Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: A 63-year-old woman has the following medical issues: cancer, blood pressure, diabetes, and a history of heart attacks. Because of these problems, she has missed twenty fasts, and the doctor has advised her not to fast for the time being. Now the question is, does she have to make up these fasts, or can she pay their fidyah (expiation)? Furthermore, the month of Ramadan is about to begin. So, can she pay the fidyah for the fast of the upcoming Ramadan as well? Also, a few years ago, she missed four salat in a state of unconsciousness due to her oncology surgery. She then missed another two days of salat due to being ill, but she was conscious. Now, the doctor has advised her not to pray standing. The question is, will she have to make up the salah she had missed while unconscious (just like she will make up the salah of the two days in which she was conscious), or are they forgiven? Furthermore, how will she offer the qada’? Recently, her condition has improved, and she can offer salah with ruku’ and sujood while sitting, but she sometimes prays with gestures as well.
Note – According to the details provided by the questioner, the patient is not a Shaykh-e-Fani. Though she cannot fast at this time due to her illnesses, there is hope that she will soon recover.
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
It is not permissible for this patient to pay the fidyah for her fasts because fidyah has been legislated only for a Shaykh-e-Fani. A Shaykh-e-Fani is someone who has become so weak due to old age that they are incapable of fasting, neither in the winter nor the summer, neither consecutively nor intermittently, nor will they have the strength to fast in the future. However, if it is harmful for her to fast due to her condition and a qualified Muslim doctor has advised her not to fast, she is permitted to defer until she regains health. But once she regains health, she will have to make up for these fasts.
Since this woman is not a Shaykh-e-Fani and the doctor has advised her not to fast for the time being due to her illness, it is currently not permissible for her to pay the fidyah for the previous twenty fasts she missed. She will have to make up for them once she regains health. Similarly, if she cannot fast in the upcoming Ramadan due to her health, she is permitted to leave these fasts for the time being. However, she is not allowed to pay their fidyah. Instead, the ruling is that she must wait until she recovers. If she recovers, she must make up the fasts. But, if she doesn’t recover, and she is in her ‘death sickness, she must make a will for the fidyah of her previous fasts to be paid.
The sharī’aĥ ruling for the qada’ salat is that the four salat missed in the state of unconsciousness are not forgiven, just like the salat of the two days. Instead, she must make up for them as well, because if one misses less than six salat in the state of unconsciousness, as described in the question that four salat were missed, it is necessary to offer the qada’ of those salat. However, if one remains unconscious for more than six salat, it is not obligatory to offer the qada’ of those salat. Furthermore, if any ‘uzr is present while offering the qada’ salah, it is necessary to offer the salah while sitting by performing ruku’ and sujood. For example, an ill person is not able to stand or fears that the illness will worsen due to standing, but they can offer the salah while sitting by performing ruku’ and sujood. In this case, it will not be sufficient to offer the salah with gestures. If the salah was offered with gestures, it will be necessary to repeat the salah.
The juz’iyat (text excerpts) are presented in order:
A Shaykh-e-Fani is permitted to pay the fidyah for their fasts, as stated in Tanwir al-Absar Ma’a al-Durr al-Mukhtar:
(وللشيخ الفاني العاجز عن الصوم الفطر ويفدي )وجوبا لو موسراً
(Tanwir al-Absar Wa al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Vol. 3, p. 472, Publ. Quetta)
If one does not regain health till their last moments, they must make a will for the fidyah to be paid, as stated in Fatawa Razawiyah:
جس جوان یا بوڑھے کو کسی بیماری کے سبب ایسا ضعف ہو کہ روزہ نہیں رکھ سکتے ،انہیں بھی کفار ہ دینے کی اجازت نہیں، بلکہ بیماری جانے کا انتظار کریں، اگر قبلِ شفاموت آجائے ،تواس وقت کفارہ کی وصیت کردیں، غرض یہ ہے کفارہ اس وقت ہے کہ روزہ نہ گرمی میں رکھ سکیں نہ جاڑے میں، نہ لگاتار نہ متفرق اور جس عذر کے سبب طاقت نہ ہو اس عذر کے جانے کی امید نہ ہوجیسے وہ بوڑھا کہ بڑھاپے نے اسے ایسا ضعیف کردیا کہ گنڈے دار روزے متفرق کر کے جاڑے میں بھی نہیں رکھ سکتا تو بڑھاپا تو جانے کی چیز نہیں ایسے شخص کو کفارہ کا حکم ہے۔
Translation: A young or elderly person who, due to illness, becomes so weak that they are unable to fast; it is not permitted for such individuals to pay the Kaffarah. Instead, they must wait for recovery. If they pass away before recovering, they should leave a will for Kaffarah. In simple words, Kaffarah can only be paid if one isn’t able to fast during the summer or the winter, neither consecutively nor intermittently, and there is no hope of recovery from the illness due to which they have become so weak. For example, the elderly person who is weakened by old age and cannot fast, even if he keeps them intermittently in the winter. Since old age is something that cannot be recovered from, such a person must pay Kaffarah. (Fatawa Razawiyah, Vol. 10, p. 547, Publ. Raza Foundation, Lahore)
Regarding when an ill person is permitted to skip the fasts, Sadr-ush-Sharī’aĥ Mufti Amjad Ali A’zami رحمة الله تعالى عليه writes:
مریض کو مرض بڑھ جانے یا دیر میں اچھا ہونے ۔۔۔ کا غالب گمان ہو تو ان سب کو اجازت ہے کہ اس دن روزہ نہ رکھیں۔ ان صورتوں میں غالب گمان کی قید ہے محض وہم ناکافی ہے۔ غالب گمان کی تین صورتیں ہیں۔(1)اس کی ظاہر نشانی پائی جاتی ہے یا(2) اس شخص کا ذاتی تجربہ ہے یا (3)کسی مسلمان طبیب حاذق مستور یعنی غیر فاسق نے اُس کی خبر دی ہو ۔
Translation: If an ill person has the dominant assumption that their illness will worsen, their recovery will be delayed, or a healthy person fears that they will fall sick, then they are permitted to skip the fast for that day in all of these cases… These require a dominant assumption; mere doubt is insufficient. The dominant assumption is attained in 3 ways: (1) There are clear indications, (2) the person had a prior experience, or (3) a professional, Muslim, non-Fasiq doctor has informed them about this. (Bahar-e-Sharī’at, Vol. 5, p. 1003, Publ. Maktaba-Tul-Madinah, Karachi)
Mentioning the detailed rulings about the salah which were missed in the state of unconsciousness, Allamah Abul-Ma’aali Bukhari Hanafi عليهرحمة الله تعالى (d. 616 AH/ 1219 CE) writes:
إذا أغمي على الرجل يوم وليلة أو أقل يلزمه قضاء الصلوات، وإن أغمي عليه أكثر من ذلك فلا قضاء عليه وهذا الاستحسان۔۔۔ وجه الاستحسان: حديث علي فإنه أغمي عليه في أربع صلوات فقضاهن، وعمار بن ياسر أغمي عليه يوم وليلة فقضى الصلوات، وابن عمر أغمي عليه في ثلاثة أيام فلم يقض الصلوات
(Al-Muheet al-Burhani, Book of Salah, Vol. 2, p. 145, Publ. Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon)
It is stated in Bahar-e-Sharī’at:
بے ہوشی اگر پورے چھ وقت کو گھیرلے تو ان نمازوں کی قضا بھی نہیں۔۔۔ اور اس سے کم ہو تو قضا واجب ہے۔
Translation: If the unconsciousness remains for the complete duration of six salat, there is no qada’ for those salat… But if it remains for less than that, it is wajib to offer the qada’. (Bahar-e-Sharī’at, Vol. 4, p. 723, Publ. Maktaba-Tul-Madinah, Karachi)
If one is uncapable of standing or they fear that standing will worsen the illness, they should offer salah while sitting. Allamah Shaykhi Zadah رحمة الله تعالى عليه (d. 1078 AH/ 1667 CE) writes:
(عجز عن القيام۔۔۔أو خاف زيادة المرض۔۔۔بسببه) أي القيام (صلى قاعدا۔۔۔ يركع ويسجد) إن قدر
(Majma’ al-Anhur, Book of Salah, Vol. 1, p. 154, Publ. Dar Ihya’ al-Turas al-‘Arabi)
If one can offer salah while sitting by performing ruku’ and sujood, it is not permissible for them to offer salah with gestures. Thus, Shaykh al-Islam, Abul-Hasan, ‘Ali Bin Hussain al-Sughdi Hanafi رحمة الله تعالى عليه (d. 461 AH/ 1068 CE) writes:
يصليها قاعدا يؤمن ايماء وهو يقدر على الركوع والسجود فانها لا تجزيه في قول الفقهاء
(Al-Nutaf Fil-Fatawa, Vol. 1, p. 112, Publ. Mu’assisah al-Risalah, Beirut)
وَ اللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: FSD-9277
Date: 28th Sha’ban Al-Mu’azzam 1446 AH/ 27th February 2025