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Fatwa CenterHer son prays out of fear of her
Question
1) Are women allowed to pray out loud? I pray my night prayers out loud sometimes, I find that it helps me concentrate on the prayer more and I remember what Ayah I have read when I pray out loud (don't get me wrong, not in a high voice, but just much as I can hear myself properly). Am I allowed to pray the day prayers out loud also if it helps me concentrate?
2) I have a 13 year old son who has been praying for a few months now, I made him to start praying. Now he is telling me that the reason he is praying mostly is because of me, he is afraid I will yell at him, he said that he can't make himself feel that he is praying for Allaah. Most of the time I am always nagging him to getup and pray before the prayer time is over. And his prayers really fast and doesn't care about any of his movements if they are right or wrong. I think it may be normal for him at this age to be acting this way, I don't know, I really and truly want him to pray because its what Allaah wants from us to worship him. Shall I leave him to keep praying the way he is or is it better that he stops praying until he learns more? I don't know what to do. His father doesn't pray and there is no one but me to try and guide him the right way. I'm afraid that by me forcing him to pray that he will hate prayer and stop it altogether as soon as he is older. And I'm also afraid because I'm obligated to make my children pray at the age of puberty.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
We have already issued a Fatwa about the ruling of woman performing her prayers aloud. See our Fataawa: 84179 and 86675.
As for ordering a child to perform prayers, Islam enjoin on parents to raise their children according to Islam. The Prophet 
commanded the guardians to order their children to perform prayers when they are seven years old, and they should beat them lightly if they do not pray after they reach the age of ten. The Prophet said: "Order your children to pray when they reach the age of seven. Beat them (if they don't pray) when they reach the age of ten. And have them sleep in separate beds (at the age of ten)." [Abu Daawood]
When a child reaches puberty performing the prayers becomes obligatory on him just as it becomes obligatory on parents to order him to do so. We have already explained the signs of puberty in our Fataawa: 87018 and 83431.
Therefore, if your child did not reach puberty yet, then it is a must that you order him to perform the prayers and beat him lightly if he neglects them, although it is not obligatory on him to pray. This is so, in order for him to develop the habit of performing the prayers and to be accustomed to them. There is no harm, in beginning, to perform the prayers due to the fear of his parents, soon he will perform them for the sake of getting reward and seeking Allaah's pleasure.
If he has reached the age of puberty then it is the duty of his parents to order him to perform prayers. See our Fatwa: 88132 about the importance of the prayers.
The means that are helpful in endearing the prayers to someone is reminding him the great virtues of the prayers, their importance, the great reward that Allaah has arranged for those who keep on the prayers and the punishment that He has prepared for those who neglect the prayers.
As for your saying that your father does not pray, it is among the great major sins since giving up the prayers takes one out of Islam as mentioned in Fatwa: 84390. See the Fatwa about living with a husband who neglects the prayers and Fatwa: 87319 about the opinions of scholars concerning the one neglects prayers.
Allaah Knows best.
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