The fast of old people

Old people who are not able to fast or cannot complete the fast of each day for weakness or old age can break their fast.

Ibn `Abbas and other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) gave a religious Fatwa that old people may break their fast and feed a needy for each day, and they are not asked to repeat the fast because feeding the poor and the needy replaces fasting in this case out of Allah's Mercy.

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) commented on Allah's Saying: "And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day)." [Surat Al Baqarah: 184], it was revealed for the sake of old people who are not able to observe fasting. They should break their fast and feed a needy for each day and they should not make up for that fast.

It was authentically reported that when Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) grow old and became unable to fast, he broke his fast and fed thirty poor people.

However, if old people have entered the stage of mental delirium, fasting and feeding are not obligatory on them because the conditions of religious accountability are not found. So, they will become like children who are not religiously charged because accountability is connected by reasoning.

If old people sometimes become of sound mind and sometimes hallucinate, they should fast or feed the needy in the times of their sound mind; and Salah becomes obligatory on them also in the state of sound mind.