Should I Fast despite Previous Years’ of Experiencing Illness?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I have always been either pregnant or nursing my babies for the past 5 years. Because of it, I didn’t fast for 5 years straight and now when I tried to fast last year, I seriously fell ill and someone else had to take care of my children. 

What should I do as I am worried if I fast in Ramadan this year the same will happen?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Thank you for your question. I empathize with your concern for not being able to fast. 

I pray that you are rewarded for your patience immensely throughout the years for not being able to connect to the Divine mercy of fasting. This suffering and longing will make you more resilient, your patience will be well compensated by the grace of Allah, amin.

Pregnant or breastfeeding are obliged to fast. However, if one reasonably and genuinely fears that fasting will harm her or her baby, then she can make up the fasts whenever she possibly can. Reasonable fear is known by, 1) obvious signs of harm 2) a relevant past experience, or 3) the opinion of an upright, Muslim doctor.

[Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

If you are not nursing this coming Ramadhan, you can start off with one, and see how you go, take each day. However, if you fall ill and is weakening you, then make up the fasts during the year when the days are short, if not continuously, at least try with breaks.

If you still cannot make up the fasts during the year, keep a count of all the fasts that you have missed, and intend to make them up when your children are of age, and you have worked on gaining good physical health.

I pray that Allah (Most High) reward you for your patience immensely for not being able to connect to the Divine mercy of fasting and open up ease and cure in your physical health in the near future, amin! 

I pray this helps in your questions.

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.

He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.

He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.

He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.