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I finally acted upon a sunnah today, Alhamdulillah, 6-7 years after learning of it. I picked up my daughter in salah. [Thread]
Bukhari (516) and Muslim (534) report from Abu Qatadah that the Prophet ﷺ used to perform salah while holding his granddaughter Umamah. When he stood up, he picked her up; and when he prostrated, he put her down.
There are many lessons in this hadith. A huge one is we realise how practical our religion is. Islam isn’t overly restrictive. It acknowledges life in the real world. Not only does Islam accommodate for everyday life; it embraces it.
Scholars usually discuss whether or not picking up a child entails excessive movement (and thus break one’s salah). Many great imams permitted it based on this hadith (see al-ʿAyni for details). If the Prophet ﷺ did it, it’s permitted for all Muslims until the Day of Judgement.
In fact, anyone who has young children and prays around them will inevitably do movements far more excessive than this anyway. (Am I right, parents? 
) A hadith like the above gives us peace at heart that our salah around our children isn’t against devotion (khushuʿ).
) A hadith like the above gives us peace at heart that our salah around our children isn’t against devotion (khushuʿ).
Another lesson we learn is the Prophet ﷺ demonstrated his love and tenderness to children (including the girls!), even during salah.
Some scholars have even said that the wisdom in the Prophet ﷺ picking up his granddaughter in salah was oppose the Arab notion that girls were a thing to dislike. The Prophet ﷺ led by example and embraced the little toddler in salah. After all, actions speak louder than words.
