What Excuses are Considered Valid to Exempt a person from Fasting

Q: Saum-4: Under what circumstances will a person be excused from fasting during Ramadhaan?

Answer: There are five such excuses:

1. Such illness with which one is incapable of fasting or which will become more severe if one fasts (it will however be necessary to observe the Qadhaa fast when one recovers)

2. Pregnancy: when there is fear of danger to the life of the mother or child or when there is a risk of any one of the two coming to any harm (it will however be necessary to observe the Qadhaa fast when the pregnancy is over)

3.When one is a Musaafir according to the definition of the Shari'ah (again it will be necessary to observe the Qadhaa fast when one becomes a Muqeem)

4. When a person is so old that s/he has no strength to fast. Such a person should pay Fidya for every fast missed. Should Allaah restore the person s strength. S/he should then observe the missed fasts

5. Women who are menstruating or experiencing afterbirth bleeding may not last. If they fast the fast will be invalid and they will be guilty of a sin in will however be necessary to observe the Qadhaa fast when the bleeding stops).

And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.3