The Sick Person and the Traveler: Is It Obligatory for Them to Break the Fast, or Is There a Dispensation for Them in This?
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Fatwa No. ( 18295 )
Q: The Shaykh said: Muhammad Mutawalli al-Sha'rawi (may Allah preserve him), regarding verses 183 and 184 of Surat al-Baqarah: that one who is sick or traveling does not have to fast, and that he must make up the fast, but he asserted that one who is sick with any illness—any illness that causes no harm if he fasts, and for whom there is no fear—likewise, one who is traveling on any journey, it is obligatory for him to break the fast and then make it up. He cited as evidence the saying of the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:185] He said: "Then a number of days," meaning: then he must make it up, and He did not say: "And break your fast, then a number of days." The summary is that he said: one who is sick or traveling must break the fast and make it up, by virtue of the word: "then a number of days from other days." He was categorical with this word, whether they fasted or not, meaning the traveler and the sick person. So what is the ruling? Is it that one who is sick or traveling does not have to fast by virtue of this verse?
A: It is permissible for the sick person for whom fasting is difficult and for the traveler to break their fast during the day in Ramadan; because of the saying of the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:185]
And if they fast, then their fast is valid; due to the hadith of A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her),Mishkat al-Masabih 2019 narrated by the group. But if they fear for themselves from fasting, it is obligatory to break the fast; due to the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: Mishkat al-Masabih 2021 . And the permission to break the fast for the traveler is absolutely better; due to the hadith of Hamzah ibn 'Amr al-Aslami Mishkat al-Masabih 2029 narrated by Muslim . As for the verse in al-Baqarah, whatever difficulty you encounter in its apparent meaning will be resolved if
Allah wills, when you know that there is an implied word in the verse, which is: (so let him break the fast), so the meaning is: So whoever among you is sick or on a journey, let him break the fast, then a number of other days. The scholars have clarified this, and there are many similar examples in the Book and the Sunnah, and the speech of the Arabs, which we will not lengthen by mentioning. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: The Shaykh said: Muhammad Mutawalli al-Sha'rawi (may Allah preserve him), regarding verses 183 and 184 of Surat al-Baqarah: that one who is sick or traveling does not have to fast, and that he must make up the fast, but he asserted that one who is sick with any illness—any illness that causes no harm if he fasts, and for whom there is no fear—likewise, one who is traveling on any journey, it is obligatory for him to break the fast and then make it up. He cited as evidence the saying of the Exalted:
and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days
وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَA: It is permissible for the sick person for whom fasting is difficult and for the traveler to break their fast during the day in Ramadan; because of the saying of the Exalted:
and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days
وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَAnd if they fast, then their fast is valid; due to the hadith of A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her),
Hamza b. ‘Amr al-Aslami who was greatly devoted to fasting asked the Prophet whether he should fast when on a journey, and received the reply, “Fast if you like, or break your fast if you like.”
أن حمزة بن عمرو الأسلمي رضي الله عنه، قال للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: أصوم في السفر؟ وكان كثير الصيام، فقال: إن شئت فصم وإن شئت فأفطرJabir said that in the course of a journey God’s messenger saw a crowd and a man who had been put in the shade. On asking the reason and being told that he was fasting he said, “Fasting while on a journey is not a part of righteousness.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في سفر، فرأى زحامًا ورجلاً قد ظلل عليه، فقال: ما هذا؟ فقالوا: صائم، فقال: ليس من البر الصوم في السفرhe found himself strong enough to fast while travelling and asked whether it would be wrong for him to do so. He was told that licence had been given by God who is great and glorious, so that if anyone acted upon this he did well, but if anyone wished to fast he would not be guilty of sin
أنه قال: يا رسول الله: أجد مني قوة على الصوم، فهل علي جناح؟ فقال: هي رخصة من الله تعالى، فمن أخذ بها فحسن ومن أحب أن يصوم فلا جناح عليهAllah wills, when you know that there is an implied word in the verse, which is: (so let him break the fast), so the meaning is: So whoever among you is sick or on a journey, let him break the fast, then a number of other days. The scholars have clarified this, and there are many similar examples in the Book and the Sunnah, and the speech of the Arabs, which we will not lengthen by mentioning. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.