Children under the age of twelve should not be encouraged to fast. If the days are shorter, they can be advised to keep shorter fasts if they wish. Hazrat Musleh Maud^ra has written that the Promised Messiah^as permitted him to keep his first fast at the age of twelve.

Children should not be forced to fast at this age, as it is the years of their physical growth. If a child wants to fast willingly, they should be told that since the fasts are long, they may not be able to complete it. Hence, they should intend from the start that if they are unable to endure it, they should break the fast. In this way, they will be rewarded for their intention.

The fact is, you (in Sweden) are allowed to break your fast after 18 hours, aligning the duration with other European countries. Otherwise, if you calculate the day and night hours in Sweden, fasting would last up to 22 hours, especially during May and June. So then?

Non-Ahmadis force children to fast in this way. There was an incident in Pakistan where a child was made to fast during the summer when the days were very long. The child kept running towards water out of thirst. The parents locked the child in a room. In the evening, they invited guests and other children to celebrate the fact that their child had fasted. But when they opened the door, the child was lying dead from thirst. So, such harshness is completely wrong.

Children should not be forced to fast at a young age. They can start developing the habit around fifteen or sixteen years of age. By the time they reach eighteen and have completed their physical, they should begin fasting regularly. By the age of seventeen or eighteen, children will have developed the strength to endure fasting. However, there is no fixed age for this; it depends on each person’s circumstances.