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Fatwa CenterThe minimum age of puberty for boys in Islam
Question
Can you please describe in detail the pubic hair that Muslim jurists consider a sign for reaching puberty? What is the minimum age at which a boy starts to grow pubic hair in the Arab world? I have read on your website that the minimum age at which girls reach puberty is nine. What about boys?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Scholars underlined that the appearance of hair around the pubic area is a sign of puberty. It is the hair which needs to be shaved and not the soft fuzz which generally exists on youths. This indicates becoming competent for religious assignment for both Muslim men and women.
Ibn Qudaamah 
said in his book, Al-Mughni, "The growing of pubic hair as a sign of reaching puberty in boys and girls refers to the hair which needs to be shaved and not the soft fuzz which generally exists on youths."
The average age at which boys reach puberty is twelve. The Hanafi scholar, Al-Humaam said in his book, Fat-h Al-Qadeer, "The minimum age at which boys reach puberty is twelve and the minimum age at which girls reach puberty is nine."
As for your question about the average age of the onset of puberty for boys in the Arab world, it is the same as the minimum age at which boys reach puberty as stated above. We could not find any evidence specifying the average age of the onset of puberty for boys in the Arab world.
Allaah Knows best.
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