Kids fasting....

[bewildred]

Hello y'all,

Yeah, it's me again. Sounds like I'm in a rather inquisitive mood. Anyway, here's my question: My daughter is 9 years old. She fasted the first day of Ramadhan. It's her first time, YAY!!!! Then, she fasted on the second day; then, the third. She's pretty energetic. Of course, she was hungry and thursty. The point is, I tell her to carry on fasting 'cause she holds up pretty well but her dad says she's too young and she should fast every once in a while. What do you think? He's wrong, right? LOL

S.

[Re.TiReD]

AssalamuAlaykum

If a child hasnt reached the age of maturity then the fasts of ramadaan are not fardh on him/her. So its ultimately up to the child and the parents. Wallahu A'lam but I think the younger children experience Ramadaan and see what it is for themselves, the better.

However saying that, I know that school started this week for most children, maybe you need to consider how fasting will affect her studies, if she was considering fasting on school days that is.

At the end of the day its up to you, I mean....My momma still tells everybody that when I was 5 years old I kept five fasts...(Which I cant remem btw) :$ but basically...you're never too young....

WassalamuAlaykum

[Na7lah]

i hav an 8 year old cousin, she fasts every other day :) mayb u can try that?

[BNDGR]

Asalam alaikum sister Bewildered,
You brought up such a good question. I was wondering same thing. I have a 9 yr boy and he is trying to fast but with school makes it only until 2pm then he has a hard time focusing.
One of the sisters mentioned the age of maturity, sister can you please clarify what age this is?? And InshAllah our children will be given the strength to fast during Ramadan.
Ramadhan Mubarak!

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[Pk_#2]

My little sister fasted yesterday (first time) she only 8 so coooooote innay? today was school and my rents dint let her Lol, but she wasn't hungry at all, she was thirsty though..

If she wants to let her, she is 9 years old now, c'mon ppl..I say 'Go Momma!'

'The young boy is ordered to fast when he reaches the age of 7 is if he is physically capable of bearing it. (Some Muslim scholars that he should be physically reprimanded if he does not fast by the age of 10, which is the same rule that is applied to prayer; refer to Al Mughni 3/90). The boy will get a reward for fasting and his parents will get a reward for teaching him well and guiding him to that which is good' - Sheikh Salih Al Munajjid.

[north_malaysian]

i started fasting when I was 6, and my late grandmother questioned my father on this issue. My father answered "Dont worry, nobody ever die because of fasting for half of a day in the history".:D

[IbnAbdulHakim]

^ LOL wise wise father !

indeed fasting can only bring good to the children.

ONLY GOOD !

[------]

:salamext:

Can someone tell me when fasting is obligatory upon children, with a daleel inshaAllaah

[------]

so fasting is obligatory at the age of 10?

[------]

:salamext:

I got a good source Alhamdulillaah;

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Allaah has enjoined fasting upon every Muslim who is accountable, able to do it and not travelling. As for young children who have not yet reached the age of puberty, fasting is not obligatory for them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The pen has been lifted from three” and he mentioned young children until they reach puberty. But the child’s guardian must tell him to fast if he reaches an age where he is able to do so, because that comes under the heading of training him to implement the pillars of Islam. We see some people leaving their children alone and not telling them to pray or fast, but this is wrong, and he (the parent) will be responsible for that before Allaah. They say that they do not make their children fast out of kindness and compassion towards them, but in fact the one who is truly kind and compassionate towards his child is the one who trains him to acquire good characteristics and to do righteous deeds, not the one who refrains from disciplining and training him in a beneficial manner.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 19/19, 20

More opinions of scholars here on Islamqa

[IbnAbdulHakim]

oh i thought you said you wanted daleel?

heres a nice fatwa too :)

This is why the Shariah has obliged the guardian to command children to pray and fast at the age of seven and to discipline them at the age of ten if they do not pray or fast. This discipline, when exercised through hitting, can only be with the hand, not a stick, and is not meant to exceed three blows; the point being to apprise the child of the seriousness of his act and not to physically harm him. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, 1:235, Dar Li Ihya al-Turath al-?Arabi]

[Ansariyah]

my lil brotha fasted yesterday from morning until 3...My mom forced him to break his fast. He was crying when he had to break it be4 iftar.

he's 7 btw.

[Malaikah]

If the child wants to fast... then let him/her fast!!!

[FatimaAsSideqah]

As Salaam Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

Some Muslim scholars state that the child should be physically disciplined if he does not fast by the age of 10, which is the same rule that is applied to prayer.

This is stated in the book of Al-Mughni. Al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwadh (may Allah be pleased with her) said about fasting `Ashoura' at the time when it was mandatory to fast it and not voluntary: We used to make our young children fast, and we made them a toy made out of wool. If one of the them cried (wanting) food, we would give him the toy to distract him until it was time to break the fast. (Reported by Al-Bukhari Fath).

(`Ashoura' is the tenth day of the month of Muharram. Although fasting this day is now voluntary, the majority of Muslims usually fast it.)

Some people are quite lenient and lax when it comes to making their children fast. A situation may even arise where the young child feels enthusiastic and chooses to fast and is physically capable of doing so, then his father or mother order him to break his fast claiming that it is out of sympathy. Little do they know that real sympathy is in stressing the importance of fasting and teaching the child about it.

Allah Taala says, (O you who believe! Ward yourselves and your families off from a fire (Hell) whose fuel is of men and stones, over which are appointed angels stern and severe, who do not disobey the commands they receive from Allah, and execute that which they are commanded.) (At-Tahrim: 6)

[north_malaysian]

A dietician told on the tv days ago that it takes at least 8 hours to digest the bread...so she suggested that having bread for suhoor is a good thing as you cant go hungry for at least 8 hours....

We should give sandwiches or burgers to kids during suhoor then...:D

During my childhood my mother gave me and my sisters sandwiches, hamburgers or frankfurters for suhoor accompanied with a mug of hot Milo and a glass of plain water.

i still eat the same things for suhoor until now...:statisfie