FatwaFederal TerritoriesMarriage & Family
IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE- 230: UMUR BALIGH MENURUT 4 MAZHAB DAN HAD UMUR YATIM
What is the age limit for providing maintenance to an orphan, and is it based on the age of puberty?
Short answer
Scholars differ on the age of baligh. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools set it at 15 lunar years, while the Maliki and Hanafi schools set it at 18.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad al-Hukum (Umum)
- Topic
- Marriage & Family
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Scholars differ on the age of baligh. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools set it at 15 lunar years, while the Maliki and Hanafi schools set it at 18. The Mufti of the Federal Territories favours the 18-year view for orphan maintenance, since children below that age in Malaysia are usually not yet ready to live independently. The court may also extend maintenance by considering welfare, education and career, up to a certain age such as 21.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Kami cenderung kepada pendapat di dalam mazhab al-Hanafi dan al-Maliki dalam menentukan had umur baligh iaitu pada usia 18 tahun, khususnya dalam isu nafkah kepada anak yatim.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE- 230: UMUR BALIGH MENURUT 4 MAZHAB DAN HAD UMUR YATIM”, 11 June 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-hukum/umum/2460-irsyad-al-fatwa-siri-ke-230-umur-baligh-menurut-4-mazhab-dan-had-umur-yatim. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/age-limit-orphan-maintenance-baligh/