Q: We live in a small northern town in Canada . We are fasting for 19 hours a day. This is causing undue hardship on us as the long days during summer are combined with a lack of sleep. Esha is at 12pm. We are concerned about dehydration and experience extreme exhaustion . Is there a fatwa which exempts such long hours of Fasting? Could we follow the fasting hours of Mecca?
A: Fasting is still compulsory.
No.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَى نِسَائِكُمْ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ عَلِمَ اللَّـهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّواالصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّـهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ﴿البقرة: ١٨٧﴾
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)