Elementary Education and Motivation in Islam: Perspectives of Med ...

The most common opinion seems to be that taklf begins with the onset of sexual maturity (itilm), as per the Hadith cited previously.⁷⁸ Thus, the actual age of bulgh or taklf can differ from one person to another, depending on when the individual attains puberty.

Other jurists mention that a person becomes mukallaf upon reaching the age of fifteen. This is based on the narration of Nfi‘ b. ‘Amr, whom the Prophet prevented from going to battle at fourteen but later permitted when he was fifteen. This is the opinion of al-Awz‘ (88/707–158/774), Ibn Wahb (d. 197/812), al-Shfi‘ (150/767–204/820), and Amad b. anbal (164/780–241/855), amongst others. Al-Nawaw favoured this opinion in his commentary of a Muslim, stating that when a person reaches the age of fifteen, he or she is mukallaf even if sexual maturity has not transpired.⁷⁹

Whereas one may postulate that Nfi‘ may have coincidentally attained puberty at fifteen, there is a narration of ‘Al b. Ab lib (d. 40/661) that stated, ‘Have fun with your child for seven years, cultivate him for seven years and be his friend for seven years, then give him free rein’.⁸⁰ After the child plays for seven years (mud‘aba) and is cultivated for another seven (ta'db), the third stage begins at the age of fifteen and ends at twenty-one. Ab Lw mentioned that those within this final stage are all generally mature individuals (mukallafn).⁸¹ Therefore, one may argue that when Nfi‘ was fourteen—regardless of whether he had reached puberty—he had not yet passed the stage of ta'db and had to wait until he was fifteen to go to battle. The age of fifteen may thus be taken as a general age for the start of taklf.

In contrast, according to Ab anfa, a person becomes a mukallaf upon reaching eighteen years of age, as this is the age by which the intellect has fully matured.⁸² Al-Ash‘ar mentioned seven opinions, most of which were based on the extent to which the intellect has developed and the obligation to act based on sound knowledge rather than itilm.⁸³

According to Hadith, the first opinion, based on itilm, is the strongest general precept for the start of taklf. However, the views that mention intellectual and psychological development are also sound when one considers that there are people who are perfectly rational but may