Should Middle School Students Be Encouraged to Offer Regular Sunnah Prayers and Witr?
Question

                We are a committee working out educational goals for study circles at the intermediate (middle school) level. We have set the following goal: The student should regularly offer regular Sunnah prayers and the Witr prayer, or the student should be encouraged to offer the regular Sunnah prayers and Witr prayer. We hope that you can give us your opinion on this goal from a shar‘i (religious) point of view, and also from an educational point of view, and whether it is appropriate for this stage.
Praise be to Allah.
      It is not possible to object to such sublime goals. 
      Encouraging people to do acts of obedience and worship is something that 
      parents and educators should pay the greatest attention to, for their 
      children and students. If there are any shortcomings on the family’s part 
      in this regard, then educators should encourage their students with regard 
      to that in which the families have fallen short. We do not only approve of 
      encouraging these students to offer regular Sunnah prayers and Witr; 
      rather we also approve of encouraging them to observe naafil fasts, honour 
      their parents, help the needy, and remove harmful things from the road. We 
      agree with encouraging all that is good and warning against all that is 
      evil and bad. 

    It was narrated from al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ 
    said: On the morning of ‘Ashoora’, the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to the villages of the Ansaar around 
    Madeenah, saying: “Whoever started the day fasting, let him complete his 
    fast, and whoever started the day not fasting, let him complete the rest of 
    the day (without food).” 

    After that, we used to fast on this day, and we would make 
    our children fast too, even the little ones in sha Allaah. We would make 
    them toys out of wool, and if one of them cried for food, we would give 
    (that toy) to him until it was time to break the fast. 

    Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1960) and Muslim (1136) 

    The fast mentioned in this hadeeth is one of the naafil 
    fasts. 

    Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    Whoever neglects to teach his child what will benefit him, 
    and pays no attention to him, has mistreated him in the worst way. In most 
    cases, the corruption of children results from their parents and parental 
    neglect of them, and their failing to teach them the obligatory duties of 
    Islam and the Sunnahs (recommended acts). So they neglected them when they were young, so they 
    grow up unable to benefit themselves or their parents. End quote. 

    Tuhfat al-Mawdood bi Ahkaam al-Mawlood, 
    p. 229 

    Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have 
    mercy on him) said: 

    Allah has enjoined fasting on every Muslim who is 
    accountable, is able to do it, and is not travelling. With regard to the 
    small child who has not yet reached puberty, fasting is not obligatory for 
    him, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: 
    “The Pen has been lifted from three,” and he mentioned, “the child until he 
    reaches puberty.” But his guardian should tell him to fast when he reaches 
    an age at which he is able to do so, because this is part of disciplining 
    him and training him to observe the pillars of Islam. We see some people who 
    leave their children and do not instruct them to pray or fast. This is 
    wrong, because he will be accountable for that before Allah, may He be 
    blessed and exalted. They claim that they do not make their children fast 
    because they feel sorry for them and out of compassion towards them. But the 
    one who truly feels sorry for his child and feels compassion towards him is 
    the one who trains him to develop good characteristics and do righteous 
    deeds, not the one who fails to discipline them and give them a beneficial 
    upbringing. End quote. 

    Majmoo‘ Fataawa al-Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen 
    (19/19,20)  

    We encourage you to urge the youth in the intermediate 
    level to offer the regular Sunnah prayers. Indeed we would ask you to do 
    more, namely encouraging them to do good in general, to beware of sins and 
    evil, and to give them an upbringing from an early age that will be most 
    beneficial for them by Allah’s leave; falling short in that or neglecting it 
    will lead to a great deal of corruption. 

    Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    One of the things of which the child is in the greatest need 
    is paying attention to his attitude, for he will grow up in the way that the 
    educator accustomed him to from an early age, be it stubbornness, anger, 
    argumentativeness, being hasty, being influenced by whims and desires, 
    foolishness, being temperamental and greed. Then when he grows up it will be 
    difficult for him to deal with these characteristics, and these attitudes 
    will become deeply rooted in his character. Hence you find that most people 
    have bad attitudes and behaviour; this is because of bad upbringing. End 
    quote.

    Tuhfat al-Mawdood, p. 240 

    We ask Allah to guide and help you. 

    For more information, please see the answer to question no.
    103526 

    And Allah knows best.