Ruling on combining prayers and breaking the fast in Ramadan for a woman with diabetes
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Question:
Umm Abdullah from al-Kharj says: Honorable Shaykh, I am an elderly woman who suffers from tremors in my limbs and is unable to walk without the help of others. She finds it difficult to perform wudu' (ablution) for every obligatory prayer, especially in the winter. She is also afflicted with diabetes. Is it permissible for her to combine the prayers? She also asks, Shaykh, about fasting, particularly in the month of Ramadan, as it may cause her blood sugar to drop during the day. Is it permissible for her to break her fast in this situation and then make up the fasts?
Answer:
This question concerns two issues. The first issue is whether it is permissible for her to combine the two prayers with a single wudu' (ablution), because it is difficult for her to perform wudu' (ablution) for every prayer. If the reality is as stated, that it is very difficult for her to perform wudu' (ablution) for every prayer, then there is no harm in her combining the two prayers, because she is sick. Illness permits combining prayers if the patient needs it. For this reason, the jurists say that combining prayers is permissible for a patient who would suffer hardship if he did not do so.
The second issue is fasting. If the doctor advises that fasting will harm her, or if she finds that fasting causes her harm, then she should postpone her fasting to another time. She should break her fast and make up the fasts from other days. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:185] Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
Umm Abdullah from al-Kharj says: Honorable Shaykh, I am an elderly woman who suffers from tremors in my limbs and is unable to walk without the help of others. She finds it difficult to perform wudu' (ablution) for every obligatory prayer, especially in the winter. She is also afflicted with diabetes. Is it permissible for her to combine the prayers? She also asks, Shaykh, about fasting, particularly in the month of Ramadan, as it may cause her blood sugar to drop during the day. Is it permissible for her to break her fast in this situation and then make up the fasts?
Answer:
This question concerns two issues. The first issue is whether it is permissible for her to combine the two prayers with a single wudu' (ablution), because it is difficult for her to perform wudu' (ablution) for every prayer. If the reality is as stated, that it is very difficult for her to perform wudu' (ablution) for every prayer, then there is no harm in her combining the two prayers, because she is sick. Illness permits combining prayers if the patient needs it. For this reason, the jurists say that combining prayers is permissible for a patient who would suffer hardship if he did not do so.
The second issue is fasting. If the doctor advises that fasting will harm her, or if she finds that fasting causes her harm, then she should postpone her fasting to another time. She should break her fast and make up the fasts from other days. Allah the Exalted said:
and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days
وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَThe presenter:
May Allah reward you
Source
شرح العقيدة الطحاوية [7] — alfawzan.live (1:17:30)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.