until he regains consciousness, from the child until he reaches puberty, and from the sleeping person until he awakens.” (1)
As for the rational evidence: neither of them is fit to bear legal responsibility, since their capacity for intent is deficient in every case. This is why one who is not legally responsible differs from one who is legally responsible in certain matters: a child is permitted forms of play and amusement that are not permitted to others, and he is granted concessions regarding obligatory duties that are not granted to others. Indeed, an act that constitutes a crime when committed by an adult does not constitute a crime when committed by a child, because his understanding is deficient, as is his intent. The insane person is even more so. Thus, an adult who is insane is not legally responsible, nor is a child who is of sound mind.
If you say: If prayer is not obligatory upon a child, then has the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, not made it obligatory for a person to instruct his son or daughter to pray at seven,
(1) Narrated by Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Hudud (Book of Legal Punishments), chapter: The Insane Person Who Steals or Incurs a hadd Punishment, no. 4401; and by al-Nasai in al-Sunan al-Kubra, Book of Discretionary and Prescribed Punishments, chapter: The Insane Woman Who Incurs a hadd Punishment, no. 7343, through Jarir ibn Hazim, from Sulayman ibn Mihran, from Abu Zibyan, from Ibn Abbas, from Ali, traced back to the Prophet.
Al-Nawawi said: “Abu Dawud and al-Nasai narrated it with an authentic chain.” Al-Khulasa, no. 679. However, Waki ibn al-Jarrah and Muhammad ibn Fudayl differed from Jarir ibn Hazim, narrating it as a mawquf report (not traced to the Prophet) from Ali ibn Abi Talib and Umar ibn al-Khattab. Al-Nasai, al-Tirmidhi, al-Daraqutni, and others considered the mawquf attribution to Umar and Ali more likely.
It was also narrated by Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Hudud, chapter: The Insane Person Who Steals or Incurs a hadd Punishment, no. 4398; and Ibn Hibban, no. 142, with similar wording, on the authority of Aishah. Al-Nasai said: “There is no sound report in this chapter except the hadith of Aishah, for it is hasan.” Al-Bukhari said: “I hope that it is preserved.” Ibn al-Mundhir said: “It is established from the Prophet.” See: al-Tirmidhi, al-Ilal al-Kabir, 1:593; al-Daraqutni, al-Ilal, nos. 291 and 354; Ibn Rajab, Fath al-Bari, 5:294.