shari’a Purposes and Psychology

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to clarify the Sharia's position on beating children as a tool in establishing a commitment to prayer. It will do so in light of the Maqasid doctrine in Islamic jurisprudence and in light of the relevant texts in the Sunnah, in addition to the opinion of psychologists. By using the descriptive analytical methodology, which lead the researchers to a number of conclusions including: the absence of any definitive religious text in Islam advicing parents to use beating on the issue of prayer, and that mild to moderate beating is not a safe approach as it endangers the mental and biological development of the brain in addition to increasing risk to the child's psychological, social, behavioral and cognitive growth both on the short and long term. Moreover, the researchers found beating to be a hindering factor in the parenting and educational process due to its negative impact on academic and cognitive accumulation, rendering the use of beating to be countercry to the maqasid of Sharia as it jeopardizes the faith, the life (Nafs), the intellect ('Aql), and the honor/lineage ('Erd), which the Sharia came to preserve.