This excerpt is taken from the book of Fadhilat al-Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani, may Allah have mercy on him, Ahkam and Masail of Ramadan.
Should a person suffering from heart and diabetes fast?
Question:.
A woman who is suffering from heart and diabetes. The doctors have advised her not to fast because there is a risk that fasting may further harm her health. This woman fasted last year and is also fasting this year, but she sleeps all day after fasting. She only gets out of bed during the prayer times, prays, and then goes back to sleep. If she does this (sleeps all day), there are no signs of her illness worsening. So is it permissible for her to fast in this condition? It should be noted that last year she kept all the fasts except for five days during her menstrual period, for which she later paid the expiation.
Fatwa:.
In a situation where it is difficult for a patient to fast or fasting may cause an increase in their illness or delay in recovery, it is permissible for the patient to skip fasting; in fact, it is better for them to do so. According to the command of Allah, the Exalted, that:
وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ
Reference: (البقرہ: 185)
"Whoever among you is ill or on a journey, then a number of other days." Allah wants ease for you and does not want to make things difficult for you."
Therefore, if two Muslim doctors or healers who are knowledgeable about this illness advise that fasting in this condition will be harmful to the patient, then it is permissible for the patient to skip fasting. However, if the patient can endure fasting by resting or sleeping, as the mentioned woman does, then since fasting in this way does not increase the symptoms of her illness, it is not permissible to skip fasting. However, if there is a fear that fasting will prolong her illness or increase it, then in that case, she should skip fasting and take advantage of the concession granted by Allah. Later, if she has the ability to make up for the missed fasts, she should fast on those days when her illness has lessened or during the shorter days of the cold season. If she is unable to fast herself, then for each missed fast, a poor person should be given one mud (approximately 600 grams) of wheat or half a sa' (approximately 1.25 kilograms) of dates as expiation, and this expiation will also be given for the days of fasting that she missed last year during her menstrual days.
