The Ruling on Fasting for a Girl Who Begins Menstruating at the Age of Ten
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Question: From Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz to the honorable brother H. S. H. (may Allah keep him safe).
Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, and after that:
I refer to your inquiry, registered with the Department of Scientific Research and Ifta under number 1180 and dated 23/3/1407 AH, which stated: “I have a daughter who is 13 years old. We hold the belief that a girl does not fast until she reaches the age of fifteen. However, some people have informed us that if a girl begins menstruating, it is obligatory for her to fast. After this matter, we asked her, and she informed us that it came to her three years ago when she was ten years old. Therefore, we want to know the truth: does she fast at the age of fifteen, or from when she begins menstruating? And if she must fast when she begins menstruating, what do we do about the three years that have passed? Does she make them up? Knowing that we were ignorant of this and had no knowledge of it. I ask you to kindly provide an answer, with thanks.”
Answer: I inform you that it is obligatory for her to fast Ramadan when she reaches puberty. Puberty is attained by one of the following: reaching the age of fifteen, menstruation, the growth of coarse hair around the private parts, or the discharge of semen (mani) due to desire while awake or in sleep, even if her age is less than fifteen.
Based on this, it is obligatory for her to make up the fasting she left off after she began menstruating, and to make up the days she menstruated in Ramadan. It is also obligatory for her to pay expiation, which is feeding one poor person for each day, due to delaying the making up of the fast until another Ramadan. The amount is half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of the staple food of the country for each day, if she is able to feed. If she is poor, there is no feeding required of her, and fasting is sufficient. May Allah guide everyone to what He is pleased with.
And peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The General President of the Departments of Scientific Research, Ifta, Da'wah, and Guidance
Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, and after that:
I refer to your inquiry, registered with the Department of Scientific Research and Ifta under number 1180 and dated 23/3/1407 AH, which stated: “I have a daughter who is 13 years old. We hold the belief that a girl does not fast until she reaches the age of fifteen. However, some people have informed us that if a girl begins menstruating, it is obligatory for her to fast. After this matter, we asked her, and she informed us that it came to her three years ago when she was ten years old. Therefore, we want to know the truth: does she fast at the age of fifteen, or from when she begins menstruating? And if she must fast when she begins menstruating, what do we do about the three years that have passed? Does she make them up? Knowing that we were ignorant of this and had no knowledge of it. I ask you to kindly provide an answer, with thanks.”
Answer: I inform you that it is obligatory for her to fast Ramadan when she reaches puberty. Puberty is attained by one of the following: reaching the age of fifteen, menstruation, the growth of coarse hair around the private parts, or the discharge of semen (mani) due to desire while awake or in sleep, even if her age is less than fifteen.
Based on this, it is obligatory for her to make up the fasting she left off after she began menstruating, and to make up the days she menstruated in Ramadan. It is also obligatory for her to pay expiation, which is feeding one poor person for each day, due to delaying the making up of the fast until another Ramadan. The amount is half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of the staple food of the country for each day, if she is able to feed. If she is poor, there is no feeding required of her, and fasting is sufficient. May Allah guide everyone to what He is pleased with.
And peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The General President of the Departments of Scientific Research, Ifta, Da'wah, and Guidance
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.