What are the excuses for someone to break the fast?
ما الأعذار التي يفطر بها الصائم؟
Islam outlines specific legal excuses that exempt certain individuals from the obligation of fasting, ensuring that worship does not cause unbearable hardship.
يحدد الإسلام أعذاراً شرعية معينة تعفي بعض الأشخاص من فريضة الصيام، لضمان ألا تسبب العبادة مشقة لا تُحتمل.
The Valid Excuses to Break the Fast | الأعذار الشرعية المبيحة للفطر
1. Menstruating and Postpartum Women
Menstruating women and postpartum women: It is not acceptable for her to fast, so she must break her fast and make up for the missed days. (This is a divine concession meant to ease their burden. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, reported: "We were ordered to make up for the fasts, and we were not ordered to make up for the prayers." Sahih Muslim 335)
1. الحائض والنفساء
الحائض والنفساء : لا يصح منها الصوم فيجب عليها الفطر و القضاء. (وهذه رخصة إلهية لتخفيف العبء عنهن. عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: "كان يصيبنا ذلك فنؤمر بقضاء الصوم ولا نؤمر بقضاء الصلاة" صحيح مسلم 335)
2. The Sick Person
The sick person who is unable to fast. (This applies when fasting would cause harm or delay recovery. Allah the Almighty says: (So whoever is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days ˹after Ramaḍân˺.) Al-Baqara 2: 185)
2. المريض
المريض الذي لا يقدر على الصوم . (ينطبق هذا إذا كان الصيام يسبب ضررًا أو يؤخر الشفاء. قال الله تعالى: (فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ) البقرة 2: 185)
3. The Elderly
The elderly (both men and women). (For those whose advanced age makes fasting an extreme hardship, they are exempt and must offer a substitute. Allah says: (For those who can only fast with extreme difficulty,2 compensation can be made by feeding a needy person ˹for every day not fasted˺) Al-Baqara 2: 184)
3. كبار السن
الشيخ الكبير والمرأة العجوز. (بالنسبة لمن يجعل تقدمهم في السن الصيام مشقة بالغة، فهم معفون ويجب عليهم تقديم الفدية. قال تعالى: (وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ) البقرة 2: 184)
4. The Traveller
The traveller: It is permissible for him to break his fast, but not an obligation, and he must make up for those days if he breaks the fast. (The Prophet ﷺ illustrated this divine ease when he said: "It is not from righteousness to fast on a journey." Sahih Al-Bukhari 1946)
4. المسافر
المسافر: يجوز له الفطر و لا يجب عليه ، و يلزمه القضاء إن أفطر. (وقد أوضح النبي ﷺ هذا اليسر الإلهي بقوله: "ليس من البر الصوم في السفر" صحيح البخاري 1946)
5. The Insane Person
The insane person: It is not obligatory for him, and it is not valid, and he does not have to make up for those days. (Sanity is a fundamental condition for religious accountability. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The pen is lifted from three: a sleeper until he awakes, a child until he reaches puberty, and an insane person until he regains his sanity." Sunan Abi Dawud 4398)
5. المجنون
المجنون: لا يجب عليه و لا يصح منه و لا يلزمه القضاء. (العقل شرط أساسي للتكليف الديني. قال النبي ﷺ: "رُفِعَ الْقَلَمُ عَنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ: عَنِ النَّائِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ، وَعَنِ الصَّبِيِّ حَتَّى يَحْتَلِمَ، وَعَنِ الْمَجْنُونِ حَتَّى يَعْقِلَ" سنن أبي داود 4398)
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Does a traveler have to break their fast?
It is permissible for a traveler to break their fast, but it is not an obligation. If they choose to break it, they must make up for those days later.
What should an elderly person do if they cannot fast?
The elderly (both men and women) who face extreme difficulty in fasting are excused. Instead of fasting, they must provide compensation by feeding a needy person for every day they miss.
Are women in menstruation required to make up their missed fasts?
Yes, it is not valid for menstruating or postpartum women to fast. They must break their fast during this period and are strictly required to make up the missed days later.