Ramadan fasting is compulsory for all Muslims across the world. This is a moment when the Muslims exercise holiness and restrain from ungodly doing. However, the Ramadan fasting is not compulsory for two categories of people.
According to AbdulRafiu Busari, an Islamic scholar in an interview with Legit.ng, these two people were mentioned by the Quran, while the Shari’ah (Islamic laws) mentioned several others who may not fast during Ramadan. However, these categories of people were to repay their fasting debt after Ramadan, when they get relief.
He said:
“If we go to Suratul Baqarah verse 182-186, Allah talks about fasting in these verses. He mentioned two people exempted from fasting. Someone who is sick. One of the things Allah prohibited is for us to injure our lives or what would lead to our deaths. This is because Allah values human souls. He did not want us to die before our time. The Quran mentions that the second person is someone who is on a journey. The Quran is clear about these two categories of people.
“However, Allah did not give them the fasting, He says they will choose another day, when they return from a journey or when they get better from their sickness, to repay the fasting. Such a person will repay the 30 days of fasting. If the Ramadan month was 29, such a person would repay 29 days of fasting. He or she did not commit any sin, such person’s case was based on circumstances.”
Why Ramadan is a debt for Muslims
He further explained that any Muslim who fell sick during Ramadan and regained her strength after would repay the fasting for the number of days he fell sick. If the person died in the period, the children entitled to his or her property would fast on behalf of the person, the number of days such person missed before his death.
He said:
“If it was in the middle of Ramadan that the person fell sick, such a person would fast from the number he started the sickness or went on a journey. Even Shari’ah explained that if the person died in the sickness or the journey, the children, who are entitled to inherit the person’s property, would share the fasting month among themselves. For instance, if the person started the sickness when Ramadan was 10 and died when Ramadan became 15, his or her children would only repay the five the person was unable to repay before his death.
“This is because the fasting such person missed during the period has become debt and one of the things that stops the dead from having a pass before Allah ta’Allah was debt. However, it is not a debt if the person did not start Ramadan, even if the person prayed Taraweeh (The prayer Muslims pray a night before the commencement of Ramadan).”
The scholars listed other people who can’t fast, citing different circumstances. For instance, someone in prison, a pregnant woman and several others.
