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What are the excuses that permit not fasting in Ramadan?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Allah has permitted not fasting in Ramadan for those who are unable to fast due to a legitimate Shar'i excuse. These are:

Firstly: Illness, where there is fear that fasting would worsen the illness, delay recovery, or cause damage to an organ. Such a person is permitted to break their fast; in fact, it is recommended, and it is disliked for them to complete it.

Secondly: Travel during which prayers are shortened, provided that the travel is not for an act of disobedience, and provided that the traveler does not intend to settle. The concession for breaking the fast is revoked upon returning home or intending to settle.

Thirdly: Pregnancy and breastfeeding, if they fear illness or harm for themselves or their children.

Fourthly: Old age and infirmity (the decrepit old person whose strength is gone or nearly gone, the sick person whose recovery is not expected, and the elderly woman).

Fifthly: Severe hunger and thirst, and this includes the fear of weakness in encountering an enemy.

Sixthly: Coercion, which is forcing a person to do something they do not approve of through threats.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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