If any one is so ill that fasting will be injurious or there is fear of
aggravation or it may prolong then such a person may not keep fast
and should offer compensatory fast after recovery. But it is not
proper to give up fasting merely. upon one's own guess unless some
pious Muslim Hakeem or Doctor advises.
If the Hakeem or Doctor is a non-believer or does
not follow the religious code, his advice should not be trusted and fast should not be
given up.
If on personal experience some symptoms convince one that fasting will
be harmful, then such a person may give up fast. But if one has no
personal experience and is not aware of the condition of the
illness, then fast should not be given up on own guess. If not on
the advice of a pious Hakeem but on ones own experience a fast is
given up, then recompensation shall have to be given and it will be a sin to give up the
fast.
A person has recovered from illness but is still weak
and it is feared that the illness will revive if he fasts, then it is
allowed for him not to keep it.
If any one is in journey, then it is permissible for
him not to keep a fast and keep compensatory fast after returning from the journey.
Traveller has already been described. The same rules apply here.
If there is no inconvenience in fasting during a journey.
For instance he is travelling by train and hopes to reach home by the evening or has every
thing of comfort, then it is better to keep a fast in the journey
and if no fast is kept then there is no sin. A missed fast should
be observed. In case fasting in a journey causes discomfort or inconvenience, then it is
better not to keep a fast.
If any one did not recover from illness but died in
it or died while in journey, then for the period that he did not fast
in illness or journey, then he will not be held responsible for those
on the Day of Judgement as he did not have time to keep the missed
fasts.
If any one missed ten fasts in illness and then was
well for five days but did not keep missed fasts in this period, he
will be held responsible for these five fasts which he did not keep
and the rest fasts will be remitted by Allah. But if he was well for
full ten days and did not keep the ten missed fasts, then he will
be held responsible for ten days. So it is essential for such a
person, if he has the means, to make a will before dying for recompensation
(Fidiyah) to be given for the days he is likely to be held
responsible.
The same rule applies to the fasts missed in a journey.
A will should be made for recompensation of the missed fasts.
If any one in a journey stays at a place with the
intention of staying for fifteen days, then he should not give up
fast as according to Shari’ah now he will not be treated as a traveller. But if the
intention is to stay for leas then fifteen days, then it is
permissible not to keep fast.
A pregnant woman or one with a suckling baby may
not fast for the fear of her own-self or of the baby and should
keep the missed fast later. But if her husband has the means he may
engage a wet-nurse and relieve the wife and then it would not be
permissible for the wife to give up fasts. But if the child is of
such nature that it will not take milk from anyone else except the
mother then it is permissible for her to give up fast.
If a wet-nurse took employment for a suckling baby
and Ramadhaan came and the child's life will be at risk if she fasts,
then nurse may also not keep fast.
If during Ramadhaan a woman has monthly course or
gave birth to a child, then for period of menses and after birth
discharge she may not keep fasts.
If a woman was relieved of the discharge at night
then she should fast next morning. If she did not bathe in the
night even then she should keep a fast and bathe in the morning. But if she is relieved in
the morning then she should not fast that day but it is not proper
for her now to eat or drink but should remain like the fasting
ones.
If any one accepts Islam during day or attained maturity in the day then
it is not permissible for such person to eat or drink for rest of
the day. But he did eat, then compensatory fast for such person is not essential.
Being in journey one had no intention of keeping
a fast, but reached home an hour before mid-day or stayed some
where with an intention of staying for fifteen days and nothing was
eaten or drunk up to this time, then should now resolve for a fast.
It is not proper to give up the Ramadhaan fast without
any legitimate cause, it is a major sin. It should not be thought,
he will keep a postponed fast for each missed fast as it has been
described in the Tradition that even if fast is kept one whole year
for one missed fast even then it can not be equal to the reward of
one fast of Ramadhaan.
If one has the misfortune of not keeping a fast then
he should not eat or drink in presence of others and should neither
declare that he is not fasting as publicising a sin is also a sin
and if declared it would be a double sin-one of not keeping a fast,
and the other of publicising it. One who is not keeping a fast due
to some reason, he too, should not declare it others.
When boys and girls are capable of keeping fast
they should be made to keep fast and should be compelled to keep
fast when they attain the age of ten years. If fast of one month
are not possible for them to keep then as many as possible should
be kept by them.
If a minor boy or girl breaks a resolved fast then
he or she should not be forced to observe a postponed fast but if
prayer is disrupted after making intent, then they should be made
to repeat it.