A young man who has passed the age of twenty, and some time ago, when I was fifteen years old, I wanted to fast, but my father told me that I was still too young.
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The questioner : A young man who has passed the age of twenty, and some time ago, when I was fifteen years old, I wanted to fast, but my father told me: that I was still too young to fast. I obeyed him in that and did not fast that year. Do I have a sin on me for this, and am I required to make up the fasts, or do I owe an expiation? The same thing happened to a relative of mine who is now about forty years old, and he is asking about the same questions. We ask for guidance, may you be rewarded?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the righteous, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. What appears from the question is that this questioner had not reached fifteen years of age, meaning he had not completed it. Puberty does not occur except in one of three matters for a man: the first is the completion of fifteen years, the second is the growth of pubic hair, which is the coarse hair that grows around the private parts, and the third is the emission of semen with desire, whether awake or in a dream. But it is known that a sleeper may not be aware of the desire or pleasure; rather, he finds its effect after he wakes up. So, if this questioner did not reach puberty through the growth of pubic hair or the emission of semen with desire, then fasting Ramadan is not obligatory for him, as he had not completed fifteen years. Based on that, nothing is required of him. However, if he had reached puberty through the growth of hair, the emission of semen, or the completion of fifteen years, then it is obligatory for him to make up the fasting of Ramadan that he left. And his father’s prevention of him from fasting is not an excuse for him nor a justification.
And on this occasion, I would like to direct a short word to some guardians who prevent their children, whether male or female, from fasting, claiming that this is out of compassion and mercy for them. They are mistaken in that, unjust to themselves, and unjust to their children whom they prevented from fasting. As for their injustice to themselves, this is not good care; rather, good care is to command their children to obey Allah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan ad-Daraqutni 3:5 It is not care to prevent them from obeying Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to make their children fast while they were small, until one of them, meaning one of the children, would cry, and they would give him a toy to play with until sunset. In fact, some fathers also prevent their son from prayer, claiming that he is small, even though the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that we command our children or sons to pray at seven, and that we beat them for it at ten. And I say to these guardians: your mercy for your children and the requirement of true compassion is that you command them to obey Allah, that you encourage them in it, and that you accustom them to it, so that they become among the righteous whom you benefit from in your lives and after your deaths, as came in the authentic hadith: Sahih Muslim 1631 And Allah is the One who grants success. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh. In his second question, the listener M K F says.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the righteous, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. What appears from the question is that this questioner had not reached fifteen years of age, meaning he had not completed it. Puberty does not occur except in one of three matters for a man: the first is the completion of fifteen years, the second is the growth of pubic hair, which is the coarse hair that grows around the private parts, and the third is the emission of semen with desire, whether awake or in a dream. But it is known that a sleeper may not be aware of the desire or pleasure; rather, he finds its effect after he wakes up. So, if this questioner did not reach puberty through the growth of pubic hair or the emission of semen with desire, then fasting Ramadan is not obligatory for him, as he had not completed fifteen years. Based on that, nothing is required of him. However, if he had reached puberty through the growth of hair, the emission of semen, or the completion of fifteen years, then it is obligatory for him to make up the fasting of Ramadan that he left. And his father’s prevention of him from fasting is not an excuse for him nor a justification.
And on this occasion, I would like to direct a short word to some guardians who prevent their children, whether male or female, from fasting, claiming that this is out of compassion and mercy for them. They are mistaken in that, unjust to themselves, and unjust to their children whom they prevented from fasting. As for their injustice to themselves, this is not good care; rather, good care is to command their children to obey Allah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Command your children to pray at seven, and beat them for it at ten.
مروا أبناءكم بالصلاة لسبع واضربوهم عليها لعشرWhen a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious child, who prays for him (for the deceased).
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاثة: إلا من صدقة جارية، أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو لهThe questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh. In his second question, the listener M K F says.