the position of those who say, “There is no obligation except through revelation,” as maintained by the Ash'arīs and many followers of Mālik, al-Shāfi'ī, Ahmad, and others.

On this view, no obligation applies before puberty, according to the prevalent position. Even according to those who hold prayer obligatory for a child of ten or seven, no obligation applies before that age.

When he reaches that age, revelation commands him to make the two declarations of faith if he has not already uttered them; if he has, it commands him to pray.

This is what was intended by those who said, “The first obligations are ritual purification and prayer.” These are the first things Muslims are commanded to perform when they reach puberty or attain discernment. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Command them to pray at seven, strike them for neglecting it at ten, and separate them in their sleeping arrangements.”

For this reason, leading scholars such as al-Shāfi'ī, Ahmad, and others said that whoever cares for a child must command him to perform ritual purification and prayer at seven. None of them required his guardian at that point to instruct him to renew the two declarations of faith, undertake rational inquiry or inferential reasoning, or anything of that kind.

Nor is he instructed to do so after reaching puberty, even though affirming the two declarations of faith is obligatory by the agreement of the Muslims, and this obligation precedes the obligation to pray. He has, however, already fulfilled this obligation, either in words or in substance, for embracing Islam and entering it itself entails this commitment.