What are the signs of reaching puberty?
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Question:
Fasting has been made obligatory upon the Muslim who has reached puberty. So what are the signs of puberty, or what is the approximate limit of puberty?
Answer:
Allah has made fasting obligatory upon those of legal age. Legal age for a man or a woman is reached by completing fifteen years, or by the growth of coarse hair around the private parts, which is called the pubic hair. This growth makes both the man and the woman of legal age. Likewise, the emission of semen due to desire: if a man emits semen due to desire through thinking, looking, touching, or otherwise, or through wet dreams or during the day, and he sees the emission of semen, and the woman likewise becomes of legal age through the emission of semen due to thinking, looking, touching, or wet dreams, then by that the man is of legal age, and the woman is of legal age by that. The woman has a fourth matter added, which is menstruation. If she menstruates, even if she is ten years old, if she menstruates she is of legal age and fasting is obligatory upon her, even if she is a small child of ten or nine years; fasting is obligatory upon her if menstruation comes to her, because by menstruation she becomes of legal age. It is recommended to fast even before puberty so that the believer may practice it. Children are ordered to fast when they pass seven years, and those who reach ten are likewise, even more so. They are ordered to fast before puberty so that they may practice it, if they are able to bear it. If one is able to fast at ten, at twelve, at three, not having reached puberty, but he is able to bear fasting, especially in times of coolness, he is ordered to fast so that he may practice fasting, just as he is ordered to pray when he reaches seven, and is beaten for it when he reaches ten, and so it is with the girl. Thus, they are ordered to fast. But fasting is more difficult than prayer, so one is not ordered to do it before puberty unless he is able to bear it, whether men or women, from the girls and the boys. As for when one reaches puberty by these matters we mentioned, then fasting becomes obligatory upon him, and his guardian must make him do it and punish him if he is lax. Yes.
Fasting has been made obligatory upon the Muslim who has reached puberty. So what are the signs of puberty, or what is the approximate limit of puberty?
Answer:
Allah has made fasting obligatory upon those of legal age. Legal age for a man or a woman is reached by completing fifteen years, or by the growth of coarse hair around the private parts, which is called the pubic hair. This growth makes both the man and the woman of legal age. Likewise, the emission of semen due to desire: if a man emits semen due to desire through thinking, looking, touching, or otherwise, or through wet dreams or during the day, and he sees the emission of semen, and the woman likewise becomes of legal age through the emission of semen due to thinking, looking, touching, or wet dreams, then by that the man is of legal age, and the woman is of legal age by that. The woman has a fourth matter added, which is menstruation. If she menstruates, even if she is ten years old, if she menstruates she is of legal age and fasting is obligatory upon her, even if she is a small child of ten or nine years; fasting is obligatory upon her if menstruation comes to her, because by menstruation she becomes of legal age. It is recommended to fast even before puberty so that the believer may practice it. Children are ordered to fast when they pass seven years, and those who reach ten are likewise, even more so. They are ordered to fast before puberty so that they may practice it, if they are able to bear it. If one is able to fast at ten, at twelve, at three, not having reached puberty, but he is able to bear fasting, especially in times of coolness, he is ordered to fast so that he may practice fasting, just as he is ordered to pray when he reaches seven, and is beaten for it when he reaches ten, and so it is with the girl. Thus, they are ordered to fast. But fasting is more difficult than prayer, so one is not ordered to do it before puberty unless he is able to bear it, whether men or women, from the girls and the boys. As for when one reaches puberty by these matters we mentioned, then fasting becomes obligatory upon him, and his guardian must make him do it and punish him if he is lax. Yes.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، 514 ما هي علامات البلوغ؟ للإمام ابن باز — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.