Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: Hi,
I wish to run a 10 km run for cancer research unfortunately I need to prepare for it so I think I will have to miss most of the fasting days. I am thinking that by me raising money for charity it would have more of an impact on humanity than me fasting.
Can I miss those fasts?
Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
May Allah reward you for your noble intentions.
No, you cannot miss fasts to prepare for a run.
Fasting is an obligation which cannot be missed without genuine excuse. Training for a run is not considered to be such an excuse. As such you should strive to see if you can train around the fasting hours and fulfil your goals.
It is personally obligatory upon you to fast, yet not to impact humanity. Our purpose is to worship Allah in the way He wants, and what He wants to see in Ramadan is the believers fasting out of love, gratitude, and yearning. This does not negate the importance and virtue of assisting others, but it does indicate the obligation of priorities. The worshipful servant has far greater God-gifted success (tawfiq) as he follows the Sacred Law, and because of his sincerity and humility, Allah blesses him with the ability to assist others in unimaginable ways.
Please see: Missing Fasts because of Exams and: The Complete Guide to Fasting
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani