Training Children to Fast; Making them toys of Wool to Distract them from Hunger while Fasting
Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu 'ala rasulullaah
Amma-ba'd
Al-Rubay` bint Mu'awadh (radiallaahu 'anha) said: "The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) sent a messenger to the village of the Ansar in the morning of the day of 'Ashura' (10th of Muharram) to announce: 'Whoever has eaten something should not eat but complete the fast, and whoever is observing the fast should complete it.'"
She further said: "Since then, we used to fast on that day regularly and also make our boys fast. We used to make toys of wool for the boys and, if any one of them cried for (food), he was given those toys till it was the time of the breaking of the fast." [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (in the Book of Fasting)]
Al-Rubay` bint Mu'awadh (radiallaahu 'anha) said: "The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) sent a messenger to the village of the Ansar in the morning of the day of 'Ashura' (10th of Muharram) to announce: 'Whoever has eaten something should not eat but complete the fast, and whoever is observing the fast should complete it.'"
She further said: "Since then, we used to fast on that day regularly and also make our boys fast. We used to make toys of wool for the boys and, if any one of them cried for (food), he was given those toys till it was the time of the breaking of the fast." [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (in the Book of Fasting)]
Bint
Mu'awadh also said about the children: "We used to make toys out of
wool and took (them to the mosque) along with us. When they (the children)
asked us for food, we gave them these toys to play with, and these made them
forgetful till they completed their fast." [Saheeh Muslim]
In
another narration in Saheeh Muslim, Bint Mu'awadh said about the children:
"...We went to the mosque and made toys out of wool for them and,
when anyone felt hungry and wept for food, we gave them these toys till it was
the time to break the fast."
Imam
An-Nawawee (rahimahullaah) stated in his commentary on Saheeh Muslim: "In
this narration, we are shown that children should be trained to do acts of
obedience and made used to doing worship, although they are not legally
bound (at that age)."
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Al-'Uthaimeen: This is what the Companions would do with their children
Question: Should children below the age of fifteen be ordered to fast as in the case with prayer?
Imaam Muhammad bin Saalih Al-'Uthaimeen answered: "Yes, children who have not yet reached the age of puberty should be ordered to fast if they are able to do it. This is what the Companions would do with their children.
The scholars have stated that a guardian should order whichever youth he possesses guardianship over to fast so that they could practice it and become attached to it, and so that the foundations of Islaam could become instilled in their souls to the point that it becomes like second-nature to them.
However, they [the children] are not required to fast if doing so will be difficult on them or bring harm to them. I would like to point out here an issue that some fathers or mothers do, and that is preventing their children from fasting - in direct opposition to what the Companions used to do.
They [some parents] claim that they are preventing their children from fasting out of mercy and compassion for them. But the reality is that mercy for one's children is in ordering them to practice the rites of Islaam and to grow accustomed and attached to them. This - without a doubt - is from the best and most complete forms of raising and cultivating one's children.
It is authentically reported that the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihiwasallam) said: Verily a man is a guardian for the members of his household and he will be questioned as to his flock. [1]
That which is required for guardians with respect to those whom Allaah has given them authority over, such as family members and youth, is that they fear Allaah with regard to them and order them with what they were commanded to order them, such as implementing the rites of Islaam."
[1] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 2409) and Muslim (no. 1829)
Source: 48 Su'aalan fis-Siyaam (binothaimeen.org)
Al-'Uthaimeen: This is what the Companions would do with their children
Question: Should children below the age of fifteen be ordered to fast as in the case with prayer?
Imaam Muhammad bin Saalih Al-'Uthaimeen answered: "Yes, children who have not yet reached the age of puberty should be ordered to fast if they are able to do it. This is what the Companions would do with their children.
The scholars have stated that a guardian should order whichever youth he possesses guardianship over to fast so that they could practice it and become attached to it, and so that the foundations of Islaam could become instilled in their souls to the point that it becomes like second-nature to them.
However, they [the children] are not required to fast if doing so will be difficult on them or bring harm to them. I would like to point out here an issue that some fathers or mothers do, and that is preventing their children from fasting - in direct opposition to what the Companions used to do.
They [some parents] claim that they are preventing their children from fasting out of mercy and compassion for them. But the reality is that mercy for one's children is in ordering them to practice the rites of Islaam and to grow accustomed and attached to them. This - without a doubt - is from the best and most complete forms of raising and cultivating one's children.
It is authentically reported that the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihiwasallam) said: Verily a man is a guardian for the members of his household and he will be questioned as to his flock. [1]
That which is required for guardians with respect to those whom Allaah has given them authority over, such as family members and youth, is that they fear Allaah with regard to them and order them with what they were commanded to order them, such as implementing the rites of Islaam."
[1] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 2409) and Muslim (no. 1829)
Source: 48 Su'aalan fis-Siyaam (binothaimeen.org)
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Ibn
Baaz: Order them to fast at the age of seven, just as you order them to pray at
the age of seven
Student
Abu 'Abdis-Salaam (hafidhahullaah) relayed that Imam Ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah)
said:
"Young
boys and girls who have reached the age of seven and beyond should be ordered
to fast so that they become acclimated to fasting. It is a must upon those
responsible over their affairs to order them to fast just as you order them to
pray."
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Important
Note: The 'Ulemma have mentioned that the age of seven - as mentioned
in the hadeeth of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam),
who commanded that the children be taught how to pray at the age of
seven - this age is according to the Muslim, Hijri calendar, not by
the Gregorian calendar.
This
is yet another reason to learn and implement the Muslim, Hijri calendar.
For those who have been using the Gregorian calendar and have not yet learned
the Hijri calendar, simply take away about 10 days for every
year on the Gregorian calendar to get the accurate age according to the Hijri
calendar. So, for example, if the child "is seven,
today" according to the Gregorian calendar, then that means the
child actually became seven about 70 days ago. And if you use a
Hijri calendar converter, you will get the precise day in the Hijri calendar,
In-sha`Allaah.
Here
is the date-converter from the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments,
Da'wah and Guidance: http://prayer.al-islam.com/convert.asp?l=eng
So
keep this in mind, In-sha`Allaah, when calculating to determine when to teach
the child how to pray and fast.
Source:
SalafiTalk.Net
