Children’s Fasting and When They Owe Fasting

إِنَّا نَأْمُرُ صِبْيَانَنَا بِالصِّيَامِ إِذَا كَانُوا بَنِي سَبْعِ سِنِينَ بِمَا أَطَاقُوا مِنْ صِيَامِ الْيَوْمِ فَإِنْ كَانَ إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ وَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ‌[4] أَوْ أَقَلَّ فَإِذَا غَلَبَهُمُ‌ الْعَطَشُ وَ الْغَرَثُ أَفْطَرُوا حَتَّى يَتَعَوَّدُوا الصَّوْمَ وَ يُطِيقُوهُ فَمُرُوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ إِذَا كَانُوا أَبْنَاءَ تِسْعِ سِنِينَ بِمَا أَطَاقُوا مِنْ صِيَامٍ فَإِذَا غَلَبَهُمُ الْعَطَشُ أَفْطَر

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘We command our children, when they are seven years old, to fast as long as they can. In midday or more if thirst increases, they stop fasting so they develop endurance. You should command your children to fast, when they are nine years old, for as long as they can fast. When thirst i

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِي كَمْ يُؤْخَذُ الصَّبِيُّ بِالصِّيَامِ قَالَ مَا بَيْنَهُ‌[1] وَ بَيْنَ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً وَ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَإِنْ هُوَ صَامَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ فَدَعْهُ وَ لَقَدْ صَامَ ابْنِي فُلَانٌ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ فَتَرَكْتُهُ.

‘They must fast when they are fifteen and fourteen years old. If they fast before this then allow them to do so. My son, so and so fasted before such time and I allowed him to do so.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ‌[2] عَنِ الصَّبِيِّ مَتَى يَصُومُ قَالَ إِذَا قَوِيَ عَلَى الصِّيَامِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a child when he is required to fast. He (the Imam) said, ‘When he is able to fast he must fast.’”

إِذَا أَطَاقَ الْغُلَامُ صِيَامَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مُتَتَابِعَةٍ فَقَدْ وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ صِيَامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When a boy is able to fast for three days continuously it is obligatory on him to fast in the month of Ramadan.’”