Who is obligated to fast Ramadaan?
When the month of Ramadaan comes, every male and female Muslim that(1) has reached the age of puberty, is (2) healthy and (3) a resident(i.e. not traveling) is obligated to fast. And whoever is sick ortraveling during the month, may break the fast and make up the numberof days missed on other days. Allaah says: "So whoever sightsthe (moon indicating the beginning of the) month, then he must fast.And whoever is sick or on a journey, then (he may break the fast andinstead fast) the number of days missed on other days." [SurahAl-Baqarah: 185] Likewise, whoever enters into Ramadaan and he is veryold and not able to fast or has a chronic illness, which does notexpect to be cured any specific time - whether male or female - maybreak the fast and instead feed a needy person half a saa’ (four handfuls) of the food from that people’s land for every day missed. Allaah says: "And as for those who can fast (but) with difficulty, they (may break their fast and) feed a needy person."[Surah Al-Baqarah: 184] Ibn ‘Abbaas (raa) said: "This ayah is for theold man of whom it is not anticipated that he will be cured." [SaheehAl-Bukhaaree] And the sick person of whom it is not hoped that he willbe cured from his sickness falls under the ruling of the old person.And he does not have to make up the missed days because of hisinability to fast.
A woman is specified with certain excuses that permit her to breakthe fast in Ramadaan, on the condition that she makes up the days shemissed fasting due to these excuses on other days. These excuses are:
1. Menstrual and Postpartum Bleeding: A woman isforbidden from fasting while she is in these two conditions. And she isobligated to make up these missed days of fasting on other days. Thisis based on what is reported in the two Saheeh collections from‘Aa’isha (raa) who said: "We were ordered to make up the (missed) days of fasting but we were not ordered to make up the (missed) prayers."She gave this answer when a woman asked her: "Why does a menstruatingwoman have to make up the (missed days of) fasting and not have to makeup the (missed) prayers?" So she (raa) clarified that this is from thematters dependent on revelation, which must comply with the reportedtexts.
As for the wisdom behind that, then Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah said in "Majmoo’-ul-Fataawaa"(15/251): "The blood that comes out of the woman because ofmenstruation has a discharge of blood in it. A menstruating woman canfast in times other than when the blood that comes out of her due tomenstruation contains her blood. So her fasting in this situation is amoderate and balanced fast - no blood, which strengthens the body andwhich is its main substance - comes out of her during these times. Buther fasting when she is menstruating necessitates that her blood comeout during this time - the blood, which is the main component of herbody and which will lead to a weakness and deficiency in her body. Andthis will necessitate that her fast not be that of a moderate andbalanced nature. So that is why she is commanded to fast in times whenshe is not menstruating."
2. Pregnancy and Breast-Feeding: If because offasting there is harm caused to the woman or the baby or to both ofthem, then she may break the fast while she is pregnant orbreastfeeding. But if the harm for which reason she is breaking herfast only applies to her baby and not her, then she must make up forthe days she missed of fasting and feed a needy person for each daymissed. And if the harm only applies to herself, then it is sufficientfor her to only make up the missed days. This is based on the pregnantwoman and breastfeeding woman falling under the generality of Allaah’ssaying: "And for those who can fast (but) with difficulty, they (may break their fast) and instead feed a needy person." [Surah Al-Baqarah: 184]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer (rahimahullaah) said in his Tafseer(1/379): "Amongst those who fall into the meaning of this ayah are thepregnant and breastfeeding women if they fear for themselves or fortheir children." And Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah said: "If apregnant woman fears for her fetus, then she may not fast and insteadmake up each day of fasting that was missed on other days and feed aneedy person around 2 kilograms of bread." [Majmoo’-ul-Fatawaa: 25/318]
Important Notes:
1. Istihaadah (Irregular Bleeding): Thisis the condition in which a woman has blood come out of her, which isnot her menstrual blood. She must observe the fast and it is notpermissible for her to break her fast because of this type of bleeding.When mentioning the allowance of the menstruating woman of breaking herfast, Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah (rahimahullaah) said: "This is contrary to the woman in the state of Istihaadah,for this state comprises an unfixed period of time, and there is not atime in it in which she can be commanded to begin fasting (again). Sobecause of this, it is not possible to caution against it, the same asfor throwing up unexpectedly, emitting blood due to a wound, getting aboil, Ihtilaam (when sexual fluid comes out of the privateparts not due to intercourse or foreplay), as well as all the otherthings that do not have a fixed time in which they could be cautionedagainst. So this (Istihaadah) was not made as something that nullifies the fast, such as the blood of menstruation." [Majmoo’-ul-Fataawaa: 25/251]
2. The Menstruating woman as well as the pregnant and breastfeeding women,if they break their fast in Ramadaan, must make up for the missed daysof fasting in the time that occurs between the Ramadaan in which theybroke their fast and the forthcoming Ramadaan. But to complete themearly is better. And if there only remain a few days before the nextRamadaan begins, then they are obligated to make up the missed days offasting (from the previous Ramadaan) such that the new Ramadaan willnot come upon them while they still have to fast days from the previousRamadaan. But if they don’t do this and Ramadaan comes upon them whilethey still owe days of fasting from the previous Ramadaan, and theyhave no (valid) excuse for delaying it, they are obligated to make upthe missed days and to feed a needy person for each day. But if theyhave a valid excuse, then they must only make up the missed days offasting. This goes the same for those who must make up the missed daysof fasting due to sickness or traveling. Their ruling is like theruling of the woman who broke the fast due to menses, with thepreviously mentioned details.
3. It is not permissible for a woman to observe a recommended fastif her husband is present unless she has his permission. This is basedon what Al-Bukhaaree, Muslim and others have reported from Abu Hurairah(raa) that the Prophet (saws) said: "It is not permissible for a woman to fast while her husband is present except with his permission." In some narrations of the hadeeth in Ahmad and Abu Dawood, there occurs the wording "...except Ramadaan."But if the husband permits her to observe a recommended fast or he isnot present around her or if she doesn’t have a husband, then it isencouraged for her to observe this recommended day of fasting. This isespecially for the days in which it is recommended to fast such asMondays and Thursdays, three days in every month, six days in Shawaal,the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah, the Day of ‘Arafah and the Day of‘Aashooraa along with the day before or after it. However, she shouldnot observe a recommended fast while she owes days to make up for (theprevious) Ramadaan, until she first makes up these missed days andAllaah knows best.
4. If a menstruating woman stops bleeding during the day in Ramadaan,she must begin her fasting for the remainder of the day but still makeit up with the days that she didn’t fast because of menses. Her fastingfor the remainder of the day in which she stops bleeding is anobligation on her out of respect for the time (i.e. Ramadaan).
Author:Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan
Source: His book Tanbeehaat ‘alaa Ahkaam takhtassu bil-Mu’minaat (pg. 62-67)
Translator: Isma'eel Alarcon
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