Question:
What is said about the fasting of a pregnant woman?
Answer:
Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik Kaabi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
إن الله وضع عن المسافر الصوم وشطر الصلاة وعن الحبلى والمرضع
“Allah has forgiven the traveler half of the fasting and prayer, and similarly the pregnant and breastfeeding woman.”
This hadith has been declared Hasan by Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) and Sahih by Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him)
.
It should be noted that this hadith only mentions the temporary exemption from fasting and prayer; whether the missed fasts must be made up or not is silent in the apparent meaning of the hadith. Therefore, the understanding of the Companions will determine its meaning.
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both) was asked about a pregnant woman who fears harm to her child, he said:
“She should leave the fast, and in its place give one Mudd (approximately half a kilogram) of wheat to a poor person.”
❀ A pregnant woman asked Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both) about fasting, he said:
أفطري وأطعمي عن كل يوم مسكينا ولا تقضي
“She should leave the fast and feed a poor person for each day, and not make up the fast.”
❀ Nafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that the daughter of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both) was married to a Qurayshi man, she was pregnant, and during Ramadan she felt thirsty, so he ordered her to leave the fast and feed a poor person for each fast missed.
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both) in the interpretation of the Divine Command ﴿وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ﴾
says:
ثبتت للحبلى والمرضع
“This verse has been kept established (not abrogated) for the pregnant and breastfeeding woman.”
❀ Saeed bin Jubair (may Allah have mercy on him) states regarding the pregnant and breastfeeding woman who fears for her child that they should not fast, and for each day of fasting missed, feed a poor person; they are not required to make up the missed fasts.
Saeed bin Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him)
and Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him)
hold the same position.
Warning:
Some scholars say that a pregnant or nursing woman must both pay fidya and make up the fast, but no evidence has been found for this view.
Summary:
Both pregnant and nursing women should not fast; instead, for each fast missed, they should feed one poor person. They are not required to make up the fast.
Question:
What is the ruling on smoking tobacco while fasting?
Answer:
It is unanimously agreed that smoking tobacco breaks the fast.
Question:
If ejaculation occurs while sitting with the wife, what is the ruling on the fast?
Answer:
The fast does not break because of this.
Question:
Is it permissible to light a lamp in front of a fasting person?
Answer:
It is permissible; it does not affect the fast in any way.
Question:
If a woman deliberately breaks her fast and then immediately menstruates, what is the ruling?
Answer:
The woman is sinful for breaking the fast; she should repent and seek forgiveness. Also, she must make up the fast, but no expiation (kaffara) is required.
Question:
If a fasting person has intercourse with his wife but ejaculation does not occur, is expiation (kaffara) required?
Answer:
Whether ejaculation occurs or not, intercourse during fasting necessitates expiation (kaffara).
Question:
A person has fasted a make-up fast of Ramadan and had intercourse with his wife; will expiation (kaffarah) be obligatory?
Answer:
The make-up fast of Ramadan is obligatory, and having intercourse during any obligatory fast necessitates expiation (kaffarah).
Question:
What is the ruling if someone has intercourse with his wife during a voluntary fast?
Answer:
The fast is broken, but expiation is not required; however, making up the fast (qadha) is recommended, not obligatory.
Question:
If a person fasts as a vow (nazar) and has intercourse with his wife, what is the ruling?
Answer:
If the vow was simply to fast on a certain day without specifying the exact day or date, then intercourse does not require expiation, but making up the fast is obligatory. However, if the day or date was specified, then both expiation and making up the fast are obligatory.
Question:
Does anal intercourse (liwat) break the fast?
Answer:
Sodomy is zina (adultery), in fact, it is a more serious crime than zina. It breaks the fast, and both qadha (making up the fast) and kaffara (expiation) become obligatory.
❀ Allama Hussain bin Mahmood Mazhari Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him
, says:
الزنا في اللغة عبارة عن المجامعة في الفرج على وجه الحرام ويدخل في الزنى اللواطة وإتيان البهائم
“In the language, zina means unlawful intercourse with a woman’s private parts; however, in zina, sodomy and unlawful acts with animals are also included.”
Question:
If during fasting, one licks the saliva of an elder as a means of seeking blessing (tabarruk), what is the ruling?
Answer:
As far as seeking blessing from the saliva of an elder is concerned, it is not permissible. Blessing can only be sought from the Prophet; seeking blessing from anyone other than the Prophet is not permissible.
If a fasting person deliberately licks the saliva of an elder as a means of seeking blessing, his fast will be broken, qadha will be obligatory, and he should also repent and seek forgiveness.
Question:
A person fasted after sighting the moon, but others did not accept it, so he also broke his fast. What is the ruling?
Answer:
If he is certain that he has seen the moon, then he should not break the fast; if he breaks it, making up the fast (qadha) is obligatory on him.
Question:
If on the 29th day the moon is sighted during the day and the fast is broken, is making up the fast (qadha) obligatory afterward?
Question:
If a non-fasting husband has intercourse with his fasting wife, what is the ruling?
Answer:
The wife is obligated to make up the fast (qadha), but expiation (kaffara) is not required.
Question:
If someone faints while fasting and people give him water, and later he regains consciousness, has his fast broken?
Answer:
His fast is broken, and making up the fast (qadha) is obligatory.
Question:
If someone develops a high fever during the day in Ramadan, can he break the fast?
Answer:
He can break it; making up the fast (qadha) is obligatory, but expiation (kaffara) is not.
Question:
If a person has amnesia and while fasting eats and drinks a lot but later remembers that he is fasting, what is the ruling?
Answer:
He should continue fasting. Forgetting and eating or drinking does not break the fast.
Question:
Is fasting during travel obligatory or optional?
Answer:
Yes.
❀ Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها narrates:
“Hamza Aslami رضي الله عنه asked the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم about fasting during travel, he said: It is up to you, if you want to fast, fast; if you want to break the fast, break it.”
Question:
If one has to break the fast while traveling, what is the ruling?
Answer:
He may break it; if it is an obligatory fast, making it up (qada) is necessary, and if it is a voluntary fast, making it up is recommended.
Question:
If a person did not know that intercourse with his wife breaks the fast and continued to do so for a period, what is the ruling after he finds out?
Answer:
As long as he did not know, he is excused; neither qada nor fidya is obligatory on him.
Question:
If a fasting person has intercourse with his wife multiple times in one day, how many times is kaffara obligatory on him?
Answer:
No matter how many times a fasting person has intercourse with his wife in one day, only one expiation (kaffara) will be obligatory upon him.
❀ Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr, may Allah have mercy on him,
says:
أجمعوا على أن ليس على من وطئ مرارا في يوم واحد إلا كفارة واحدة
“The consensus of the scholars is that if someone has intercourse multiple times in one day, only one expiation is obligatory upon him.”
Question:
If someone has intercourse with his wife during two consecutive fasts, how many expiations are obligatory?
Answer:
He must pay two expiations.
Question:
During Ramadan, at what times at night is intercourse with the wife permissible?
Answer:
Intercourse is permitted from sunset until dawn.
The command of Allah the Exalted is:
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ
“It has been made permissible for you to have intercourse with your wives on the nights of fasting.”
The term “night” here refers to the time from sunset until dawn.
