Can I Skip Ramadan Fasts to Prepare for a Charity Run Fundraiser?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question
I wish to run a 10 km race for cancer research; unfortunately, I need to prepare for it, so I think I will have to miss most of the fasting days.
I believe that raising money for charity would have a greater impact on humanity than fasting. Can I miss those fasts?
Answer
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
May Allah reward you for your noble intentions.
No, you cannot miss fasts to prepare for a run.
Fasting is an obligation that cannot be missed without a genuine excuse. Training for a run is not considered to be such an excuse. As such you should strive to see if you can train around the fasting hours and fulfil your goals.
It is personally obligatory upon you to fast, yet not to impact humanity. Our purpose is to worship Allah in the way He wants, and what He wants to see in Ramadan is the believers fasting out of love, gratitude, and yearning. This does not negate the importance and virtue of assisting others, but it does indicate the obligation of priorities. The worshipful servant has far greater God-gifted success (tawfiq) as he follows the Sacred Law, and because of his sincerity and humility, Allah blesses him with the ability to assist others in unimaginable ways.
Please see:
And Allah alone gives success.
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Tabraze Azam was born and raised in Ipswich, a small town on the east coast of England. He memorized the Quran in his youth and has led congregations in tarawih prayers at home and abroad. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science and management from the University of Leicester, where he served as the head of the university’s Islamic Society. Shortly after, he moved to Amman, Jordan, to study the Islamic sciences full-time with various distinguished traditional scholars. He is now an experienced teacher himself, answering religious questions regularly and teaching students of knowledge privately and online. He is pursuing advanced studies and specialization in Amman, where he resides with his wife and children.
