📜 الرُّخَصُ وَالْقَضَاء — Dispensations and Making Up Fasts

"Allah loves that His dispensations be taken just as He loves that His obligations be fulfilled."
— Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban

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📜 Foundational Texts

Quran

﴿ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ﴾
"And whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days."
— Surah Al-Baqara, 2:185

﴿ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ ﴾
"Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship."
— Surah Al-Baqara, 2:185

﴿ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ ﴾
"And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom of feeding a poor person."
— Surah Al-Baqara, 2:184

Prophetic Hadiths

'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "We would menstruate during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and we were commanded to make up the fasts but not the prayers."
— Al-Bukhari and Muslim

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ permitted the pregnant and nursing woman to break their fast in Ramadan."
— Al-Tirmidhi

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🎓 Scholarly Statements

Imam Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 AH)

"The dispensation is for the sick and traveler with obligation to make up, and fidya is for the elderly who cannot fast."
— Al-Muwatta'

Ibn Al-Qasim (d. 191 AH)

"Malik said: The menstruating woman makes up the fast but not the prayer, and the traveler may choose between fasting and breaking."
— Al-Mudawwana

Ibn Rushd Al-Jadd (d. 520 AH)

"Excuses permitting breaking fast: illness, travel, menstruation, post-natal bleeding, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and old age."
— Al-Muqaddimat Al-Mumahhadat

Al-Qadi 'Iyad (d. 544 AH)

"Making up is obligatory upon one who breaks fast with a temporary excuse, and fidya upon one who can never make up."
— Ikmal Al-Mu'lim

Ibn Juzayy Al-Kalbi (d. 741 AH)

"Those with excuses are of two types: those who must only make up, and those who must pay fidya only or with making up."
— Al-Qawanin Al-Fiqhiyya

Shaykh Khalil Al-Maliki (d. 776 AH)

"The sick, traveler, menstruating, post-natal bleeding, pregnant, and nursing woman may break fast out of fear."
— Mukhtasar Khalil

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🔍 Linguistic Analysis

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📚 Detailed Explanation

Those with Excuses

1. The Sick Person

• May break fast if fearing harm
• Makes up after recovery
• Chronic illness: fidya without making up

2. The Traveler

• May break fast in permissible travel
• Travel distance: approximately 80 km according to majority
• Makes up after settling

3. Menstruating and Post-natal Bleeding Woman

• Fasting is prohibited for her
• Making up is obligatory after purification

4. Pregnant and Nursing Woman

• May break fast if fearing for herself or child
• Making up is obligatory according to Malikis
• Fidya according to some schools

5. The Elderly

• Fidya without making up
• One mudd for each day

Table of Those with Excuses

Rulings on Making Up

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⚖️ Differences Between Schools

Pregnant and Nursing Woman

Fasting While Traveling

Delaying Making Up

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🌍 Contemporary Applications

Contemporary Medical Cases

Calculating Fidya

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⚠️ Common Mistakes

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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🎯 Contemporary Cases

🤰 Case 1: The Pregnant Woman Worried About Her Baby

Situation: Khadija is 6 months pregnant. She feels capable of fasting but is worried about her baby's development. Her doctor says fasting is not medically contraindicated.

❓ Can she break her fast as a precaution?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Justified fear	Medical consultation needed
Medical opinion	Doctor says it's possible
Mere worry	Not sufficient grounds

The dispensation is granted in case of real fear for the health of mother or baby, not just precaution. If the doctor confirms fasting is possible, she must fast.

💡 Rule: According to Malikis, if she breaks fast due to justified fear, she only needs to make up without additional fidya.

🍼 Case 2: The Breastfeeding Mother

Situation: Fatima is exclusively breastfeeding her 4-month-old baby. She notices her milk decreases when she fasts and the baby cries a lot.

❓ Can she break her fast?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Exclusive breastfeeding	Baby depends entirely on breast milk
Milk decrease	Observable effect
Impact on child	Crying, hunger of the infant

The nursing woman may break her fast if she fears for herself or her child. Milk decrease affecting the infant is a legitimate concern.

💡 Rule: She breaks fast and makes up after weaning. According to Malikis, no fidya in addition to making up.

💉 Case 3: The Insulin-Dependent Diabetic

Situation: Ahmed, 55 years old, has Type 2 diabetes and takes insulin. He needs to inject insulin and monitor his blood sugar several times daily. He still wants to fast.

❓ When does diabetes become a valid excuse?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Type of diabetes	Type 2 with insulin = moderate to high risk
Medical risk	Hypoglycemia, imbalance
Medical opinion	Essential

Diabetes becomes a valid excuse when:

1. The doctor explicitly advises against fasting
2. Past experience shows complications
3. There is risk to life or permanent damage

Situation	Status
Balanced diabetes without risk	Must fast
Moderate risk diabetes	May break + make up
Uncontrollable diabetes	Permanent fidya

💡 Rule: Medical consultation is obligatory. Insulin injection does not invalidate fasting.

📚 Case 4: Exam Period and Mental Exhaustion

Situation: Youssef is a medical student. His final exams fall during Ramadan. He says fasting prevents him from concentrating and he might fail his year.

❓ Are exams an excuse to break fast?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Mental difficulty	Not recognized as excuse
Fatigue/concentration	Not an illness
Academic stakes	Do not justify breaking fast

Mental difficulty and intellectual fatigue are not valid excuses for breaking fast. Millions of Muslims study and take exams during Ramadan.

Valid excuse	Invalid excuse
Physical illness	Mental fatigue
Travel	Exams
Pregnancy/nursing	Intellectual work

💡 Rule: Youssef must fast and adapt his schedule: study after Fajr, eat well at Suhur and Iftar.

⏰ Case 5: Deadline for Making Up Missed Days

Situation: Maryam missed 10 days of Ramadan last year. She still hasn't made them up and the new Ramadan is coming in 2 weeks.

❓ What is the deadline for making up?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Legal deadline	Before the next Ramadan
Days remaining	2 weeks = 14 days
Days to make up	10 days

Maryam can still make up 10 days in 14 days. She must start immediately.

Situation	Consequence
Make up before Ramadan	Making up only
Delay without excuse	Making up + Fidya per day
Delay with excuse (continuous illness)	Making up only

💡 Rule: If she doesn't make up in time without valid excuse, she must do Qada after this Ramadan + pay Fidya (feed 1 poor person per delayed day).

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💭 Reflection

Dispensations are a manifestation of divine mercy. Allah says: "يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ" — Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship. However, this ease should not become a pretext for abandoning worship. The believer must sincerely seek to fulfill their duty while recognizing their real limitations.

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🎯 Practical Action Plan

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📝 Supplication

O Allah, heal me completely leaving no illness, help me make up what I missed, and accept from me. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

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📚 Sources

• Al-Muwatta' — Imam Malik
• Al-Mudawwana Al-Kubra — Sahnoun
• Al-Qawanin Al-Fiqhiyya — Ibn Juzayy
• Mukhtasar Khalil — Khalil Al-Maliki
• Sahih Al-Bukhari — Al-Bukhari
• Sahih Muslim — Muslim

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وَاللهُ أَعْلَم
And Allah knows best