format_quote Originally Posted by
Darth Ultor
I read they are not required to fast during the holy month but is there something they can do in lieu of fasting? Or should they just skip a meal or just abstain from certain foods?
Greetings,
Regarding a person with an illness or medical condition then whether they should fast or not would depend on a doctors recommendation in accordance with the severity of a persons condition or illness. It is better to try and find a Muslim doctor who would know of the importance of fasting and therefore would give a better recommendation to the person, whether or not they can fast and if so then how many they should fast. If a person cannot find a Muslim doctor then they should ask a specialist of their condition and inform them of the importance of fasting.
After examining the persons condition and severity of the illness and how likely is it that fasting may effect the condition or illness and make it worse then the doctors decision is binding upon the person because a person should not fast if it will cause further harm to them as that is not the purpose of fasting. It may also be that the persons condition gets better in time so they should keep going to the specialist to see if there are any improvements.
So one should go by the Doctors recommendations regarding whether or not one can fast. The amount of fasts a person is not able to keep then there is an expiation for that amount. It is called the Fidya. The Fidya for each fast is:
To give 3 lbs (approx. 1.6 kg) of wheat or 7 lbs (approx. 3.2 kg) of barley.
Or the equivalent of the above in cash or kind.
In order to know how much fidya a person needs to pay in one's own country then one should contact a local or national Muslim charity who will give the daily fidya amount and even a calculation for the fidya amount for the amount of fasts one has missed, even if it is the entire month. Hope that clarifies things