SITUATIONS WHERE MISSING THE FAST IS ALLOWED

Travelling, pregnancy, breast-feeding, sickness, fear of being killed, any other difficulty recognised by Shariat or illness affecting sense are all reason where missing the fast is allowed and therefore no sin will be committed and when the cause is over then to keep Qaza of the missed fast is compulsory.

Travelling means as per Shariat the recognised distance, i.e. a journey with the intention of travelling three days (fifty seven and a half miles) even if the journey is for a disallowed cause [Durr-e-MukhtarJ.

If you started travelling in the daytime then that day's fast is not a cause, however, if it is broken then the Kaffara will not be necessary but you will have committed a sin, and if you broke it before starting the journey and then started the journey, then Kaffara will also be necessary. If you travelled during the day but forgot something at home and returned for it and whilst back at home you broke the fast and then started the journey again, then Kaffara is also Wajib [Alamgiri, Bahar].

If a traveller had not started travelling before midday and had not eaten anything so far, then it is Wajib to make the intention for the fast [Johra, Bahar].

If no harm will affect the traveller or his companion if they fasted then it is better to fast and if it will cause a problem then it is better not to fast [Durr-e-Mukhtar].

If a pregnant woman or a mother breast feeding has a true indication that her life or the child's life is in risk then she can miss the fast even if the breast feeding woman is only a wet nurse and only does this work in Ramadan [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar].

If an ill person has a true indication that their illness will worsen or the healing will be delayed or if a healthy person has a definite indication that their health will deteriorate or the helper will become very weak then in all the above situations it is allowed to miss the fast [Johra, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

In these situations a definite indication is necessary and just a thought or fear is not sufficient. A definite . indication means three options, either a physical sign is seen or felt, or true experience is known or a Muslim Doctor who is not a wrongdoer (Fasiq) has advised. If therefore a physical sign is not seen or it has never been experienced or an infidel doctor or wrongdoer has advised and you missed a fast then this will mean that you have committed a sin and if you break a fast then Kaffara would also be necessary [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar].

Most of today's doctors if they are not infidels then they certainly are wrongdoers and if these people advise then it must not be followed and it is not allowed to miss the fast or to break the fast is not allowed. These doctors are seen to forbid fasting for small illnesses and do not have the decency to separate the illness that does need the fast to be missed and the illness where fasting would not cause any harm.

If you are so hungry or thirsty that you are definitely sure that you will die or you will lose sanity then in this situation do not keep a fast [Fatahul Qadir, Alamgiri, Bahar].

If you are bitten by a snake and your life is at risk then break the fast [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar].

If an old age pensioner (an old person who is getting weaker every day) who does not have the strength to keep fast and will no longer be able to keep a fast then it is allowed for them not to fast anymore, but it is Wajib upon them to give Fidya for every fast missed meaning to fully feed a beggar twice or to give Sadqa and Fitra for every fast missed [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Alamgiri, Bahar].

If an old person cannot keep the fast in summer due to the heat but can keep the fast in winter then he can miss them in the summer but it is obligatory for him to fast perform Qaza) in the winter [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar etc.].

After giving Fidya the old person gained enough strength to keep the Qaza for the missed fast then it is Wajib upon them to fast and the Fidya will be counted as voluntary.

A person cannot fast or pray Namaz for another person, however he can send the reward for his fasts to other people [Hidaya, Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar].

A Nafl fast if started deliberately becomes necessary and therefore if it is broken it becomes Wajib to keep a Qaza or if it breaks unintentionally such as if monthly periods start it is still necessary to keep it's Qaza [Hidaya, Durr-e-Mukhtar, etc.].

If a Nafl fast is kept on Eid days or the days when it is Makrooh to fast then it is not Wajib to finish the fast, in fact it is Wajib to break it and Qaza is not Wajib for breaking this fast. If you have made a promise to fast on these days then it is Wajib that you keep the fast but on some other day not on these days [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar].