The age at which a servant is held accountable

Question:
Do children who die at the age of nine or ten have any sin upon them? What is the age at which a servant is held accountable? And what is the barzakh (the interval between death and resurrection)?

Answer:
The age at which one is held accountable is when one reaches puberty, which brings about the obligation of religious duties. This occurs by completing fifteen years of age, or by the growth of hair around the private parts. This is called reaching maturity and being held accountable. A woman is likewise called held accountable and mature, with an additional fourth condition, which is menstruation. If she menstruates, she becomes held accountable, and the obligations of prayer, fasting, and Hajj (the major pilgrimage) become incumbent upon her. As for zakah (the obligatory alms), it is obligatory even in the case of a minor; zakah is obligatory on the wealth of an orphan and the wealth of a minor, and it is incumbent upon his guardian to pay it out. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh.