Some Rules of Fasting

1- Fasting of Ramadan is an obligatory duty for every adult and sane Muslim. Fasting is not obligatory on the Kaafir (disbeliever) and so it is not accepted from him until he becomes a Muslim. Fasting is not due for the young until they reach puberty,

2- However,  the  young should be encouraged to fast if they can manage  it  without  causing  harm to themselves, so  that  they may grow  up accustomed to it till they are of age to fast.

3- The insane or the unconscious do not have to fast. For this reason, very old people who are not mentally alert are not expected to fast and need not offer food in return for not having fasted.

Regarding the fasting of a sick or a travelling person, Allah says: "If any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (shall be made up) from days later."[1]

There are two types of SICK PEOPLE:  the first type is that of a chronically sick person whose ill­ ness is a lasting one and who is not expected to re­ cover. In this case, he does not have to fast because he cannot endure fasting at any time. He should, however, offer food to a poor person for every day of fasting he misses. In  this  respect,  he can either call a-number of poor persons  equal  to the  number of days he missed and then offer  them dinner  or lunch.  Annas Ibn Malik used to do when he grew older. Or he can distribute food among a number of poor persons equal to the number of days he missed. Every poor person should be given a quarter of the "Prophet's sa’a" (which is a quantity of food equal to 3 Kilograms approximately) of good wheat. It is preferable that to this quantity he adds the necessary quantity of meat or oil needed for cooking.

Likewise, the old person who is incapable of fasting should offer food to a poor person for every day he does not fast.

The second type of sick people is the person who is temporarily ill (e.g. a feverish person) and in this case there are three categories:

(a) A person who does not find fasting hard or harmful, in which case, he should fast as he has no excuse.

(b) A person who finds fasting hard but not harmful. In this case, fasting is not recommended for him, because it is better that he makes use of Allah's permission or concession   (rukhsah) since fasting would be painful to him.

(c) A person who would be harmed by fasting, in which case, fasting is Haram (prohibited) because Allah said:

"Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves, for Allah hath been to you most Merciful" and said: "And make not your own hands contribute to your destruction;”[2] And in a hadith Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) says: "No harm (to yourselves) nor harming (others)."[3]

The harm of fasting to a sick person can be ascertained by the sick person himself or by a trusted doctor. So, if a person  in  this category  breaks   his fast,  he must  fast  for  the  number of  days  that he misses, once he recovers. But  if  he  dies before   recovery,  then  the obligation falls away since he was expected to make up   for the missed days on later days which he did not live to see.

(d) As for TRAVELLERS, there are two types:

1) One who tries to avoid fasting by his travel. Of course such a person   is not exempted from fasting since deception to avoid an obligatory duty of Allah does not eliminate it.

2) As for the second type (the true traveller), there are three groups:

a. The traveller who suffers extreme hardship. In such a case, fasting is Haraam. As Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was fasting during the "conquest of Makkah," he learnt that some people with him were doing exactly the same; he drank a cup of water after the ‘Asr prayer as people were looking at him.  He was then told that some people were still fasting, so he said: "Those are the disobedient, those are the disobedient!"[4]

b. This type of traveller finds fasting hard but not excessively so. It is preferable that such a traveller should not fast because he would, by fasting, be rejecting Allah’s concession and would also be bringing hardship and suffering to himself.

c. Here the traveller does not find fasting hard. Such a traveller should do whichever is easier for him (i.e. he chooses between fasting and not fasting) because "Allah wants to facilitate things for you. He does not want to put you into difficulties."[5]

The traveller is considered to be on a journey from the moment he leaves his town until he returns to it, even if he stays in the town of destination for a long period of time, as long as he intends not to stay there after he finishes the   purpose   for which   he travelled.

In  this  case,  he  makes  use of the concessions allowable   for  the  traveller   even if  this stay extends for a long time, because no specification upon the period of time involved in the journey  was reported by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The  basic  stipulation  is  that  the rules  pertaining to  the   journey undertaken  by  a  fasting  person remain valid until there   is   evidence  that  such  a journey  has  been terminated  or  that  the  rules relating  to  it  do  not apply any longer.

There  is no distinction between  journeys   (with attached concessions), which  are incidental; such as those for Hajj or Umra  or  visiting a relative or for trade etc.,  and those  continuous journeys  such  as those made by taxi or truck drivers. Such drivers are considered travellers from the moment they leave their own town. They  can enjoy all the concessions allowable to  other   travellers  such  as  shortening of the four  Rakaa  prayer,  the combining  of two prayers  together when necessary   (one immediately after  the   other,  such  as  Dhuhr  and   Asr, or Maghrib and Isha.)

No fasting is preferred for such people if it is the easiest option, and they make up for it by fasting in other months.   This   is   the case because such drivers belong to a specific town,  and  once  they are  in  their own  towns,  they are considered  as residents  and  the  rules  applying to residents are applicable  to  them.   When they are on journeys, then they are considered travellers, and the rules applying to travellers are then applicable to them.