Section eight : Miscellaneous issues in sawm
I. Applicable Rules to menstruating woman [ha''id], that with istihadah and woman during puerperium [nifas] 1. If a woman's menstrual cycle start while she is fasting on a specific day that she had vowed to perform on, what should she do?
A: Her fast is void because of the menstrual cycle, and she has to perform its qada after she is clean again.
2. If the woman in the month of Ramadan menstruated two hours or less before the time of maghrib, would her fast be invalidated.
A: Her sawm would e invalidated.
3- If a woman became clean from her period [hayd] at a time which is neither enough for ghusl nor for tayammum, then what is the ruling?
A: In the given question, her sawm of Ramadan is correct.
4- What is the ruling of the woman who had aan excessive [kathirah] and medium [mutawassitah] istihadah?
A: For her sawm to be correct it is a condition to do ghusls in the day i.e. if she had had an excessive or medium istihadah before the salat of subh or before the salats of zuhrayn (zuhr and asr), she is obliged to do ghusl and if she neglects it intentionally, her sawm would be void.
5- What is the ruling of intentionally remaining on the hadath of menstruation [hayd] or puerperium [nifas], until the morning during the month of Ramadan and its qada?
A: Its ruling is just the same if one remained intentionally on the state of janabah i.e. the sawm is void and both qada and kaffarah would be obligatory upon her.
6- What is the ruling of intentionally remaining on the hadath of hayd or nifas until the morning in other than Ramadan and its qada?
A: In other than the sawm of Ramadan and the qada of it, it would not harm the correctness of the sawm.
7- Would forgetting to do the ghusl of haydh and nifas invalidate all types of sawm?
A: It would not harm her sawm even if it was the sawm of Ramadan or its qada.
II. Pregnant and Nursing Women
1. Is fasting obligatory for a pregnant woman in the first few months of pregnancy?A: Pregnancy alone does not relieve someone of the obligation of fasting. But, if she has a reasonable fear that fasting would be harmful for herself or the baby, then it is not obligatory for her to fast.
2. A pregnant woman does not know whether fasting will harm the baby or not. Does she have to fast?
A: If she has reasonable grounds to fear that fasting would harm her baby, then it is obligatory for her to break fast, otherwise she must fast.
3. A pregnant woman fasted while she was breast-feeding her baby. When she delivered, the baby was found dead. From the beginning she had thought that her fasting might be harmful, but she fasted nevertheless. 1. Was her fasting valid? 2. Is she liable to pay blood money? 3. What is the ruling in her case, if she did not think that fasting would be harmful, but later found it to be otherwise?
A: If she fasted even after she had reasonable fears that fasting would be harmful to her or her baby, or she discovered later that fasting was harmful to herself or her baby, then her fast is invalid, and she has to perform its qada. However, the liability of paying the blood money depends upon proving that it is her fasting that caused the death of the fetus.
4. Upon delivery, God Almighty blessed me with a son who is being breast-fed. The blessed month of Ramadan is approaching and, at present, I am capable of fasting. However, if I fast, my milk will dry up as I have a weak constitution and my baby wants milk every ten minutes. What should I do?
A: If there is fear of harm to your baby due to a decrease in the quantity of milk or the drying up of the milk caused by fasting, it is permissible for you to break the fast. And for every day you missed the fast, you have to give one mudd {750 grams) of food to the poor, in addition to performing the qada of the missed fasts, later.
III. Illness and Restriction by a Physician
1. Some physicians who are not truly committed to Islamic laws forbid their patients to fast, claiming that fasting is detrimental to their health. Should their orders be acted upon or not?A: If the physician cannot be trusted and one does not have confidence in his statements, neither his statements cause one to fear of harm (in fasting), then his statements are not worthy of notice.
2. My mother was ill for a period of almost 13 years and could not fast. I know for certain that what prevented her from this duty was her need to take medicine. Please tell us if it is obligatory for her to perform the qada for these lapsed fasts?
A: If she was not able to fast due to her illness, she does not have to perform the qada for those days.
3. I did not fast since reaching the age of legal maturity [bulugh] until I was twelve years old because I was physically too weak to do so. What should I do now in this regard?
A: You should perform the qada for the days of fasting that you did not perform after becoming legally mature. And if you deliberately - voluntarily and without a legitimate excuse - did not fast, then you will have to pay the kaffarah as well.
4. An ophthalmologist ordered me not to fast due to an eye disease. But, as I was not convinced I began fasting. However, while fasting, and due to some problems, I felt no pain until the time of breakfast on some days while I felt some pain in the afternoons on some other days. With this confusion of whether I should refrain from fasting or bear the pain until sunset I confused fasting. My question now that, basically, is it obligatory for me to fast? And should I maintain the fast on the days when I am not certain whether I can continue fasting until sunset or not? What should my intentions be?
A: If you feel confidence in the orders of the religious, trustworthy physician, or you fear that fasting might be harmful for your health, then you are not obliged to fast. In fact, it is not permissible for you to fast in such a situation, and the intention to fast is not correct when there is fear of harm. When there is no fear of harm, there is no obstacle to your fasting, but the validity of your fast will depend on the actual absence of harm.
5. I wear medical glasses and, at the present, my eye is physically very weak. The doctors tell me that if I do not strengthen my eye weakness, my eyesight will get weaker. If I am unable to perform the Ramadan fasts, what is my duty?
A: If fasting is harmful for your eyes, you are not obligated to fast; in fact, it is obligatory that you refrain from fasting. And if your illness does not get better until the next Ramadan, then your duty is to give one mudd (750 grams) of food to the needy for every day that you did not fast.
6. My mother is seriously sick, and my father is also physically weak. Nevertheless, both of them fast. Sometimes, it is quite evident that fasting aggravates their illness. So far, I have not been able to persuade them to refrain from fasting at least at times when their illness is serious. Please guide us concerning the rule that applies to their fasting?
A: The criterion in determining the inability to fast, or whether fasting causes illness, or complicates it, is the determination of the fasting person himself. However, if it is known that fasting is harmful for him and he still decides to fast, it is unlawful [haram].
7. Last year I had surgery on my kidneys, and the surgeon ordered me not to fast for the rest of my life. However, I eat and drink normally and do not feel any signs of illness. What is my duty?
A: If you personally do not fear any harm to fast and there is no legitimate (Islamically legal) evidence for that (fear), you are obligated to fast during the month of Ramadan.
8. Since some physicians are not aware of Islamic laws, should the patient obey a physician's order if he forbids fasting?
A: If the patient trusts the physician's statement that fasting is harmful for him or is led to believe that it is so - either on the basis of his statements or on some other reasonable grounds, then it is not obligatory for him to fast.
9. I have kidney stones and the only way to prevent them from calcifying is to continuously consume fluids. As the doctors have prohibited me from fasting, what is my duty regarding fasting during the blessed month of Ramadan?
A: If the prevention of your illness requires that you drink water and other fluids during the day, it is not obligatory for you to fast.
10. Diabetics are required to take insulin injections once or twice a day. Also, their meals should not be delayed or taken at long intervals; otherwise they might go into a coma or get fits due to hypoglycemia. That is why, sometimes, physicians advise them to have four meals a day. Please give your opinion concerning their fasting.
A: If abstaining from eating and drinking form dawn to sunset is harmful to their health, fasting is not obligatory on them. In fact it is not permissible for them to fast.
IV. Other
11. Is it permissible to follow the Ahl aI-Sunnah in their timings for breaking the fast while one is in public or attending official gatherings and the like? What is one's duty if he thinks that doing so cannot be counted as one of the instances of precautionary dissemination [taqiyyah] and no compulsion is involved?A: It is not permissible for a person bound by religious obligation [mukallaf] to follow others in determining the time for breaking the fast. He may not break the fast with choice unless he find himself or through an Islamically legal [shari] evidence that the night had arrived and the day time had expired.
12. While fasting during the holy month of Ramadan a person did something that he thought invalidates his fast. However, after Ramadan he realized that it was not so. What is the ruling concerning his fast?
A: If he did not intend to violate the fast and did not do anything that actually voids the fast, then his fast is valid.
13. A martyr had made a will to a friend asking him to perform the qada of some fasts on his behalf, for the sake of precaution. However, the martyr's heirs do not give significance to such issues and it is not possible to put the matter before them. Moreover, fasting would involve hardship for that friend. Is there any other solution?
A: If the martyr had made a will to his friend asking him to fast on the martyr's behalf himself, the martyr's heirs do not have any obligation in this regard. Also if it is too difficult for the friend to fast, he also does not have any obligation.
14. I am obsessed by doubts - or to put it precisely I am [kathir al-waswasah] - especially in religious matters, and particularly in ritual matters. For instance, during the last Ramadan, I had a doubt whether I had swallowed some thick dust that had entered my mouth or not and whether I had spitted out water that I had drawn into my mouth? Is my fast valid?
A: In light of your question, your fast is valid and such doubts have no significance.
15. Is the tradition of the Kisa'' [Hadith al-kisa''], which is narrated by Fatima al-Zahraa (a.s), a reliable tradition? Is it permissible to attribute it to her during fasting?
A: If the tradition is cited with reference to books where it has been reported, there is no problem in it.
16. I have heard from scholars and other normal people that if a person performing a recommended fast is invited to eat something, he can accept the invitation, and eating and drinking does not invalidate his fast or deprive him of its reward. Please express your view on the matter.
A: Accepting a believer's invitation is preferred by Islamic law over a recommended fast, and although eating and drinking breaks the fast, but it does not deprive one of the rewards of fasting.
17. There are certain supplications [duas] to be invocated with in the month of Ramadan each of which is specified for a day in a sequence, starting with the supplication for the first day, followed by the one for the second day and so on. What is the rule on reciting them if there is a doubt as to their authenticity?
A: There is no problem in reciting them with the intent of hope of desirability [raja '' al-matlubiyyah].
18. A person intending to fast, does not rise to eat the meal before dawn [sahur]. Therefore he could not fast the following day. Does the guilt for not fasting fall on him or on someone who did not wake him up? Also, if one fasts without eating the meal of sahur, is his fast valid?
A: Breaking the fast due to inability to fast, even if it is due to not eating the meal of sahur, is not a sin. In any case others who did not wake you up are not liable to anything. Also, fasting without eating sahur is valid.
19. If a person is in confinement in a masjid for three or more days [itikaf] in Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, what rule applies to his fasting on the third day?
A: If he is a traveler and has intended a ten-day stay in Mecca or has vowed to fast while traveling, then after fasting for two days he must complete the confinement in the masjid [itikaf] by fasting on the third day. However, if he didn''t make the intent to reside [iqamah] in that place or vow to fast while traveling, it is not valid for him to fast while traveling. And as the fast is invalid, the confinement in the masjid [itikaf] will also become invalid.
