Who
is permitted to
break the fast in
Ramadhan?
The
Insane person
An
insane person should
not fast and should
not be asked or
forced to fast because
he does not know
or understand what
he is doing. Furthermore
the Prophet 
told us that he
is not responsible
for anything until
he comes back to
sanity.
Those permitted
to break the fast,
but who must pay
a "fidyah" (ransom)
for not fasting.
The frail elderly
men and women are
permitted to break
their fasts, as
are the chronically
ill, and those who
have to perform
difficult jobs under
harsh circumstances
and who could not
find any other way
to support themselves.
All of these people
are allowed to break
their fast, because
such a practice
would place too
much hardship on
them during any
part of the year.
Instead of fasting
they are obliged
to feed one poor
person [miskin]
a day (for every
day of fasting that
they do not perform).
Ibn 'Abbas said:
"An elderly man
is permitted to
break his fast,
but he must feed
a poor person daily.
If he does this,
he does not have
to make up the days
that he did not
fast.[ad-Daraqutni
and al-Hakim].
Ibn 'Abbas recited
the ayah: "And for
those who can fast
[but do not], there
is a ransom": the
feeding of a person
in need" [al-Baqarah:
2:185], and said
"It is the old man
who is unable to
fast so he refrains
from fasting and
instead feeds a
poor person with
a saa` (*) of wheat.
[Daraqutni; Sahih]
Abu Huraira said:
"Whoever reaches
old age and is unable
to fast the month
of Ramadan, he should
give a Mudd (**)
of wheat for each
day". [Daraqutni]
One year Anas Ibn
Malik became too
weak to fast so
he prepared a large
dish of Thareed
(***) and invited
thirty poor people
who came and ate
their fill. [Daraqutni,
Sahih]
(*)The Saa` is a
measure equal to
four times the quantity
held by the two
outstretched hands.
(**)The Mudd is
the quantity held
by the two outstretched
hands. (***) a broth
of crumbled bread
and meat
Al-Bukhari recorded
that 'Ata heard
Ibn 'Abbas recite
the ayah: "And for
those who can fast
[but do not], there
is a ransom": the
feeding of a person
in need" [al-Baqarah:
2:185]. Then Ibn
'Abbas continued:
"It has not been
abrogated. [Its
ruling applies]
to elderly men and
women who are not
able to fast. Instead,
they must feed one
poor person on a
daily basis."
The
Pregnant and breast-feeding
women
If
they fear for the
baby, can break
the fast and pay
the fidyah (ransom).
They do not have
to make up the days
missed according
to one opinion of
scholars.
The Prophet (S)
said to one of his
companions (*):
"Come, I shall inform
you about the fast.
Allah, the Blessed
and Most High, remitted
half the prayer
for the traveler,
and fasting for
the pregnant and
breast-feeding"
.[at-Tirmithi, Ibn
Majah, Abu Dawud
and an-Nasa'i, Sahih]
(*) Anas Ibn Malik
al-Ka`bee who is
different than Anas
the servant of the
Prophet (S).
Abu Dawud related
from 'Ikrimah that
Ibn 'Abbas said
concerning the ayah
"And form those
who can fast [but
do not],": "This
is a concession
for the elderly,
as they can fast.
They are to break
the fast and feed
a poor person a
day. Pregnant or
breast-feeding women,
if they fear for
the child, can do
likewise." [al-Bazzar].
At the end of the
report, there is
the addition: "Ibn
'Abbas used to say
to his wives who
were pregnant: 'You
are in the same
situation as those
who can fast [but
do not]. You are
to pay the "ransom"
and, do not have
to make up the days
later."' [ad-Daraqutni
also mentions it]
The
Traveler and the
(not chronically)
ill
Allah
says in the Qur'an
[in meaning]: "And
[for] him who is
sick among you or
on a journey [the
same] number of
other days." [al-Baqara,
2:185]
Mu'adh said: "Verily,
Allah made the fast
obligatory upon
the Prophet by revealing:
'O you who believe,
fasting is prescribed
for you as it was
prescribed for those
before you . . .'until
the words, 'And
for those who can
fast [but do not]
there is a "ransom"
payment...' Then,
whoever wished to
do so would fast
and whoever wished
to do so would feed
a poor person, and
that was sufficient
for them. Then Allah
revealed another
ayah: 'The month
of Ramadan in which
the Qur'an was revealed
...' to the words:
'Whoever is resident
among you during
this month is to
fast.'[By this Ayah,
the fast was established
for those who were
resident and healthy.
A concession was
made for the sick
and travelers, and
the feeding of the
poor by the elderly
who could not fast
was [left] confirmed."
[Ahmad, Abu Dawud,
and al-Baihaqi]
A sick person may
break his fast which,
if continued, would
only aggravate the
illness or delay
its cure. Similar
is the case of a
the person who is
overcome by hunger
and/or thirst and
fears that he may
die because of it,
even if he is resident
and healthy. He
must make up the
days of fasting
that he missed.
The following two
'ayat support this
point: "And do not
kill yourselves,
Allah is ever Merciful
to you," and "He
has not laid upon
you in your religion
any hardship."
If a sick person
or a traveller fast
and withstand the
hardships of the
fast, and continue
to fast while feeling
the hardship, their
fast will be valid
but disliked, for
they did not accept
the concession Allah
gave him, thereby
causing himself
much hardship and
the Prophet (S)
said: "Allah loves
to give allowances
just as He hates
that you commit
sins" and in another
narration "just
as He love to give
His obligations"
[Ibn Hibban and
others; Sahih].
He also said: "It
is not righteousness
to fast during a
journey". [Bukhari
and Muslim]
The traveler can
break his fast in
any circumstances.
However, if he feels
hardship, he must
brake the fast otherwise
he will be going
against the spirit
of the Shari`a [Islamic
law]. But if he
has the strength
to fast, he can
fast and it is still
good for him. This
is portrayed in
the following Ahadith
that shows how the
Prophet (S) and
his companions behaved
during their journeys.
'Aisha reported
that Hamza bin 'Amr
Al-Aslami asked
the Prophet, "Should
I fast while traveling?"
The Prophet replied,
"You may fast if
you wish, and you
may not fast if
you wish." [Bukhari]
Hamza al-Aslami
said:" O Messenger
of Allah, I find
within me the strength
to fast while traveling.
Would there be any
blame upon me if
I were to do so?"
The Prophet (S)
answered "It is
a concession from
Allah. Whoever takes
it has done well.
Whoever likes to
fast, there is no
blame upon him.
[Bukhari and Muslim]
Abu Sa`id al-Khudri
said "And they used
to hold that one
who had the strength
and fasted, then
that was good, and
he who was weak
and refrained from
fasting, then that
was good". [Tirmithi;
Sahih]
Abu Sa`id al-Khudri
said "We fought
under the leadership
of the Messenger
of Allah during
Ramadan. Some of
us fasted and some
of us did not. The
ones who fasted
did not find any
fault with those
who did not fast,
and those who did
not fast did not
find any fault with
those who did not
find any fault with
those who fasted.
They knew that if
one had the strength
to fast he could
do so and it was
good, and that if
one was weak, he
was allowed to break
his fast, and that
was good." [Muslim
and Ahmad].
Ibn Abbas said,
"Allah's Messenger
(S) traveled in
the month of Ramadan
and he fasted till
he reached (a place
called) 'Usfan,
then he asked for
a tumbler of water
and drank it by
the daytime so that
the people might
see him. He broke
his fast till he
reached Mecca."
Ibn Abbas used to
say, "Allah's Messenger
fasted and sometimes
did not fast while
traveling, so one
may fast or may
not (on journeys)"
[Bukhari]
Ibn 'Abbas reported
that Allah's Messenger
set out for Mecca
in Ramadan and he
fasted, and when
he reached Al-Kadid,
he broke his fast
and the people (with
him) broke their
fast too. (Abu 'Abdullah
said, "Al-Kadid
is a land covered
with water between
Usfan and Qudaid.")
[Bukhari]
Ibn 'Abbas said,
"Allah's Apostle
set out from Medina
to Mecca and he
fasted till he reached
'Usfan, where he
asked for water
and raised his hand
to let the people
see him, and then
broke the fast,
and did not fast
after that till
he reached Mecca,
and that happened
in Ramadan." Ibn
'Abbas used to say,
"Allah's Apostle
(sometimes) fasted
and (sometimes)
did not fast during
the journeys so
whoever wished to
fast could fast,
and whoever wished
not to fast, could
do so." [Bukhari]
Abu Ad-Darda' said:
We set out with
Allah's Apostle
on one of his journeys
on a very hot day,
and it was so hot
that one had to
put his hand over
his head because
of the severity
of heat. None of
us was fasting except
the Prophet and
Ibn Rawaha. [Bukhari]
Jabir bin 'Abdullah
relates that Allah's
Messenger (S) was
on a journey and
saw a crowd of people,
and a man was being
shaded (by them).
He asked, "What
is the matter?"
They said, "He (the
man) is fasting."
The Prophet said,
"It is not righteousness
that you fast on
a journey." [Bukhari]
Anas bin Malik said:
We used to travel
with the Prophet
and neither did
the fasting persons
criticize those
who were not fasting,
nor did those who
were not fasting
criticize the fasting
ones. [Bukhari]
Ibn 'Abbas said,
"Allah's Apostle
set out from Medina
to Mecca and he
fasted till he reached
'Usfan, where he
asked for water
and raised his hand
to let the people
see him, and then
broke the fast,
and did not fast
after that till
he reached Mecca,
and that happened
in Ramadan." Ibn
'Abbas used to say,
"Allah's Apostle
(sometimes) fasted
and (sometimes)
did not fast during
the journeys so
whoever wished to
fast could fast,
and whoever wished
not to fast, could
do so."[Bukhari]
There are other
Ahadith in this
topic that show
that the Messenger
of Allah 
broke
his fast and told
his companions to
break theirs. Other
ahadith related
to Sahaba show that
some of them would
break the fast before
starting the trip,
and all these are
proof that the traveler
has many options.
