If a boy becomes a Muslim and then dies, should a funeral prayer be offered for him? Should Islam be explained to a boy?

Narrated Ibn 'Umar:

'Umar set out along with the Prophet ﷺ with a group of people to Ibn Saiyad till they saw him playing with the boys near the hillocks of Bani Mughala. Ibn Saiyad at that time was nearing his puberty and did not notice (us) until the Prophet stroked him with his hand and said to him, "Do you testify that I am Allah's Apostle?" Ibn Saiyad looked at him and said, "I testify that you are the Messenger of illiterates." Then Ibn Saiyad asked the Prophet ﷺ, "Do you testify that I am Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet ﷺ refuted it and said, "I believe in Allah and His Apostles." Then he said (to Ibn Saiyad), "What do you think?" Ibn Saiyad answered, "True people and liars visit me." The Prophet ﷺ said, "You have been confused as to this matter." Then the Prophet ﷺ said to him, "I have kept something (in my mind) for you, (can you tell me that?)" Ibn Saiyad said, "It is Al-Dukh (the smoke)." (2) The Prophet ﷺ said, "Let you be in ignominy. You cannot cross your limits." On that 'Umar, said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allow me to chop his head off." The Prophet ﷺ said, "If he is he (i.e. Dajjal), then you cannot over-power him, and if he is not, then there is no use of murdering him." (Ibn 'Umar added): Later on Allah's Apostle ﷺ once again went along with Ubai bin Ka'b to the date-palm trees (garden) where Ibn Saiyad was staying. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to hear something from Ibn Saiyad before Ibn Saiyad could see him, and the Prophet ﷺ saw him lying covered with a sheet and from where his murmurs were heard. Ibn Saiyad's mother saw Allah's Apostle while he was hiding himself behind the trunks of the date-palm trees. She addressed Ibn Saiyad, "O Saf ! (and this was the name of Ibn Saiyad) Here is Muhammad." And with that Ibn Saiyad got up. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Had this woman left him (Had she not disturbed him), then Ibn Saiyad would have revealed the reality of his case.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُمَرَ انْطَلَقَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي رَهْطٍ قِبَلَ ابْنِ صَيَّادٍ، حَتَّى وَجَدُوهُ يَلْعَبُ مَعَ الصِّبْيَانِ عِنْدَ أُطُمِ بَنِي مَغَالَةَ، وَقَدْ قَارَبَ ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ الْحُلُمَ فَلَمْ يَشْعُرْ حَتَّى ضَرَبَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لاِبْنِ صَيَّادٍ " تَشْهَدُ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ". فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ الأُمِّيِّينَ. فَقَالَ ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَتَشْهَدُ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَرَفَضَهُ وَقَالَ آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ وَبِرُسُلِهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ " مَاذَا تَرَى ". قَالَ ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ يَأْتِينِي صَادِقٌ وَكَاذِبٌ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " خُلِّطَ عَلَيْكَ الأَمْرُ " ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " إِنِّي قَدْ خَبَأْتُ لَكَ خَبِيئًا ". فَقَالَ ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ هُوَ الدُّخُّ. فَقَالَ " اخْسَأْ، فَلَنْ تَعْدُوَ قَدْرَكَ ". فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ دَعْنِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَهُ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " إِنْ يَكُنْهُ فَلَنْ تُسَلَّطَ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْهُ فَلاَ خَيْرَ لَكَ فِي قَتْلِهِ ". وَقَالَ سَالِمٌ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يَقُولُ انْطَلَقَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ إِلَى النَّخْلِ الَّتِي فِيهَا ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ وَهُوَ يَخْتِلُ أَنْ يَسْمَعَ مِنِ ابْنِ صَيَّادٍ شَيْئًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرَاهُ ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ فَرَآهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَهُوَ مُضْطَجِعٌ، يَعْنِي فِي قَطِيفَةٍ لَهُ فِيهَا رَمْزَةٌ أَوْ زَمْرَةٌ، فَرَأَتْ أُمُّ ابْنِ صَيَّادٍ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يَتَّقِي بِجُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ فَقَالَتْ لاِبْنِ صَيَّادٍ يَا صَافِ ـ وَهْوَ اسْمُ ابْنِ صَيَّادٍ ـ هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ. فَثَارَ ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " لَوْ تَرَكَتْهُ بَيَّنَ ". وَقَالَ شُعَيْبٌ فِي حَدِيثِهِ فَرَفَصَهُ رَمْرَمَةٌ، أَوْ زَمْزَمَةٌ. وَقَالَ إِسْحَاقُ الْكَلْبِيُّ وَعُقَيْلٌ رَمْرَمَةٌ. وَقَالَ مَعْمَرٌ رَمْزَةٌ.

Narrated Anas:

A young Jewish boy used to serve the Prophet and he became sick. So the Prophet went to visit him. He sat near his head and asked him to embrace Islam. The boy looked at his father, who was sitting there;
the latter told him to obey Abu-l-Qasim and the boy embraced Islam. The Prophet came out saying: "Praises be to Allah Who saved the boy from the Hell-fire."

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ ـ وَهْوَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ ـ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كَانَ غُلاَمٌ يَهُودِيٌّ يَخْدُمُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَمَرِضَ، فَأَتَاهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَعُودُهُ، فَقَعَدَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ " أَسْلِمْ ". فَنَظَرَ إِلَى أَبِيهِ وَهْوَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَطِعْ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ ﷺ. فَأَسْلَمَ، فَخَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَهْوَ يَقُولُ " الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْقَذَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ".

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

My mother and I were among the weak and oppressed. I from among the children, and my mother from among the women.

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ قَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يَقُولُ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَأُمِّي، مِنَ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ أَنَا مِنَ الْوِلْدَانِ، وَأُمِّي، مِنَ النِّسَاءِ.

Narrated Ibn Shihab:

The funeral prayer should be offered for every child even if he were the son of a prostitute as he was born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone). If his parents are Muslims, particularly the father, even if his mother were a non-Muslim, and if he after the delivery cries (even once) before his death (i.e. born alive) then the funeral prayer must be offered. And if the child does not cry after his delivery (i.e. born dead) then his funeral prayer should not be offered, and he will be considered as a miscarriage. Abu Huraira, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Every child is born with a true faith (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism or to Christianity or to Magainism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?" Then Abu Huraira recited the holy verses: 'The pure Allah's Islamic nature (true faith i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone), with which He has created human beings.' " (30.30).

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ يُصَلَّى عَلَى كُلِّ مَوْلُودٍ مُتَوَفًّى وَإِنْ كَانَ لِغَيَّةٍ، مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّهُ وُلِدَ عَلَى فِطْرَةِ الإِسْلاَمِ، يَدَّعِي أَبَوَاهُ الإِسْلاَمَ أَوْ أَبُوهُ خَاصَّةً، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ أُمُّهُ عَلَى غَيْرِ الإِسْلاَمِ، إِذَا اسْتَهَلَّ صَارِخًا صُلِّيَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلاَ يُصَلَّى عَلَى مَنْ لاَ يَسْتَهِلُّ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّهُ سِقْطٌ، فَإِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ إِلاَّ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ، كَمَا تُنْتَجُ الْبَهِيمَةُ بَهِيمَةً جَمْعَاءَ هَلْ تُحِسُّونَ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ ". ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه – {فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا} الآيَةَ.