Celebrating daughter’s reaching adolescence

It is not prescribed to celebrate this occasion, which is a girl’s reaching the age of sixteen, because that is imitating the kuffaar who hold such parties. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (3512); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. 

This age does not mean anything in our religion. A girl reaches puberty and becomes accountable when certain signs appear, but reaching the age of sixteen is not one of them. 

The signs of puberty are: menstruation, wet dreams, growth of coarse hair around the private part or reaching the age of fifteen. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not prescribe celebrating the reaching of a certain age, such as puberty or youth etc, for either males or females. 

Some people nowadays celebrate the child’s first birthday, then they celebrate when he begins to walk, then when he begins to speak. But there is no basis for that in Islam, rather these are customs that have been taken from non-Muslims. 

We should beware of imitating the kuffaar and we should preserve our Islamic identity, and avoid blind imitation of others. 

There is nothing wrong, when a child reaches puberty according to the signs mentioned, with pointing out the importance of that in his life in general terms, and pointing out that his Hereafter is strongly connected to his reaching puberty, because he has now become responsible for his actions and accountable for his words and deeds. 

“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.

8. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it”

[al-Zalzalah 99:8-9]

May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. 

And Allaah knows best.