The Conditions of Fasting
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Fasting is not obligatory except with conditions: The first condition: Islam.
And the second: Reaching maturity.
And the third: The Intellect.
And the fourth: Ability.
And the fifth: The Residency.
And the sixth: That there be no impediment.
-The first condition: The opposite of Islam is disbelief, so it is not obligatory for a disbeliever to fast, nor is he commanded to do so, nor is he advised to do so, and if he embraces Islam, he is not required to make up the fasts, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Anfal: 38] .
-Puberty: The opposite of this is youth, so a minor who has not reached puberty is not required to fast, but he is commanded to do so so that he may become accustomed to it. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to have their young children fast, to the extent that one of these small children would cry, and they would give him a toy to amuse himself with—meaning something to keep him occupied—until the sun set.
-Intellect: The opposite of this is the loss of intellect, whether due to insanity, or due to unconsciousness from an accident, or due to old age to the point where he rambles in his speech and does not recognize things. None of these people are required to fast, nor are they required to feed others. If a person is struck by an accident before the month of Ramadan and does not regain consciousness until after it has passed, he owes nothing; because he is not among those for whom it is obligatory. Therefore, he does not make up the prayer, nor does he make up anything else that is obligatory during that time. Likewise, for the one who rambles, who has reached an advanced age, he is not required to fast or to feed others; because all of these people are in the position of minors.
-The fourth: The opposite of ability is inability, so if a person is unable to fast, he is not required to fast. But if his inability is temporary and its removal is expected, such as a common illness, he waits until Allah heals him, and then he makes it up,because of His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah: 185] And if his inability is permanent—Meaning: continuous—such as an elderly person who is unable to fast, or a person who is ill with an illness from which recovery is not expected, he must feed one poor person for every day. He can either give each person one kilogram of rice for the day, or he can gather them for lunch or dinner. And if he gives them uncooked food, he should include with it something to make it palatable, such as meat or the like.
-The fifth: The opposite of residence is travel, so a traveler is not required to fast, even if it does not burden him. He has the choice between fasting and breaking the fast, and it is better for him to fast, except in the case of some hardship, in which case he should break his fast,Rather, we said: It is better to fast;For reasons: The first reason: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast when he traveled,And he did not break his fast except out of consideration for his companions, when it was said to him: The people found fasting difficult for them,Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Ramadan in intense heat, to the extent that one of us would place his hand on his head from the severity of the heat. The one among us who had the most shade was the one with the cloak, and none of us was fasting except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and Abdullah ibn Rawahah] .
Second: That if he fasts, it becomes easier for him; because all the people are fasting, so this is easier for him, easier for him than making it up; because making it up is heavy for a person since he is alone in it, and the time may drag on until the second Ramadan arrives.
Third: That he attains the virtue of the time, which is the virtue of the month of Ramadan.
Fourth: That it is faster in clearing his obligation, but if some hardship occurs, even if it is slight, it is better for him to break his fast.
-The sixth: That there be no impediment, and this is specific to women. The impediment is menstruation and post-natal bleeding,Based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the woman: (Is it not the case that if she menstruates, she does not pray and does not fast?) But they are required to make up the fasts,If someone were to say: Is a pregnant woman required to fast? So
If it does not harm her or her child, it is obligatory for her to fast. And if she fears for herself or her child, she may break her fast and make it up later.
And the second: Reaching maturity.
And the third: The Intellect.
And the fourth: Ability.
And the fifth: The Residency.
And the sixth: That there be no impediment.
-The first condition: The opposite of Islam is disbelief, so it is not obligatory for a disbeliever to fast, nor is he commanded to do so, nor is he advised to do so, and if he embraces Islam, he is not required to make up the fasts, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them
قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنْتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ-Puberty: The opposite of this is youth, so a minor who has not reached puberty is not required to fast, but he is commanded to do so so that he may become accustomed to it. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to have their young children fast, to the extent that one of these small children would cry, and they would give him a toy to amuse himself with—meaning something to keep him occupied—until the sun set.
-Intellect: The opposite of this is the loss of intellect, whether due to insanity, or due to unconsciousness from an accident, or due to old age to the point where he rambles in his speech and does not recognize things. None of these people are required to fast, nor are they required to feed others. If a person is struck by an accident before the month of Ramadan and does not regain consciousness until after it has passed, he owes nothing; because he is not among those for whom it is obligatory. Therefore, he does not make up the prayer, nor does he make up anything else that is obligatory during that time. Likewise, for the one who rambles, who has reached an advanced age, he is not required to fast or to feed others; because all of these people are in the position of minors.
-The fourth: The opposite of ability is inability, so if a person is unable to fast, he is not required to fast. But if his inability is temporary and its removal is expected, such as a common illness, he waits until Allah heals him, and then he makes it up,because of His saying, the Exalted:
and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days
وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضاً أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ-The fifth: The opposite of residence is travel, so a traveler is not required to fast, even if it does not burden him. He has the choice between fasting and breaking the fast, and it is better for him to fast, except in the case of some hardship, in which case he should break his fast,Rather, we said: It is better to fast;For reasons: The first reason: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast when he traveled,And he did not break his fast except out of consideration for his companions, when it was said to him: The people found fasting difficult for them,Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Ramadan in intense heat, to the extent that one of us would place his hand on his head from the severity of the heat. The one among us who had the most shade was the one with the cloak, and none of us was fasting except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and Abdullah ibn Rawahah] .
Second: That if he fasts, it becomes easier for him; because all the people are fasting, so this is easier for him, easier for him than making it up; because making it up is heavy for a person since he is alone in it, and the time may drag on until the second Ramadan arrives.
Third: That he attains the virtue of the time, which is the virtue of the month of Ramadan.
Fourth: That it is faster in clearing his obligation, but if some hardship occurs, even if it is slight, it is better for him to break his fast.
-The sixth: That there be no impediment, and this is specific to women. The impediment is menstruation and post-natal bleeding,Based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the woman: (Is it not the case that if she menstruates, she does not pray and does not fast?) But they are required to make up the fasts,If someone were to say: Is a pregnant woman required to fast? So
If it does not harm her or her child, it is obligatory for her to fast. And if she fears for herself or her child, she may break her fast and make it up later.