Fiqh: When is the person considered as mature?

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said: “The male reaches puberty if one of the following three occurs:

1: Releasing sperm, either from a wet dream or something else, due to the saying of Allaah تعالى:

{وَإِذَا بَلَغَ الاْطْفَالُ مِنكُمُ الْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَأْذِنُواْ كَمَا اسْتَأْذَنَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ } [النور: 59]

{And when the children among you come to puberty, then let them (also) ask for permission, as those senior to them (in age)} [Surah al-Noor (24): 59]

And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

«غُسْلُ الجُمُعةِ واجِبٌ على كلِّ محتلم»

“Ghusl (taking a bath) on Friday is compulsory for every Muslim reaching the age of puberty.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (858, 879) and Saheeh Muslim (1403, 1406) on the authority of Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree رضي الله عنه]

2: Growth of pubic hair, from the saying of `Attiyah al-Quradhi رضي الله عنه:

«عُرِضُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ قُرَيْظَةَ، فَمَنْ كَانَ مُحْتَلِمًا أَوْ نَبَتَتْ عَانَتُهُ قُتِلَ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مُحْتَلِمًا أَوْ لَمْ تَنْبُتْ عَانَتُهُ تُرِكَ»

“(The sons of Quriadhah) were presented to the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم on the day of Quraidhah, so whoever had reached puberty or had grown pubic hair, was killed, and the one who had not reached puberty and had not grown pubic hair he was spared.” [Musnad Ahmad (18522, 22650), al-Nasa’ee (3429) and graded as Saheeh li ghairihee by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

3: Reaching the age of 15 years, due to the saying of `Abdullaah bin `Umar: “Allaah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم called me to present myself in front of him on the eve of the battle of Uhud, while I was fourteen years of age at that time, and he did not allow me to take part in that battle.” [Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh added with an authentic chain: “and he did not think that I reached puberty.”] “But he called me in front of him on the eve of the battle of the Trench (Khandaq) when I was fifteen years old, and he allowed me (to join the battle).” [Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban added with a Saheeh chain: “he considered me as mature.”] al-Nafi` said: “I went to `Umar bin `Abdul `Azeez who was Caliph at that time and related the above narration to him. He said: “This age (fifteen) is the limit between childhood and manhood,” and wrote to his governors to give salaries to those who reached the age of fifteen. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2664), Saheeh Muslim (3479), Ibn Hibbaan (4728), al-Baihaqee (2152)]

And females attain puberty the same way as the male, with the addition of the fourth occurrence, which is, menstruation. So when a girl menstruates then she is mature, so she is held responsible (for her actions) even if she didn’t reach ten years old.

And if a child reaches puberty during the day in Ramadhaan, if he is already fasting then he should continue, and if he was not fasting, he should not eat the rest of the day, because he has become an adult who is obliged to fast. And he does not have to make up the day because he didn’t fulfill the condition of fasting at the beginning of the day.”

[Majaalis Shahr Ramadhaan]