There are three (people) whose actions are not recorded by the Pen: a sleeping person till he awakes, a boy till he reaches puberty, and a person with an unsound mind till he regains his sanity
Chapter: If an insane person steals or commits a crime that is subject to a had
‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"There are three (people) whose actions are not recorded by the Pen: a sleeping person till he awakes, a boy till he reaches puberty, and a person with an unsound mind till he regains his sanity."
Reported by Abu Dawud (No. 4403, 4402), At-Tirmidhi (No. 1423) and Ahmad (No. 896, 910, 1122, 1258, 1290, 1292).
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that accountability is binding on all the children of Adam except for these three:
A child till he grows up and reaches puberty.
An insane and crazy person till his mind is restored.
A sleeping person till he wakes up.
Accountability has been lifted from them, and their sinful actions are not recorded against them. However, goodness is recorded for a young boy, but not for the insane or sleeping person, because they are in the category of those who are not capable of valid worship due to the loss of consciousness.
Lessons
A person’s lack of eligibility is either due to sleep, which may cause him to fail to wake up to perform his duties, or because his young age is associated with legal incompetence, or because of insanity with which his mental functions are disturbed, as well as similar cases such as drunkenness. Whoever becomes unable to discern matters and perceive them properly is no longer legally qualified due to one of these three reasons. Allah Almighty, out of His justice, forbearance, and generosity, has absolved him of the blame for his transgression or shortcomings with regard to the right of Allah Almighty.
Not recording their sins against them does not contradict the establishment of some worldly rulings against them. For example, if an insane person kills, there is no retaliation or expiation due against him, and his paternal family members must pay blood money.
Puberty has three signs: the emission of semen, through a wet dream or otherwise; the growth of pubic hair; and reaching the age of fifteen. A woman has a fourth sign in addition: menstruation.
As-Subki said: A boy is a child. Someone else said: A child in his mother’s womb is called a fetus, and when he is born, he is a child. When he is weaned, he is a boy until he is seven. Then, he becomes an adolescent until he is ten; then a minor until he is fifteen. What is certain is that he is called a boy in all of these cases. This was said by As-Suyūti.
Explanation in Arabic
أَخْبَرَ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بأنَّ التكليفَ لازِمٌ لبني آدم إلا هؤلاء الثلاثة:
الطفل الصغير حتى يَكْبُرَ ويَبْلُغ.
وعن المجنون فاقِدِ العقل حتى يَرجِعَ إليه عقلُه.
وعن النائم حتى يَستيقظَ.
فالتكليف قد رُفِع عنهم، وفِعْلُهم الإثمَ لا يُكتبُ عليهم، لكن يُكتب الخيرُ للصبي الصغير دون المجنون والنائم؛ لأنهما في حَيِّزِ مَن ليس قابلًا لصحة العبادة منه لزوال الشعور.
فَقْدُ الإنسانِ الأهليةَ يكون إما بسبب النوم الذي أفقده الاستيقاظَ لأداءِ واجباته، أو بسبب حَدَاثَةِ السِّنِّ والصِّغَرِ الذي هو معها فاقد للأهلية، أو بسبب الجنون الذي اضطربت معه وظائفه العقلية، أو ما يَلْحَق به كالسُّكْر، فمن فقد التمييز والتصوُّر الصحيحين، فانتفت عنه الأهلية بسببٍ من هذه الأسباب الثلاثة؛ فإن الله تبارك وتعالى بعدله، وحلمه، وكرمه، قد رَفَعَ عنه المؤاخذةَ بما يَصْدُرُ عنه من تعدٍّ أو تقصير في حق الله تعالى.
عدم كتابة الآثام عليهم، لا ينافي ثبوت بعض الأحكام الدنيوية عليهم؛ كالمجنون لو قَتَل، فلا قود عليه ولا كفارة، وعلى عاقلته الدية.
للبلوغ ثلاث علامات: نزولُ المنيِّ، باحتلام وغيره، أو نَباتُ شَعَر العَانة، أو بإتمام خمسة عشر عامًا، وتزيد المرأة أمرًا رابعًا: وهو الحيضُ.
قال السبكي: الصبي الغلام، وقال غيره: الولد في بطن أمه يسمى جَنينًا فإذا وُلِد فصبيٌّ فإذا فُطِمَ فغلامٌ إلى سَبْعٍ ثم يَصيْرُ يافِعًا إلى عَشْر ثم حزورًا إلى خمس عشرة، والذي يُقطع به أنه يُسمّى صبيًّا في هذه الأحوال كلها، قاله السيوطي.
