1.
If the fasting Muslim eats or drinks forgetting
that he is fasting, his fast is valid and no atonement
it imposed on him. This is confirmed by the
hadeeth:
“
If somebody eats or drinks
forgetfully then he should complete his fast, for what
he has eaten or drunk has been given to him by Allah,
Subhana wa Ta’ala” [Agreed upon]. Yet if he
realises that he is fasting while eating or drinking he
should spit out the food or the water. Similarly
whoever witnesses another Muslim eating or drinking
forgetfully in Ramadhaan should remind him that he is
fasting as that is part of enjoining good and forbidding
evil, and cooperation for piety.
2.
Whoever wakes up in a state of ritual impurity
(Janaaba) either out of sexual intercourse or
unintentional ejaculation in the previous night, can
continue his fast and nothing is imposed on him. But,
as a Muslim, he must take a ritual bath (Ghusl) as soon
as he can to remove the state of impurity.
3.
Rinsing the mouth and washing the nose, by
breathing in water and then blowing it out, can be
practiced by the fasting Muslim. Normally, however, he
should not exaggerate in doing so as he might swallow
some of the water in which case his fast will be
nullified. Laqeet bi Sabra, raa, narrated that the
Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa salam, told him:
“Exaggerate in rinsing and
sniffing water (while making Wudu) except if you are
fasting.”
4.
It is permitted for the traveler to eat during
Ramadhaan whatever the circumstances may be, even though
he may be traveling by plane or in a comfortable car,
and the like. However, following the Sunnah, it is
better for the traveler to fast if he finds it easy, and
not to fast in case of any difficulty.
5.
Regarding the fasting of the sick person,
Allah (SWT) says:
“If any of you are ill, or on a journey, the prescribed
number (shall be made up) from days later” Ch.2:184.
There are two types of
sick person:
-
The first type is a sick person whose
illness is a lasting one and who is not expected to
become well, such as a person suffering from cancer.
Such a sick person does not have to fast if he cannot at
any time endure fasting.
He should however offer
food to the poor for every day of fasting he missed. In
this respect he can either call a number of poor persons
equal to the number of days he missed and then offer
them dinner or lunch as Anas Ibn Malik (RAA) used to do
when he grew old. Or he can distribute food among a
number of poor persons equal to the number of days he
missed. Every poor person should be given a quarter of
the “Prophet’s Sa’a” which is a quantity of food equal
to five hundred and ten grams of good wheat. If it is
any food other than wheat the amount should be doubled.
The old person should do the same for every day he does
not fast.
-
The second type is the sick person who is
temporarily ill (e.g. a feverish person) and in this
case there are three categories:
Category one:
He does not find fasting hard and
harmful. In this case he should fast because he has no
excuse.
Category two:
He finds fasting hard but not
harmful. In this case fasting is not recommended for
him, because it is better that he accepts Subhana wa
Ta’ala’s permission or concession (rukhsah) since
fasting would be hard for him.
Category three:
Fasting will be harmful to him. In
this case fasting is prohibited (Haraam) because Allah,
Subhana wa Ta’ala, has said: “Nor
kill (or destroy) yourselves; for verily Allah, has been
most Merciful”
Ch.4:29 and said
“And make not your own hand contribute to your
destruction”
Ch.2:195.
And in a hadeeth the Prophet,
sallallahu alaihi wa salam, said:
“No harm to yourselves nor harming others” Ibn Majah.
The
harmfulness of fasting on a sick person can be
ascertained by the sick person himself or by a trusted
Muslim doctor. If a sick person in this category breaks
his fast, he
must fast for a number of days that he missed once he
has recovered. But if he dies before being cured, then
the obligation falls away since he was expected to make
up for the missed days from other days which he did not
live to see
