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The Old, The Pregnant, And The Breast Feeding Not Fasting
QUESTION: Is it permissible for an old man to eat during Ramadhaan, and what does he have to do if he does? And is it permissible for a pregnant women not to fast in Ramadhaan because she fears that the fetus might die? What does she have to do? And is it permissible to use scented oils during the month of Ramadhaan?
Answer by Sheikh Yussuf Al-Qaradawi:
For the first question, I answer by saying that it is permissible for an older man, or of course an older woman, not to fast in Ramadhaan if siyaam would be a big struggle for them or it would be an overbearing difficulty. The same goes for the sick who have no hope in being healed from their sickness. One who has a chronic illness, which the doctors have difficulty finding a cure for or it has been with him for a long time, is permitted for him not to fast. If any of these people choose to eat then they have to give a ransom, which is the feeding of a needy person for each day. This is an allowance and easement from Allah. He Allah said: “Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you difficulty.” (2:185)
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “It is allowed for the old man not to fast. For each day, he is to feed a poor person, and he does not have to make up the fast.” (Collected by Ad- Daaraqutnee and A]Haakem declared it authentic). Something similar to this was collected by Al- Bukhari that the saying of Allah was sent down concerning the old man and people like him: “And those who are unable have to feed a poor person. But whosoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him.” (2:184)
Which means that whenever someone feeds more than one poor person then this is better for him and will have an ever-lasting reward with Allah. So for the elderly man, elderly woman, and the sick who
do not expect recovery from their sickness, they are not to fast and as charity they are to feed a poor person for each day.
As for the second question, is it okay for a pregnant woman not to fast during RamAdhaan because she fears that the fears might die? Yes, she is exempted from fasting. Furthermore, if this fear is based on certainty and has been reported by a Muslim doctor who is firm in his religion and field, then it is obligatory upon her not to fast so that fetus does not die. Allah said: “And do not kill your children.” (17:31)
This fetus is a respectable soul, and it is not permissible for a man or a woman to neglect it and cause it to die. Allah never overburdens His worshipers.
It has also come from Ibn Abbas that the pregnant and the women are within the group of: “And those who are unable have to feed a poor person.” (2:184)
And if the pregnant and breast-feeding women fear for themselves, then most of the scholars say that they should not fast and they only have to make it up. In this case they are similar to the sick. But for the pregnant woman who fears for the fetus or the breast-feeding woman who fears for the child, it is unanimously agreed that they are not to fast. The scholars have differed on whether she has to make it up or if she has to just feed a poor person for each day of if she has to do both. The majority of scholars say that she is to make it up, while Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas say that she is to feed a poor person, and the others say that she is to do both. But it appears to me that it is permissible to feed a poor person instead of making it up, especially with regards to the woman who is constantly pregnant or breastfeeding and would not find a chance to make it up. One year she would be pregnant, the next year she would be breast-feeding, the next she would be pregnant and so on. She would constantly be either pregnant or breast-feeding to the extent that she would not be able to make anything up. And if we burdened her to make up all the days she did not fast because of pregnancy or breast feeding, then that would mean that she would have to fast a number of continuous years after that. This has in it a great hardship and Allah does not wish for His worshipers to be in hardship.
And for the third question about the use of scented oils during the month of Ramadhaan, it is permissible. Nobody has said that using oils during Ramadhaan is unlawful or that it would ruin the siyaarn. And Allah knows best.
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