November-December 2011, Featured Articles, Education

Puberty in Islam

By Ameenah Gaffar   Fri, Dec 02, 2011

For girls, that means covering our beauty (hair, neck, bosom and hips.) For boys that means longer shirts and baggy pants. Also males and females do not mix outside of chaperoned situations (i.e. only at school or work). Male-female relationships are discouraged until one is ready for marriage. And then there are other regulations regarding marriage selection. As a Muslim female the emphasis is more of a spiritual one than anything else. It is said that Allah (Arabic for God) left 1% of His mercy on Earth in the womb of the woman. In Islam the onset of menstruation is not viewed as a curse. We believe that Adam and Hawa (Eve) made the decision together to disobey God. Therefore, the pain of childbirth and everything pertaining to the female reproductive system is a blessing and means of expiating sins. This is a time when a girl becomes closer to God by fulfilling religious responsibilities, experiencing physical changes and spiritual changes.

A Muslim must establish the five pillars of Islam as part of daily life. They are: Shahadah, Prayer, Fasting, Zakat, and Hajj. Shahadah means testament of faith that there is no God but Allah and His Messenger is Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him.) The prayers must be performed five times a day at appointed movements of the sun: (dawn, midday, late afternoon, sunset and dusk.) Fasting in the month of Ramadan is mandatory upon every able bodied Muslim. The exceptions are young children, the elderly and nursing and pregnant women. Zakat is giving in charity 2.5 percent of your wealth. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca which must be complete once during a lifetime. Once we reach puberty, we understand there are no partners with God meaning he has no son or (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.) We have been taught how to pray since we were young and now are responsible to pray each prayer on time and fast all thirty days of Ramadan.

Personal hygiene becomes extremely important during this time because of all of our physical changes. Part of praying requires ablution or washing several times during the day. Trimming the new hairs regularly every forty days is also required. Additionally not to draw attention to our new attributes, we wear hijab, Arabic for covering and mean the modest covering from head to toe. Hijab is also used to simply refer to the head covering or scarf. Nutrition is also important. We eat halal, or lawfully acquired meat. Beef, lamb, goat, and poultry are permitted but must be butchered in private, quickly while pronouncing the name of God. During its life, the animal must have been treated and fed naturally and regularly, also referred to as organic and grass fed by some. The temperament of the meat that
you eat will affect your behavior, spiritual state and odor. Of course this is not a change during puberty as your mother would have fed you properly throughout your life but the quantity of meat is new. Meat, while not forbidden, should be eaten in moderation as it makes bad body odor and can also make bad breath. Personal hygiene, dress and nutrition become more disciplined at this time.

In assuming new religious responsibilities and physical responsibilities, it will protect your spiritual state. Emotions are consistently changing but remaining in constant prayer or dua and remembrance of God will help control your temperament. I personally have been
feeling closer to God and His presence protecting me. When I pray, I am very focused and everything is clear. I have never been able to focus in my prayers the way that I now can. So for me this is the most significant change about puberty, the ability to really worship with a pure heart and clear mind.

In conclusion, in Islam there are no rites or ritual. Rather starting from the age of nine, it is a time a personal spiritual awareness. We show our maturity in the new responsibilities we take on in our worship of God. With our new understanding of how our relationship should be with Him, we discipline ourselves in body, by covering and refraining from inappropriate intersexual mixing and in spirit by worship more and regularly. I would like to add that my new relationship with God has changed my relationship with my mother and I feel closer and more connected to her. I see that Allah’s mercy really is in women.

By Ameenah Gaffar

Ameenah Gaffar is an aspiring writer and artist. Presently attending middle school after several years of homeschooling, she is adjusting to public school life. In her spare time, she reads and draws.

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