Question: In my youth, around the age of 13, I became baligh through masturbation. I did this during Ramadan fasting, unaware that it breaks the fast and requires ghusl. I also performed prayers in this state. Do I need to make up for these prayers and fasts?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى اله و اصحابه اجمعين
Answer:
The answer is given with the help of the Sovereign, the Bestower.
Ruling of Puberty
If ejaculation (discharge of semen) occurs through masturbation, a person becomes legally بالغ (baligh) even if they are under 15 years of age. This is one of the recognized signs of شرعی بلوغت (legal maturity), though the act itself is extremely sinful.
Masturbating while in the state of fasting and causing ejaculation invalidates the fast.
Offering prayer in the state of جنابت (major ritual impurity) without performing غسل (ghusl) is not valid, because such a prayer is not considered properly performed.
Any prayers that were offered without غسل (ghusl) must be repeated, as repeating them is واجب (wajib).
If غسل (ghusl) became obligatory upon you and you performed prayers without it, those prayers are invalid. Therefore, making up (قضا – qada) those prayers is obligatory upon you.
A‘la Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رحمہ اللہ علیہ writes in “فتاویٰ رضویہ” that if a person masturbates while fasting, the fast breaks and only قضا (qada) is required; كفارہ (kaffarah) is not required. Furthermore, offering prayer in the state of جنابت (janabat) is حرام (haram), and such prayer is واجب الاعادہ (wajib al-i‘adah – necessary to repeat).
(Reference: فتاویٰ رضویہ, Volume 10, Page 457, باب ما یفسد الصوم;
Volume 3, Page 556, باب الاغتسال)
Summary and Advice
- Fasts: You must perform قضا (qada) for all the Ramadan fasts during which you committed masturbation.
- Prayers: You must perform قضا (qada) for all the prayers you offered in the state of جنابت (janabat).
Along with this, توبہ (tawbah) is obligatory upon you. Turn to Allah Almighty in sincere repentance so that on the Day of Judgment you may be successful. There is no need to make public repentance. Since the sin occurred in privacy, you should also repent privately before Allah.
And Allah (ta’ala) knows best.
Answered by the Hafiz-e-Millat team
Verified by Maulana Nazim Qadri
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