they are to be punished for notperforming prayer when they ten,
according to Sunnah. Does the same rule apply for fasting?
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 bephysically 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 whichis good.
Al Rubayyi' bint Mu'awwadh (may Allaah be pleased with her) said about
fasting 'Aashouraa' at the time when it was mandatory to fast it and
not voluntary: we used tomake our young boys fast, and we made them
atoy made out of wool. If one of the boys cried [wanting] food, we
wouldgive him [the toy to distract him] until it was time to break the
fast." (AlBukhari Fath # 1960). (Ashouraa is the tenth dayof the month
of Muharram. Although fasting this day is now voluntary the majority
of Muslims usually fast.) Some people are quite lenient and lax when
it comes to making their children fast. A situation may even arise
where theyoung child feels enthusiastic and chooses to fast and is
physically capable of doing so, then his father or mother orderhim 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. Allaah said in Surat ul-Tahreem
(interpretation of the meaning): "O you who believe! Ward yourselves
and your families off froma 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 Allaah, and execute that which
they are commanded." We must pay extra attention to theyoung girl when
she first starts fasting after she reaches puberty. There is a
possibility that she will fast while she has her period (the first
time) out of shame or shyness, and end up not making up thedays later
on.
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