❖ Question:
A girl is 12 or 13 years old, and Ramadan has passed during which she did not fast. In such a case, is anything required of her or her family? At this age, is she obligated to fast? And if she does not fast, does anything become obligatory upon her?❖ Answer:
A woman becomes legally accountable (mukallafah) for Islamic rulings when the following three conditions are met:① Islam
② Sanity (ʿaql)
③ Puberty (bulūgh)
The signs of puberty include:
① Onset of menstruation (ḥayḍ)
② Nocturnal emission (iḥtilām)
③ Growth of coarse pubic hair
④ Reaching the age of fifteen
If the girl in question meets any of the conditions of puberty, then fasting becomes obligatory upon her, and she is held accountable for the fasts missed after reaching puberty. Therefore, she must make up (qaḍāʾ) the fasts she missed after becoming legally accountable.
However, if any of the conditions of accountability are not fulfilled, then she is not considered legally accountable, and nothing is required of her.
