The Signs of Puberty in Islam
Puberty refers to someone who has reached maturity or puberty, and has full responsibility under Islamic law.
Content
- The Signs of Puberty
- The Conditions for Using a Stone (Istijmar)
- The Sunnah Way for Using a Stone (Istijmar)
- Commentary on Puberty (Baligh )
- Commentary on Using a Stone (Istijmar)
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Islamic Sharia: Theology and Jurisprudence
The Signs of Puberty
(فصل ) علامات البلوغ ثلاث : تمام خمس عشرة سنه في الذكروالأنثى ، والاحتلام في
الذكر والأنثى لتسع سنين ، و الحيض في الأنثى لتسع سنين .
Chapter The Signs of Puberty are Three:[1]
1. Reaching the age of 15
(lunar) years for a male or a female.
2. Experiencing a wet dream by a 9
year old boy or girl.
3. Menstruation for a 9 year old girl[2]
The Conditions for Using a Stone (Tayammum)
(فصل) شروط إجزاء الحَجَرْ ثمانية: أن يكون بثلاثة أحجار ، وأن ينقي المحل ، وأن
لا يجف النجس ، ولا ينتقل ، ولا يطرأ عليه آخر ، ولا يجاوز صفحته وحشفته ، ولا
يصيبه ماء ، وأن تكون الأحجار طاهرة.
Chapter The Conditions for Using a Stone [3] (to clean the private parts) are
Eight [4]
1. Three[5] stones should be used.[6]
2. It should
purify.7
3. The impurity should not be completely dry.8
4. The
impurity should not have spread out.9
5. No other impurity should come
upon it.
6. The impurity should not go beyond the inner buttock[10] and
the head of the penis.
7. Water should not splash onto the stone.11
8.
The stones to be used should be pure.
Note: The Sunnah Way for Using a Stone:
1. Begin to wipe from front to back on the right side with the first stone,
similarly wipe the left with the second, and wipe both sides and the anus with
the third. Each wiping must begin at a point on the skin that is
free of impurity.
2. It is sunnah (recommended) to add
an odd number of stones e.g. five, seven and so on.
3.
It is makriih (offensive) to use the right hand
to clean the impurity.
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Commentary on Puberty (Baligh)
1. When a child reaches the age of seven and is mumayyi z (discerning) i.e. he can eat, drink and clean himself after using the toilet unassisted, he is ordered to perform alah and all other injunctions pertaining to alah (e.g. wuq11'). When he reaches ten, he will be beaten for neglecting it, not severely, but so as to discipline the child, and not more than three strikes. alah and other injuctions of Sharf ah become wajib when a child reaches the age of puberty.
2 Pregnancy is not a sign of puberty, rather an emission of sexual fluid prior to pregnancy is.
Commentary on Tayammum
3 Stones suffice to clean oneself, though it is best to follow this up by washing with water.
4 It is wajib to use water if one of these conditions is not found.
5 It is wajib to use either three stones or even three sides of one stone when one is sufficient to remove impurities. Otherwise one needs to repeat using a stone that suffices in removing the impurity. It is sunnah to use an odd number of stones (meaning three, five, seven etc.).
6 Anything that is solid, pure and removes filth. Something deserving respect (e.g. paper; an instrument of knowledge) or something edible can not replace the use of stones.
7 It means to remove the filth so that nothing remains but a trace that could not be removed unless one were to use water. When this has been done, any remaining effect of impurity is excusable.
8 If the impurity becomes dry, using a stone will no longer suffice.
9 Impurity should not reach another part of the body.
10 Inner buttock refers to that which is enfolded when standing.
11 It will not be valid to use a wet stone.