Question:
What are the conditions for the validity of a child’s fast? Is it true that the reward of a child’s fast is given to their parents?
Answer:
If a child has the strength and capability to fast, parents should encourage them to observe fasting so that they become accustomed to it, even if they are younger than ten years old. However, once they reach the age of puberty, fasting becomes obligatory, and parents must ensure that they observe it.
If a child fasts before reaching puberty, they must abstain from all things that invalidate fasting, such as eating and drinking, just like adults. The reward of the child's fast is granted both to the child and to their parents, as the parents are the ones who encouraged and guided them in performing this act of worship.
And Allah knows best.
— Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (رحمہ اللہ)
