… Continued

The fasting of old people:

The fasting of a very old person who cannot complete his day because of his weakness and old age, despite his cognition and ability to discern. Ibn ‘Abbaas and other Companions, may Allah be pleased with him, gave the Fatwa that such a person does not have to fast and has to feed a poor person as expiation for each day and he does not have to make it up later. Feeding others serves as a substitute for fasting out of mercy and mitigation from Allah The Almighty. Commenting on the verse (which means): {And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day].} [Quran 2:184], Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that it was revealed in relation to the case of an elderly man and woman who are unable to fast. They should not fast and should expiate for each day by feeding a poor person. They do not have to make up for these days. It is narrated in an authentic Hadeeth that when Anas Ibn Maalik, may Allah be pleased with him, became very old and too weak to fast, he did not fast and fed thirty poor people as expiation for the whole month.

If the elderly person is no longer discerning and has become senile, he should observe neither fasting nor feeding poor people because this person is not addressed by the Sharee‘ah command, just like a child who is not discerning. Sanity is a must for a person to be addressed by any Sharee‘ah obligation.

If this person is discerning at times and senile at others, then prayer and fasting or feeding the poor are obligatory upon him during the time of discernment and sanity.

The fasting of a sick person:

The fasting of a sick person who was sick when Ramadan started or became sick during Ramadan: there are two possibilities for this person.

First: there is hope that he will recover from his sickness. If it is feared that fasting may prolong or intensify his sickness, then, according to the consensus of the scholars of Fiqh it is permissible for him not to fast. Some scholars made it recommended for him not to fast in this case because Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And whoever is ill or on a journey - then [fast] an equal number of other days.} [Quran 2:185] Also, the Prophet said: “Allah likes His concessions to be observed just as He dislikes being disobeyed.” [Ahmad & Others] So, it is disliked for such a person to observe fasting with hardship because this goes against the conferred concession by Allah and is a form of self-harm. Moreover, if it is proven that fasting will harm the person, then, it is obligatory upon him not to fast and it is impermissible for him to fast in this case. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful.} [Quran 4:29] It is also narrated in a Saheeh (Authentic) Hadeeth: “Yourself has a right over you.” It is its right not to harm it while there is concession from Allah The Almighty. If a person does not fast due to illness whose recovery is hoped for, then he must make up for the missed days of fasting at a later time. There is no expiation to be observed.

Second: if the recovery of the ill person is not hoped for, such as in cases of cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, etc. and it is difficult upon that person to fast; then, it is not obligatory upon him to fast because Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} [Quran 2:286] Such a person should not fast and should feed a poor person for each day of not observing fasting. He does not have to make up for these missed days because it is not hoped that he will recover and be able to fast. Regarding this case and similar ones, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day].} [Quran 2:184] Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “This verse is not abrogated. It is meant for the old person who cannot fast.” [Al-Bukhari] The one whose recovery is not hoped for takes the same ruling of the old person, according to the majority of scholars. Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “Moving to expiation by feeding a poor person for each day should be pursued only in case of losing hope of making up for this missed day of fasting.”

Fasting of women:

Menstruation is one of the signs of reaching the age of puberty for girls; hence, when a girl has her menses regularly she becomes addressed by Sharee‘ah obligations regardless of her age. She has to observe fasting as well as prayer and other obligations. ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “If a girl menstruates, then she becomes a woman.” However, it is unlawful for a woman to fast during menstruation. It is not accepted from her until she becomes pure, just like her prayer. The Prophet said: “Does not the woman amongst you stop observing prayer and fasting during menstruation?" The woman must make up for the missed days during this period after becoming pure because Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {[Fast] an equal number of other days.} [Quran 2:185] Mu‘aathah narrated that, “I asked ‘Aa’ishah, 'Why does the menstruating woman make up for missed fasting but does not make up for missed prayers?' ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, exclaimed, 'Are you Haroori (i.e. coming from Harooraa’ and thus believing in the skeptical ideology of the Khawaarij)? We used to have menses during the time of the Prophet and we were commanded to make up for the missed days of fasting and we were not commanded to make up for the missed prayers.'” If the woman’s menses started during the day of Ramadan, even shortly before sunset, then, her fasting is invalidated and she has to make up for that day. If the woman becomes pure from her menses before dawn during Ramadan, it becomes obligatory upon her to observe fasting. There is no harm if she postpones making Ghusl after dawn in order to have her Suhoor meal. All the rulings of the menstruating woman apply to the woman who has postpartum bleeding.

If the woman is pregnant or suckling her baby and fears harm in case of fasting, then she should not observe fasting and should make up for these missed days later. However, if she fears that fasting might harm her baby, and not herself, then, according to the majority of scholars, she should feed one poor person along with making up for each missed day. Ibn Taymiyyah said on the issue of the pregnant and the suckling woman who fears harm for her baby, “She is not to fast and should make up for each missed day and feed a poor person for every missed day as well.”

Some scholars adopted the opinion that such a woman has only to make up for the missed days like in the case of the traveler and the sick person whose recovery is hoped for. Perhaps this is the preponderant opinion. There is no room to explain the proofs of this opinion in detail. This opinion was adopted by his eminence Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Ibn Baaz .

Important Rulings for the Fasting Person-I