Valid excuses for not fasting, and the compensation (fidyah)
Who is excused from fasting (travel, illness, pregnancy, old age and more), when a fast may actually be broken, and who pays the compensation (fidyah) instead of making up the fast.
Allah never wants fasting to hurt you. Some people are allowed to skip fasting for good reasons, and most of them just fast those days later on, once the reason is gone.
Good reasons not to fast
- Travelling.A real journey, at least a few days long. Fasting anyway is still fine if it isn't too hard on you.
- Being sick, if fasting would make you more sick or slow to get better, based on how you feel, or what a doctor you trust tells you.
- Being pregnant, if fasting could hurt you or your baby.
- Breastfeeding a baby, if fasting could really hurt you or the baby.
- Being so hungry or thirsty that it becomes truly dangerous.
- Being elderly and too weak to fast.
- Being forced to fast against your will by someone, where refusing could really hurt you.
Sometimes a fast that has already started can be broken partway through, for example if someone suddenly gets very sick, like a high fever or a snake bite, or a pregnant mum is scared for herself or her baby, or someone is so hungry or thirsty it becomes dangerous, or someone is forced to stop.
The following are valid excuses that make it permissible not to fast:
Valid excuses for not fasting
- Travel, whether the journey is for a permissible or impermissible purpose, where it involves real hardship (such as travelling by train) or exertion (such as travelling on foot or horseback).A lawful journey here means one of three days or more. Fasting during a journey that is not strenuous is still preferable. If the intention to fast was already made and the journey begins afterward, completing that day's fast is obligatory; if it is broken after the journey has begun, only qada is owed, not kaffarah, but if it is broken before the journey begins, kaffarah is also obligatory.
- Illness, where the person fears (from their own experience, from clear signs, or from the advice of a competent and trustworthy Muslim physician) that fasting will worsen the illness or delay recovery.This applies even where a healthy person fears fasting might make them ill.
- Pregnancy, where the woman fears harm to herself or her child from fasting.
- Breastfeeding, where there is a strong likelihood of harm to the mother or the child, whether she is the birth mother or a wet nurse.
- Overwhelming hunger or thirst, to the point that fasting becomes unbearable and there is a genuine fear of death.
- Old age, where the person has become so weak they lack the strength to fast.
- Coercion, where a person is forced to break their fast against their will, provided there is a genuine fear of harm or serious consequence.
A fast already begun may also be broken partway through in comparable circumstances: sudden illness (a high fever, severe headache, stomach pain, snakebite or scorpion sting), a pregnant woman's fear for herself or her child, extreme hunger or thirst amounting to fear of death, or being forced to break the fast under fear of serious harm or death.
Once any of the excuses above lifts, except old age, making up the missed fasts (qada) becomes obligatory.
1Someone elderly and unable to fast, for whom the incapacity will not lift, is not required to make up the missed fasts. Instead they must pay fidyah for each missed day: the equivalent of sadaqat al-fitr, or feeding one poor person two full meals.
The following constitute valid a'dhar (excuses) permitting the omission of the fast:
The recognized excuses
- Safar (travel), whether for a licit or illicit purpose, where it involves mashaqqah (hardship, as in rail travel) or ta'ab (exertion, as on foot or horseback).A shar'i journey is one of three days or more; fasting during a non-strenuous journey remains preferable (afdal). Where the niyyah was already formed before the journey commenced, completion of that day's fast is wajib; if broken after the journey has begun, only qada is due, not kaffarah; if broken before the journey begins, kaffarah remains obligatory as well.
- Marad (illness), where the person fears, on the basis of experience, clear symptoms, or the counsel of a competent, trustworthy Muslim physician, that fasting will aggravate the illness or delay its cure, even where the fear is that of a healthy person that fasting itself might induce illness.
- Ḥaml (pregnancy), where the woman fears harm to herself or the child from fasting.
- Rida'ah (breastfeeding), where there is a strong likelihood (ghalabat aẕ-ẕann) of harm to mother or child, whether the natural mother or a wet nurse.
- Overwhelming ju' or 'atash (hunger or thirst), to the point of khawf al-halak (genuine fear of death).
- Old age ('ajz through kibar as-sinn), where the person has become too weak to bear the fast.
- Ikrah (coercion), where a person is compelled to break the fast against their will, under genuine fear of harm or serious consequence.
A fast already commenced may likewise be broken mid-course for comparable reasons: sudden illness (high fever, severe cephalalgia, abdominal pain, snakebite, scorpion sting), a pregnant woman's fear for herself or her child, extreme hunger or thirst amounting to fear of death, or ikrah under fear of grave harm or death.
Once any of these excuses lifts, old age excepted, qadā' of the missed fasts becomes wājib.
1One whose incapacity through old age (or an illness from which recovery is not expected) is permanent is not obligated in qadā'. Instead, fidyah is due for every missed day: the equivalent of ṣadaqat al-fiṭr, or feeding one poor person two full meals.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 427 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Fasting Introduction
12. Valid Excuses for Not Fasting:
The following are valid excuses that make it permissible not to fast:
- Travel [A lawful journey refers to a trip that lasts three days or more.], whether permissible or impermissible, is a form of hardship (like travel by train) or a strenuous journey (such as by foot or horseback), but fasting during a non-strenuous journey is preferable. If the intention for fasting has already been made and the journey starts afterward, completing the fast on that day is obligatory. If the fast is broken, only qada (making up the fast) will be required, not kaffara (expiation). However, if the fast is broken before starting the journey, kaffara will also be obligatory.
- If a sick person fears that fasting will worsen their illness or delay recovery, based on personal experience, signs, or advice from a competent and trustworthy Muslim physician, this applies even if a healthy person fears that fasting may cause illness.
- Pregnancy, if the pregnant woman fears harm to herself or her child by fasting.
- Breastfeeding, if there is a strong likelihood of harm to the mother or child (whether the breastfeeding mother or wet nurse).
- Overwhelming hunger or thirst, to the extent that fasting becomes unbearable and there is a fear of death.
- Old age, in which the person becomes increasingly weak and lacks the strength to fast.
- Coercion, where a person is forced to fast against their will, provided there is a fear of harm or severe consequences.
Cases Where Fasting Can Be Broken:
If a fasting person suddenly becomes ill, such as experiencing a high fever, severe headache, stomach pain, or being bitten by a snake or scorpion, or if a pregnant woman fears harm to herself or her child from continuing the fast, or if extreme hunger and thirst lead to a fear of death, or if someone is forced to break their fast due to the fear of severe harm or death, it is permissible for them to break the fast in these situations [This refers to obligatory or compulsory fasting because voluntary fasts can be broken for reasons like hosting, etc.].
(Note): For the excuses mentioned above, once the conditions (except old age) have improved, it becomes obligatory to make up for the missed fasts (Qada). However, for those who are elderly and unable to fast, they are not required to make up for the fasts. Instead, they must pay a fidya, which is the equivalent of a sadaqat al-fitr (charity) for each missed day or feed one poor person two meals a day.
Terms on this page
Related
- Making up missed fasts (qada) The rules for making up fasts that were missed or broken: when, in what order, and who owes the compensation (fidyah) instead.
- What breaks a fast: making it up (qada), expiation (kaffarah), or nothing at all Which acts break a fast and only need making up, which need making up plus an expiation, and which do not break the fast at all.
- The intention for fasting, and when to make it How to make the intention (niyyah) for a fast, the words used, and by when it must be made for each kind of fast.
- Who must fast, and the conditions for it Who fasting in Ramadan is obligatory on, the conditions for that obligation, and the two conditions a fast needs to be valid at all.