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Can I be exempted from fasting due to severity of my health?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

This is regarding fasting in ramadan. I suffer from PCOD (Due to which I get terrible cramps in my stomach from time to time) and am also on a diabetic medicine for the treatment although I’m not diabetic Alhamdullilah. However whenever I fast I get extremely weak and get a terrible headache I get so weak that when I go in sujood I don’t feel like getting back up. So this ramadan I tried fasting and the stomach pain and headache along with the weakness is too much to handle although I’m doing my best to fast. Can I be exempted from fasting this year due to the severity of my health.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. 

If one experiences headaches and weakness etc. during fasting, the first resort is to eat properly at Sehri and exercise caution throughout the day in not undertaking tiring tasks, as to not put oneself into a position where one would have to break the fast.

After trying your best to fast, if you still unable to do so because of severe weakness and pain due to your medical condition, or you fear your condition would worsen, then you would be exempted from fasting.[1] You would have to make Qadha (make up) for the missed fasts after Ramadan. However, if your health improves during Ramadan, or you feel you are capable of fasting, you would have to do so. 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Arshad Ali

Student Darul Iftaa
Trinidad

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

http://www.daruliftaa.net/


[1] بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 94)

أَمَّا الْمَرَضُ فَالْمُرَخِّصُ مِنْهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُخَافُ أَنْ يَزْدَادَ بِالصَّوْمِ وَإِلَيْهِ وَقَعَتْ الْإِشَارَةُ فِي الْجَامِعِ الصَّغِيرِ.

فَإِنَّهُ قَالَ فِي رَجُلٍ خَافَ إنْ لَمْ يُفْطِرْ أَنْ تَزْدَادَ عَيْنَاهُ وَجَعًا، أَوْ حُمَّاهُ شِدَّةً أَفْطَرَ، وَذَكَرَ الْكَرْخِيُّ فِي مُخْتَصَرِهِ: أَنَّ الْمَرَضَ الَّذِي يُبِيحُ الْإِفْطَارَ هُوَ مَا يُخَافُ مِنْهُ الْمَوْتُ، أَوْ زِيَادَةُ الْعِلَّةِ كَائِنًا مَا كَانَتْ الْعِلَّةُ.

وَرُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ أَنَّهُ إنْ كَانَ بِحَالٍ يُبَاحُ لَهُ أَدَاءُ صَلَاةِ الْفَرْضِ قَاعِدًا فَلَا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يُفْطِرَ، وَالْمُبِيحُ الْمُطْلَقُ بَلْ الْمُوجِبُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُخَافُ مِنْهُ الْهَلَاكُ لِأَنَّ فِيهِ إلْقَاءَ النَّفْسِ إلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ لَا لِإِقَامَةِ حَقِّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَهُوَ الْوُجُوبُ، وَالْوُجُوبُ لَا يَبْقَى فِي هَذِهِ الْحَالَةِ، وَإِنَّهُ حَرَامٌ فَكَانَ الْإِفْطَارُ مُبَاحًا بَلْ وَاجِبًا وَأَمَّا السَّفَرُ فَالْمُرَخِّصُ مِنْهُ هُوَ مُطْلَقُ السَّفَرِ الْمُقَدَّرِ، وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِمَا قَوْله تَعَالَى {فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ} [البقرة: 184] أَيْ: فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا، أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَأَفْطَرَ بِعُذْرِ الْمَرَضِ، وَالسَّفَرِ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ، دَلَّ أَنَّ الْمَرَضَ، وَالسَّفَرَ سَبَبَا الرُّخْصَةِ

[1] الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 422)

(قَوْلُهُ خَافَ الزِّيَادَةَ) أَوْ إبْطَاءَ الْبُرْءِ أَوْ فَسَادَ عُضْوٍ بِحَرٍّ أَوْ وَجَعَ الْعَيْنِ أَوْ جِرَاحَةً أَوْ صُدَاعًا أَوْ غَيْرَهُ، وَمِثْلُهُ مَا إذَا كَانَ يُمَرِّضُ الْمَرْضَى قُهُسْتَانِيٌ ط أَيْ بِأَنْ يَعُولَهُمْ وَيَلْزَمَ مِنْ صَوْمِهِ ضَيَاعُهُمْ وَهَلَاكُهُمْ لِضَعْفِهِ عَنْ الْقِيَامِ بِهِمْ إذَا صَامَ (قَوْلُهُ وَصَحِيحٍ خَافَ الْمَرَضَ) أَيْ بِغَلَبَةِ الظَّنِّ كَمَا يَأْتِي، فَمَا فِي شَرْحِ الْمَجْمَعِ مِنْ أَنَّهُ لَا يُفْطِرُ مَحْمُولٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْخَوْفِ مُجَرَّدُ الْوَهْمِ كَمَا فِي الْبَحْرِ وَالشُّرُنْبَلاليّ

The Darul Iftaa Indigenous Upliftment Project

 

 

بِسْمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم

Whether local or abroad, every Muslim is the Ummati of Rasulullah (sallalahu alayhi wasallam). While there are some organisations assisting the needs of Muslims locally and abroad, the Darul Iftaa has considered the need to empower some unattended communities of our indigenous people with basic and religious needs. This has been emphasized recently by many senior persons from the business and political sectors.

There is consensus that contributing to the upliftment of the indigenous community is a religious obligation upon us and will bod​e well for Muslims and Islam in South Africa.​

The Darul Iftaa will accept your kind contributions for this most worthy and greatly rewardingproject. When making deposits for this project, specify with “I.U.P” {referring to indigenousupliftment project}.

 


 

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JazakAllah.

 

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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