Ruling on Menstruating Women, Insane, and the Unconscious

حكم الحائض والمجنون والمغمى عليه إذا زالت أعذارهم نهار رمضان

Ruling on Menstruating Women, the Insane, and the Unconscious if Their Excuse Ends During the Day in Ramadan

Translated by: Reza Ervani bin Asmanu

This article about the Ruling on Menstruating Women, the Insane, and the Unconscious if Their Excuse Ends During the Day in Ramadan is included in the Islamic Question and Answer Category

السؤال:

Question:

هل الحائض والمسافر والنفساء إذا زال عنهم مانع الصوم في نهار رمضان يلزمهم أن يمسكوا عن الأكل حتى المغرب.إيضاح: الحائض والنفساء طهرتا نهار رمضان. المسافر وصل إلى بلد الإقامة نهار رمضان. المريض برئ نهار رمضان. هل يلحق هؤلاء بالصبي الذي يبلغ والكافر الذي يسلم في نهار رمضان.

Is it obligatory for menstruating women, travelers, and women in post-natal bleeding (nifas), if the barrier to their fasting disappears during the day in Ramadan, to refrain from eating (imsak) until Maghrib? Explanation: Menstruating or post-natal women becoming pure during the day in Ramadan; a traveler arriving at their place of residence during the day in Ramadan; a sick person recovering during the day in Ramadan. Are these people treated the same as a child reaching puberty or a non-believer embracing Islam during the day in Ramadan?

الإجابــة:

Answer:

الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وعلى آله وصحبه، أما بعد:

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his companions. To proceed:

فإن من ذكرتهم في سؤالك، ممن أسلم بعد ما تبين له فجر رمضان، أو بلغ ، أو المرأة التي رأت الطهر من الحيض، أو من النفاس، أو من أفاق من جنونه، أو صح من مرضه، أو قدم من سفره، هل يمسك كل هؤلاء بقية يومهم أم لا؟ فيه خلاف بين العلماء.

Regarding the people you mentioned in your question—whether those who embraced Islam after the dawn of Ramadan was clear, a child reaching puberty, a woman becoming pure from menstruation or post-natal bleeding, an insane person regaining sanity, a sick person recovering, or a traveler arriving—must all of them refrain from eating (imsak) for the remainder of that day or not? There is a difference of opinion among scholars.

فذهب الأحناف والحنابلة في ظاهر مذهبهم إلى وجوب الإمساك على الجميع بقية اليوم، وذهب مالك والشافعي إلى عدم وجوب الإمساك، وهو رواية عن أحمد واستحبه الشافعي، والراجح أنه لا يجب عليهم الإمساك بقية اليوم،

The Hanafis and the Hanbalis (in the apparent view of their school) are of the opinion that it is obligatory for everyone to refrain (imsak) for the remainder of the day. The Malikis and the Shafi’is are of the opinion that it is not obligatory to refrain (this is also one narration from Ahmad, and Imam ash-Shafi’i deemed it recommended). The strongest opinion is that it is not obligatory for them to refrain for the remainder of the day.

لأن منهم من هو منهي عن الصوم وهي: الحائض والنفساء، ومنهم من هو غير مخاطب بالصوم: كالصبي والمجنون، ومنهم من هو مخاطب بالصوم بشرط الإسلام قبله وهو: الكافر، ومنهم من هو مفسوح له في الصوم إن قدر عليه، أو الفطر إن شاء وهو: المريض والمسافر، وأيضاً معلوم أنه لا خلاف في أن التي طهرت من الحيض أو النفاس، وأن القادم من السفر، والمعافى من المرض لا يجزئهم صيام ذلك اليوم، وعليهم قضاؤه فكيف إذاً يلزمهم صيامه؟

This is because some of them are forbidden from fasting, namely: menstruating and post-natal women; some of them are not addressed by the command to fast: such as the child and the insane; some are addressed by the command to fast on the condition of Islam preceding it: namely the non-believer; and some are given a choice to fast if capable or break the fast if they wish: namely the sick and the traveler. Furthermore, it is well known that there is no disagreement that for a woman who becomes pure from menstruation or post-natal bleeding, a traveler who arrives, or someone recovered from illness, their fasting on that day is not valid and they must make it up (qadha); so how, then, can they be obligated to fast (imsak) on that day?

ولكن ينبغي أن لا يظهر فطره أمام من لا يعرف عذره، حتى لا يعرض نفسه للتهمة أو العقوبة، واختلفوا في الكافر والصبي والمجنون هل يقضون ما مضى من أيام؟ وهل يقضون اليوم الذي زال عذرهم فيه؟

However, one should not manifest breaking the fast in front of those who do not know their excuse, so as not to expose oneself to accusation or punishment. They also differed regarding the non-believer, the child, and the insane: must they make up the past days? And must they make up the day on which their excuse disappeared?

فقال عامة أهل العلم: لا قضاء عليهم. وأما اليوم الذي زال فيه عذرهم فقال أبو حنيفة ومالك والشافعي ورواية عن أحمد لا يجب قضاؤه. والراجح أنه لا قضاء على الكافر والمجنون والصبي لا ما مضى، ولا ذلك اليوم الذي زال فيه عذرهم، لعدم ورود دليل يلزمهم بالقضاء، بخلاف الحائض والنفساء والمريض والمسافر فقد ورد الدليل بأمرهم بالقضاء.

The majority of scholars said: they do not have to make up the past days. As for the day on which their excuse disappeared, Abu Hanifah, Malik, ash-Shafi’i, and one narration from Ahmad stated that it is not obligatory to make it up. The strongest opinion is that there is no making up (qadha) for the non-believer, the insane, and the child, neither for what has passed nor for the day on which their excuse disappeared, due to the lack of evidence requiring them to make it up. This is unlike the menstruating woman, the post-natal woman, the sick person, and the traveler, as evidence has been established commanding them to make up the fast.

وأما المغمى عليه فقد ذهب أبو حنيفة إلى أنه إذا أغمي عليه الشهر كله قضاه، فإن أغمي عليه بعد ليلة من الشهر قضى ما أغمي عليه منه، إلا يوم تلك الليلة لأنه نوى صيامه. والمالكية والشافعية والحنابلة قالوا: إذا أغمي عليه جميع النهار لم يصح صومه، ووجب عليه القضاء وهو الراجح، لأن الصيام نية وإمساك، والمغمى عليه لم يمسك عن الطعام والشراب والمفطرات طول النهار بقصده، وهو في حكم المريض فوجب عليه القضاء.

Regarding the unconscious person, Abu Hanifah was of the opinion that if one is unconscious for the entire month, he makes it up. The Malikis, Shafi’is, and Hanbalis said: if one is unconscious for the entire day (from dawn to sunset), his fast is not valid and he must make it up. This is the strongest opinion, because fasting involves intention and refraining (imsak), and the unconscious person did not refrain from food, drink, and things that break the fast throughout the day by his choice; he is treated like a sick person, thus making up the fast is obligatory for him.

أما إذا أفاق من إغمائه في جزء من النهار في أوله أو آخره صح صومه عند الحنابلة، وقالت المالكية يصح صومه إن كان إغماؤه أقل النهار.

However, if he regains consciousness during part of the day—either at the beginning or the end—his fast is valid according to the Hanbalis. The Malikis stated that his fast is valid if the unconsciousness lasted for less than half the day.

والله أعلم.

And Allah knows best.

Source: IslamWeb