The Ruling on One Who Is Unable to Fast

Question:
Muhammad from Riyadh, please, Muhammad. Peace be upon you. And upon you be peace. Peace. How are you, Shaykh? Welcome. I have a question about last Ramadan. My grandfather only fasted four days of Ramadan, at the beginning of Ramadan. Then cancer came, and he was using chemotherapy, so he was unable to complete the full month of Ramadan. He only fasted four days. Ramadan was in his mind, but he was too weak to fast it. After Ramadan, approximately a month later, his mind went; I mean, in the tenth month, his mind left him, meaning sometimes it comes back, sometimes it is not fully in his memory. Does my grandfather, from my mother’s side, have to make up the fasts, or does he have to fast on his behalf, even though he is still alive and present, but he is not of full mind, or

Answer:
Yes, if he left off fasting because his mind left him, then he owes nothing. But if he left off fasting because of his illness, because he was unable to fast, then if Allah heals him and he is able, he fasts. And if he is not able, he feeds a poor person for each day, with a quantity of one and a half kilograms of food for each day. Yes.