For Whom Fasting is Mandatory?

Mandatory
The obligation of fasting is mandatory on a person who has fulfilled
these requirements: He or she must be aMuslim,sane, must have
reachedpuberty, must behealthy, and not in astate of travel; and for
women, they must be in a state of purity (clean from menstruation and
post childbirth bleeding). If a person fulfills the above
prerequisites, fasting becomes valid and mandatory.
Inferring from this definition, if one of these conditions is missing,
the fast will be invalid. Indeed, it may be better to analyze each
category of the definition.
Not Mandatory
Non-Muslim (Kafir)
Fasting isnot obligatory on a non-Muslimbecause he is not commanded to
fast and even if he decides to fast and follows all the regulations,
it will not be accepted by Allah (SWT). If he or she wants to fast the
Islamic fast, he has to declare the Kalimahfirst, and only then will
the fast be accepted. Similarly, the non-Muslim (Kafir) is not
obligated to perform any Islamic duties. If he converts to Islam
during the month of Ramadan, for instance, in the middle of the month,
it becomes incumbent upon him to fast the remaining days. There will
be no making up the days he missed before becoming Muslim.Allah (SWT)
states:
"Say to the unbelievers, if they desist from unbelief, their past
would be forgiven of them..."( Al-Qur'an 8:38)
If one converts to Islam during the daytime in Ramadan, say 10:00 a.m.
in the morning, he or she should observe the rest of the day in
fasting. That is, from 10:00 a.m. until sunset, he should not break
his fast.
Insane (Majnun)
Theinsane or retarded person is not obligatedto keep his fast because
he is deprived of sanity, a key component on which religious duties
depend. In a hadith related by Ali Bin Abi Talib (raa), the Messenger
of Allah (PBUH) said:
"The Pen that records the deeds has been lifted from three people; the
insane person, until he recovers; the sleeping person, until he wakes
up; and the minor, until he dreams (i.e., has wet dreams.)" (Ahmed)
This hadith indicates the fast of the insane person, for instance, is
not valid because he cannot comprehend the worship, and he
cannotmeaningfully declare intention (niyyah), without which the acts
are invalid. If he has mental relapses whereby he is healthy, and then
on occasion is sick, the fast is mandatory upon him during the days
and times he is healthy but not when he is unhealthy.
If he intends to fast in the morning, and he falls ill during this
time, his fast is good as if he fainted as a result of illness,
because he knows that he may experience an attack at certain times. If
he gets well during the daytime in Ramadan, he should observe the fast
the rest of the day because he is obligated to fast. However, he does
not have to make up the day because his case is like that of
unbeliever who becomes Muslim time or a minor he reached puberty
during the day.
Minor (Sabiyy)
Similarly, theminor person is not obligated to observefast (Sawm),
because of the previous hadith related by Ali bin Abi Talib, "... And
the minor until he dreams." However, it is imperative that the parents
or the guardians of the juveniles or adolescents encourage and urge
them to fast so they will get used to it. It will be vital training
for them in their worship, because they will not have any chance for
training as soon as they reach puberty.
In a hadith reported by Rubayyiah Bint Mau'awwidh (raa), the Prophet
(saas) sent a messenger to the village of Ansar on the morning of
Ashura to inform them:
"Whoever wakes in fasting should continue his fasting, whoever wakes
up without fasting should complete his day in fasting. So we used to
fast, let our young children fast, and go to the Masjid with them.
When one of the children cried for food, we would make toys from wool
and give them to the children until it was time to break the fast."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
This hadith indicates thattraining minor boys and girls is highly
recommendedearly in life, from about seven years of age for the
spiritual, educational, and cultural upbringing of Muslim youth. It is
the most powerful symbol of our religion.
Puberty - Boys
Puberty is known in Islamic law asal-bulugh, orTamyeez, (coming of age
as a man and woman). There are three signs of puberty (bulugh):
1.Discharging semen as a result of wet dreams, known
asinzaalul-manyyi. Allah (SWT) states: "But when the children among
you come of age, let them also ask for permission, as do those senior
to them in age..."(Al-Qur'an, 24-59)
In a hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "Friday bath
(ghuslul-Jum'ah) is mandatory upon anyone who has experienced a wet
dream." (Bukhari/Muslim) The point in this hadith is that Islamic
obligations are not incumbent on anyone until they reach the age
ofbulugh.
2.Appearance of hair around the pubic area is another sign of puberty.
If a person sees that even without wet dreams, he or she has attained
puberty. This may happen at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and
parents should inform girls and boys about these signs.
3.Reaching 15 years of age: When the person reaches 15, he or she is a
man or a woman, and anything that is obligatory on a man or woman is
obligatory on him or her from that time on.
In a hadith reported by Abdullah Bin Umar (raa), he said:
"My parents brought me to the Messenger of Allah on the eve of
theUhudCampaign and I was fourteen years old, so the Prophet (saas)
did not enlist me in fighting." But a year later in the Campaign of
Al-Khandaqq, I was fifteen, so this time the Prophet (saas) enlisted
me in combat." (Muslim)
This hadith indicates theage of 15 is the legal age for a Muslim boy
or girlto be responsible for his or her religion as well as worldly
responsibilities. Some of us who reside in the western world, seem to
think adulthood depends on State laws. In some states it is 18, while
in others it is 19, or 21, and so on. This is a very serious mistake,
as the juvenile will reach puberty (bulugh) and adulthood, but go on
without observing his or her Islamic duties, such as Salat, fasting,
or being restrained from that which is prohibited.
Puberty - Girls
Girls reach puberty and adulthood when they experience the above three
signs. However, they have a fourth sign, that is, menstruation (hayd).
Whenever a girl experiences it, she is a woman even if she is 12 years
old. At that time, theQalam, the pen of responsibilities, begins to
flow and to record the deeds of the servant, good or bad. It is
interesting that in the western world the case is the reverse. You
see, when ajuvenile reaches the age of puberty in Al-Islam he or she
should be careful about anything he or she does or says. On the
contrary, in the West when the person comes of age, he or she is
allowed to do things which are detrimental to his or her well being.
Indeed, if puberty is attained during the days of Ramadan, say at
midday, and the young person is fasting, he or she should continue his
or her fasting and there will be no obligation on him or her to make
up the fast. If he was not fasting, it is incumbent upon him to
observe the rest of the day in fasting, because he has become an adult
upon whom Islamic rites are obligatory. Girls in menstruation can't
observe half day, nor should they make that half day up.