What is the evidence that puberty is reached by the growth of pubic hair or by attaining the age of fifteen years?
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The questioner : Shaykh, regarding the growth of pubic hair and reaching the age of fifteen, what is the third sign of puberty?
The Shaykh : There is no scholarly consensus on this, but this is the apparent action of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with the Banu Qurayzah. He used to uncover their waistbands; if he found that a boy had grown pubic hair, he killed him, and if he did not find that he had grown pubic hair, he shaved his head and took him as a slave. As for the age of fifteen, this is the authentic report in al-Bukhari in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that he was presented to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during the Battle of Uhud, but the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not approve of him fighting. Then, during the Battle of the Trench, he approved of him fighting, and he was fifteen years old. In the Sahih of al-Hakim, it is stated: "He did not approve of me and did not see that I had reached puberty", and likewise he said, "He approved of me and saw that I had reached puberty." 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz also estimated the stipends for the soldiers when they reached the age of fifteen, saying that this is the limit between puberty and childhood.
The Shaykh : There is no scholarly consensus on this, but this is the apparent action of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with the Banu Qurayzah. He used to uncover their waistbands; if he found that a boy had grown pubic hair, he killed him, and if he did not find that he had grown pubic hair, he shaved his head and took him as a slave. As for the age of fifteen, this is the authentic report in al-Bukhari in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that he was presented to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during the Battle of Uhud, but the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not approve of him fighting. Then, during the Battle of the Trench, he approved of him fighting, and he was fifteen years old. In the Sahih of al-Hakim, it is stated: "He did not approve of me and did not see that I had reached puberty", and likewise he said, "He approved of me and saw that I had reached puberty." 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz also estimated the stipends for the soldiers when they reached the age of fifteen, saying that this is the limit between puberty and childhood.