Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question: Assalamu alaykum
If a soldier is in tight schedule of training, and fasting may cause harm to his health, is it allowed by Islam to not fast during Ramadan?
Answer: Wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh
I pray you are well.
In general every Muslim is obligated to fast the month of Ramadan due to the clear common in the Qurʾan, ‘Whoever of you sees the month [Ramadan] then he should fast’ (2:185). Based on this and other sources, the jurists of the Hanafi school have stated that if the intensity of a particular job means that someone will not be able to fast, then he must reduce his workload if possible, or otherwise find an alternative form of employment.
If there is no other job he can go into then can delay the fasts to another time of the year when it will be easier to perform them, such as winter, or when he has time off. (Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar).
Allah knows best
Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat