Those Exempted From Fasting in the Holy Month of Ramadan

2025-03-03

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Contents

Introduction Conditions for Obligation of Fasting References

Introduction

Fasting in the holy month of Ramadan is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam, serving as a means of spiritual purification, self-discipline, and devotion to Allah. It is an obligation upon every adult Muslim who meets the necessary conditions. However, Islamic teachings also emphasize mercy and flexibility, recognizing that certain individuals may face circumstances that make fasting extremely difficult or harmful. As a result, Islam provides specific exemptions for those who are unable to fast due to valid reasons. This discussion will explore the categories of individuals exempted from fasting, the conditions that warrant such exemptions, and the compensatory measures prescribed in Islamic law.

Conditions for Obligation of Fasting

In accordance with the Qur’anic directive[1], fasting in the holy month of Ramadan is an obligatory fast. However, it is pertinent to mention that this obligatory act of worship is meant for those having the required conditions. Therefore, we shall highlight in this article those exempted from the Ramadan fast and the related rulings.

Islam is a very important condition for the obligation and validity of the Ramadan fast. That is to say, the Ramadan fast is not considered obligatory and valid for non-Muslims. According to the verdicts (Fatawa) of the religious authorities, if an unbeliever becomes a Muslim, he/she doesn’t need to offer reparation (Qada) for those periods before his conversion. However, if a Muslim apostatizes and thereafter becomes Muslim again, he must offer reparation for the fasts he missed during those periods of his apostasy[2].

One of the conditions for fasting is maturity. Therefore, the Ramadan fast is obligatory for someone who has reached maturity in accordance with the Islamic ruling (Sharia). A child who has not attained maturity (that is, 9 and 15 lunar years for a girl and a boy respectively) is exempted from fasting. In other words, a child who has not attained the age of maturity has no obligation to fast in the month of Ramadan.

Meanwhile, according to the verdicts (Fatawa) of the religious authorities, if fasting is difficult or harmful for a child who has recently attained the age of maturity (as earlier stated), or he/she cannot fast, then, he/she is allowed to break the fast. However, he/she must observe the reparation (Qada) of the missed fasts thereafter.

Another important condition for the obligation and validity of fasting is sanity. That is to say, fasting -just like other obligatory acts- is considered obligatory and valid for a sane. In light of this, an insane person is exempted from this obligation during the period of his insanity. According to the verdicts (Fatawa) of the religious authorities, if an insane person recovers and becomes sane, it will not be obligatory for him to offer reparation for the fasts that he did not observe when he was insane[3].

Consciousness is another condition for the obligation and validity of the Ramadan fast. In other words, the Ramadan fast is only considered obligatory for someone conscious. If, during the month of Ramadan, a person remains unconscious or in a coma for a day or several days and misses one or several fasts, they are not required to make up for the fasts thereafter. If somebody misses one fast of Ramadan out of intoxication (e.g., being intoxicated, they do not make an intention to fast), they should make up for this fast in qadā’ even though they abstain from fast invalidators for the whole day. In addition, if a person leaves the fasts due to being intoxicated, even if the intoxicant was taken by him for medical treatment, he/she must offer reparation (qadā’) for those missed fasts.

According to the verdicts (Fatawa) of the religious authorities, if a fasting person becomes extraordinarily weak during the day of Ramadan due to genuine reasons such as work and which he could leave during this period, he could break the fast but he must avoid eating beyond the necessity. Thereafter, he must observe the qadā’ thereafter.

Fasting is not obligatory for someone who, due to old age, cannot fast or finds fasting excessively difficult. However, in the latter case, for each day [that he does not fast] he must give one Mudd of food – i.e., wheat, barley, bread, or suchlike – to a poor person. However, if someone who has not fasted on account of old age can fast after the month of Ramadan, the recommended precaution is that he should make up the fasts that he did not keep.

An ill person who based on personal judgment or the statement of a reliable physician fears harm for himself due to fasting is exempted from Ramadan fast. However, he is expected to make the reparation fast thereafter. Similarly, if someone has an illness that makes him very thirsty and he cannot bear being thirsty, or it is excessively difficult for him to bear it, then fasting is not obligatory on him. However, in the second case, he must give one Mudd of food to a poor person for each missed fast; and if he can fast afterward, he doesn’t need to make them up. Meanwhile, one who does not fast in Ramadan due to an illness is exempted from their qadā’ -provided that his illness continues to the next Ramadan- but should pay one Mudd of food for each fast.

Travelling during the month of Ramadan is not forbidden. However, travelling to escape fasting is disapproved. Similarly, travelling in general in the month of Ramadan is disapproved except for ʿUmrah or because of necessity[4]. A traveller is among those who are exempted from Ramadan fast. It is not allowed for a traveller (having the necessary conditions of a traveller) to fast; otherwise, his fast is void. A travelling in which the traveller is expected (i.e., obligatory) to reduce the rakats in Zuhr, Asr, and Isha’i prayers to two rak’at, it is not allowed for him to fast as well. In other words, the travelling that necessitates the shortening of four raka’t prayers to two rak’at is the one that makes fasting not permissible.

If a fasting person travels after ẓuhr, he must, based on obligatory precaution, complete his fast; and in such a case, it is not necessary for him to make up that fast. If he travels before ẓuhr, then based on obligatory precaution, he cannot fast on that day, particularly if he had made the intention to travel the night before. In any case, he must not do anything that invalidates a fast before reaching the permitted limit (ḥadd al‑tarakhkhuṣ); otherwise, kaffārah becomes obligatory for him[5].

If a traveller in the month of Ramadan – whether he travelled before sunrise or he was fasting and then travelled – reaches his hometown (waṭan) or a place where he intends to stay for ten days before ẓuhr, in the event that he did not do anything that invalidates a fast before reaching that place, he must, based on obligatory precaution, fast on that day and it is not obligatory for him to make it up. If he did something that invalidates a fast before reaching that place, the fast of that day is not obligatory for him and he must make it up[6].

A woman who is in a state of her monthly period or childbirth bleeding is exempted from Ramadan fast for the period she is in that state. It is not allowed for such a woman to fast; otherwise, her fast is void. However, she has to observe the reparation fast (qadā’) after the month of Ramadan.

If a pregnant woman has reasonable grounds to fear that fasting would harm her or her baby, then, she doesn’t need to fast, [Fast is not even allowed for her in this regard], otherwise, she must fast. Meanwhile, if the fast will harm her, she must give Fidyah [i.e., one Mudd (750 grams)] of food each day. But if the fast will harm her fetus, apart from giving Fidyah [i.e., one Mudd (750 grams)] of food for each day, she is to make the qadā’ thereafter.

If fasting is harmful to a woman who is breastfeeding her child and who has little milk – whether she is the child’s mother or wet nurse, or someone who is breastfeeding the child without getting paid – or, if fasting is harmful to the child that she is breastfeeding, it is not obligatory on her to fast. Rather, she must give one Mudd of food to a poor person for each missed fast and she must make up the fasts she did not keep.

However, based on obligatory precaution, this rule only applies to the case where giving milk to the child is limited in this way. Therefore, if there is another way of giving milk to the child – for example, several women participate in breastfeeding the child, or the child is fed with the aid of a bottle – then affirming this rule is problematic (maḥall al-ishkāl) [i.e., based on obligatory precaution, it is not permitted for such a woman to not fast]

Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that those who are allowed to break their fasts in the month of Ramadan should give Fidyah for each day. In this case, feeding the poor person to his satisfaction is not enough. They should rather give one Mudd (750 gm) of food to a poor person each day.

Conclusion

The exemptions from fasting in Ramadan highlight Islam’s emphasis on ease, compassion, and practicality in religious obligations. While fasting remains a core act of worship, the exemption provisions ensure that individuals facing genuine hardships are not burdened beyond their capacity. Whether due to illness, travel, pregnancy, old age, or other valid reasons, those who are unable to fast are either permitted to make up for the missed days later or, in some cases, fulfill their duty through alternative means such as feeding the needy. These rulings reflect the balance between devotion and mercy in Islamic teachings, ensuring that worship remains an accessible and meaningful practice for all believers.