Fasting Ramdhan Part 2

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.


If the testimony of a witness (that the new moon
has been seen during the previous night) is made
during a day (that was initially) uncertain as to
whether it was the first of Ramadhan, then it is
obligatory (for people) to fast the rest of the day
and to make it up later.


A Child of Seven is ordered to fast, and at ten is
beaten for not fasting (not severely, but so as to
discipline the child, and not more than three blows).

Note : According to some ulamah rather its better to
encourage them in ways which will make them want
to fast.

Excessive hunger or thirst, meaning likely to cause
death or illness, are legitimate excuses not to fast,
even when they occur on a day one has already
begun to fast, as soon as the fast becomes a hardship.

It is permissible not to fast when travelling, even
when the intention to fast has been made the night
before, provided that the journey is at least 81 km
/5o mi one way, and that one leaves town before
dawn. If one leaves after dawn, one is not entitled
to omit the fast. It is preferable for travellers not to
fast if fasting would harm them, though if not, then
fasting is better.

A woman who is breast-feeding a baby or is preg-
nant and apprehends harm to herself or her child
may omit the fast and make it up later, though if
she omits it because of fear (of harm) for the child
alone (not for herself) then she must give 0.51 liters
(about 600g) of food in charity for each day missed,
as an expiation ( in addition to making up each day).

Note: If the main staple is bread, as in many countries,
only wheat may be given, and is what is meant by the
expression giving food here and in all text below deal-
ing with expiations ( The Hanafi school permits paying
the poor the wheat's value in money, both here are for
expiations). It is permissible to give the best quality of
the staple food of the area, but not to give less than the
usual quality (such as by giving barley where wheat is
the main staple).

Extracts from
Ahmad ibn Naqib al- Misri
Reliance of the Traveller
Tran .. Nuh Ha mim Keller

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