Valid Excuses Permitting One to Miss a Fast
Source: Fatawa Arkan-e-Islam
❀ Question:
What are the valid excuses due to which one is permitted to miss a fast?
❀ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
The following are legitimate reasons due to which not fasting is permitted:
➊ Illness and Travel
These are two major excuses due to which it is allowed to miss a fast. Allah Almighty states in the Qur’an:
“فمن کان منکم مریضا أو علی سفر فعدة من أیام أخر“
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 184)
➋ Pregnancy
- If a woman is pregnant and fears harm to herself or her baby due to fasting, then she is permitted to skip the fast.
➌ Breastfeeding Woman
- A woman who is breastfeeding and fears harm to herself or her child by fasting is also allowed to miss the fast.
➍ Saving the Life of an Innocent Person
- If a person is compelled to save the life of an innocent, such as:
◈ Rescuing a drowning person from a river.
◈ Pulling someone out of a burning building.
- In such cases, breaking the fast is permitted because the individual is compelled to save a life.
➎ Jihād in the Path of Allah
- One may also skip the fast to maintain strength and energy for battle.
- As the Prophet ﷺ said to the companions during the conquest of Makkah:
«إِنَّکُم لاقواالعدوغدا،والفطرأقوی لکم فأفطرواْ»
(Saḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ṣiyām, Bāb: The Reward of One Who Breaks the Fast During Travel Due to Labor, Ḥadīth: 1120)
“You will face the enemy tomorrow, and breaking the fast will give you more strength, so break your fast.”
❖ Ruling on the Remainder of the Day After Missing the Fast ❖
- If someone misses the fast due to a valid excuse, they are not obligated to refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day.
Examples:
◈ One breaks the fast to save an innocent life.
◈ A sick person recovers during the day.
◈ A menstruating woman becomes pure during the day.
- In all such cases, they are not required to abstain from food and drink for the rest of the day, as the Shariah has permitted them to break the fast.
❖ Exception: Prohibition of Eating and Drinking Despite Not Fasting
- If a person learns during the day that Ramadan has commenced, then they must refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day.
- Therefore, there is a difference between the two situations:
◈ One who misses the fast due to a valid excuse is not required to abstain from eating and drinking.
◈ However, one who learns later in the day that Ramadan has begun must abstain from food and drink for the rest of the day.
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
