Is it permissible for a pregnant or nursing woman to break her fast?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Honorable Shaykh, the question consists of two parts. The first part is about the ruling on a nursing woman who breaks her fast during Ramadan; what is required of her after the cause is removed? The second part, Honorable Shaykh, is if Ramadan comes for her in the following year and she is still nursing, then the Ramadan after that comes and she is pregnant, then the Ramadan after that, the fourth one, comes and she is nursing, what is required of her, Honorable Shaykh?
The Shaykh : First, may Allah bless you. Do not think that pregnancy permits breaking the fast, nor that nursing permits breaking the fast. What permits breaking the fast is if the pregnant woman or her fetus is harmed, or if the infant is harmed. If there is no harm, then breaking the fast is not permissible. In a year like this, the weather is cold and the days are short. I do not think this has an effect, except perhaps on a very thin woman. You must know that pregnancy itself is not a reason for the permissibility of breaking the fast, and nursing itself is not a reason. The reason is hardship or fear of harm to the fetus or the infant. Did you understand, or not?
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh, but if she is harmed and breaks her fast.
The Shaykh : Yes, so praise be to Allah, she has the dispensation to break her fast and to fast on the days in which she is not harmed. If the excuse continues with her, let her wait until it is removed.
The questioner : Yes, Honorable Shaykh, if Ramadan comes for her in the coming year and she has not made up the fasts, does she combine the two Ramadans, making up what she missed from both Ramadans, or...
The Shaykh : No, that is not a problem.
The questioner : Yes, meaning it is obligatory for her to make up what she missed from each month before Ramadan of the following year catches up with her, and then the two years end together.
The Shaykh : If there is an excuse, then even if it is after the second Ramadan, there is no problem. May Allah bless you. And you. May Allah reward
The Shaykh : First, may Allah bless you. Do not think that pregnancy permits breaking the fast, nor that nursing permits breaking the fast. What permits breaking the fast is if the pregnant woman or her fetus is harmed, or if the infant is harmed. If there is no harm, then breaking the fast is not permissible. In a year like this, the weather is cold and the days are short. I do not think this has an effect, except perhaps on a very thin woman. You must know that pregnancy itself is not a reason for the permissibility of breaking the fast, and nursing itself is not a reason. The reason is hardship or fear of harm to the fetus or the infant. Did you understand, or not?
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh, but if she is harmed and breaks her fast.
The Shaykh : Yes, so praise be to Allah, she has the dispensation to break her fast and to fast on the days in which she is not harmed. If the excuse continues with her, let her wait until it is removed.
The questioner : Yes, Honorable Shaykh, if Ramadan comes for her in the coming year and she has not made up the fasts, does she combine the two Ramadans, making up what she missed from both Ramadans, or...
The Shaykh : No, that is not a problem.
The questioner : Yes, meaning it is obligatory for her to make up what she missed from each month before Ramadan of the following year catches up with her, and then the two years end together.
The Shaykh : If there is an excuse, then even if it is after the second Ramadan, there is no problem. May Allah bless you. And you. May Allah reward
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 1191- هل للمرأة الحامل او المرضع ان تفطر؟ /سؤال على الهاتف 📞 /ابن عثيمين — youtube.com (0:12)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.