The Second Condition: That the person be of age, with a mention of the signs of reaching maturity.

The Shaykh : The second condition is that the person be of age. A person is considered of age when one of three things occurs: reaching the age of fifteen, the growth of pubic hair, or the emission of semen with desire. If any one of these three occurs, the person is considered of age, and what is obligatory for an adult whose maturity has become apparent and clear is obligatory for him. Women have a fourth factor added, which is menstruation. So when a woman menstruates, even if she is not yet of a certain age, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: However, the scholars say that a boy should be ordered to fast when he is able to bear it, following the example of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who used to have their children fast while they were young. In fact, a young boy or girl would cry from hunger, and they would give him a toy to amuse himself with until sunset. This is if fasting does not harm the boy. If fasting harms him, he is not ordered to fast. Here is a matter I would like you to pay attention to so that you may be aware of it: some women reach maturity at a young age, but they leave off fasting, thinking that there is no maturity until after fifteen years. Two years or more may pass after she has menstruated, and she does not fast. As for what is obligatory for such a woman, we say that it is obligatory for her to make up the fasting for the months that she missed. This is because she was negligent in not asking and seeking knowledge, so she is not excused by her ignorance in this case. However, if a woman is remote, raised in the desert, who knows nothing about these matters and has no one to ask, then in this case she is excused by ignorance, and it is not obligatory for her to make up the fast, because she is ignorant in a way that is far from knowledge and the means of knowledge by which one can ascertain the truth. There are also some women who reach maturity at a young age, but they fast and continue fasting until they fast on the days of menstruation. What do we say to such a woman? It is obligatory for her to make up the days of menstruation, because the fast of a menstruating woman is invalid.