Children too can fast during Ramadhan

It is a requirement that every Muslim around fasts during the Holy month of Ramadhan including children who have reached the age of maturity.

Fasting during the holy month is one of the five pillars of Islam, which also include prayer and charity. To fast, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking.

In many years Muslim parents have been encouraging even younger children to fast some as young as eight years.

This encourages them to start practicing fasting early enough even before they come of age.

Some of them fast part of the day and starting eating and others fast for the whole month.

Speaking to children who intend to fast during the coming month of Ramadhan they talk about the importance of fasting to them.

Mwajuma Rashid is an eight year old who says according to the Quran, fasting is very important because she wants to pray for her family and other children who are suffering from different diseases.

“Muslims are fasting and its better for me to start early this will make it easy to continue praying when I grow up,” says Mwajuma.

Khamis Suleiman is a nine-year-old who says that during Ramadan children are supposed to develop a sense of humanity, spirituality.

Ramadan is spiritual time for every Muslim we pray together and our parents invite other families to break the fast due to this I learn a great sense of love and forgiveness.

Munir Ismail is 10 years old he says that people who are fast purify their bodies as well as their soul ,it helps to feel that we need to respect older people and the young ones ,doing good things every time and listen to parents.

“I fast because I have to pray for my parents also for myself that Allah blesses me and my education, “ says Muniri.

He adds that apart from praying, it is time for repentance,because children just like any other human beings do sin too.

Muhamed Salim from Mtongani Dar es Salaam says that there are children who fast before the age of maturity as the way of enjoy the grown up feelings.

“Fasting isn’t an absolute requirement. Children generally don’t participate until they hit puberty, but if they are willing to do so then it is good because they learn from their parents.”

He adds: If young children fast their parents get more blessings from the Almighty so if they choose to fast it’s ok but if they do not let them be until they reach their age of puberty.

It is compulsory for adults to fast, unless they are sick, pregnant, breast-feeding or travelling.