Liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al Sistani (L.M.H.L) in London, Europe, North and South America.
1734. Fasting is not obligatory on a person who cannot fast because of
old age, or for whom fasting causes extreme hardship. But in latter case, he
should give one mudd food to a poor person for every fast.
1735. If a person who did not fast during the month of Ramadhan owing
to old age, becomes capable of fasting later, he should, on the basis of
recommended precaution, give the qadha.
1736. Fasting is not obligatory on a person who suffers from a disease
which causes excessive thirst, making it unbearable, or full of hardship. But in
the latter case, that is, of hardship, he should give one mudd of food to poor,
for every fast.
At the same time, as a recommended precaution, such a person
may not drink water in a quantity more than essential. If he recovers later,
enabling him to fast, then as a recommended precaution, he should give qadha for
the fast.
1737. Fasting is not obligatory on a woman in advanced stage of
pregnancy, for whom fasting is harmful or for the child she carries. For every
day, however, she should give one mudd of food to poor. In both the cases, she
has to give qadha for the fasts which are left out.
1738. If a woman is suckling a child, whether she is the mother or a
nurse, or suckles it free, and the quantity of her milk is small, and if fasting
is harmful to her or to the child, it will not be obligatory on her to fast. And
she should give one mudd of food per day to poor.
In both the cases, she
will later give qadha for the fasts left out. But this rule is specifically
applicable in a circumstance where this is the only way of feeding milk to the
child - (as an obligatory precaution). But if there is an alternative, like,
when more than one woman offer to suckle the child, then establishing this rule
is a matter of Ishkal.