FASTING AND WOMEN
If a woman knows that her period will come tomorrow, she should still continue her intention and keep fasting; she should not break her fast until she actually sees the blood. It is better for a menstruating woman to remain natural and accept what Allah has decreed for her by not taking any medication to prevent her from bleeding. Moreover, their is medical evidence to prove that many of the things used to prevent menstruation are in fact harmful and many women have suffered from irregular period as a result of taking them. However if a woman does that. then fasts, this is okay.
Istihaadah (Other non menstrual vagina bleeding):
If a pregnant woman miscarries and the foetus is formed or has a discernible outline of any part of the body such as a head or hand, then her blood is nifas (post - natal bleeding); if however, she passes something that looks like blood clot (alaq) or a chewed piece of meat that has no discernible human features. her bleeding is istihaadah and she has to fast if she is able. otherwise she can break her fast and make it up later on.
Once she becomes clean after having an operation to clean the womb (D&C), she should fast. The scholars stated that the embryo is considered to start taking shape after 80 days of pregnancy. If a woman becomes clean from nifas before 40 days, she should fast and do ghusl so that she can pray. If the bleeding continues after the 40th day, she should make the intention to fast and do ghusl, any bleeding beyond the 40th day is considered to be istihaadah - unless it coincides with usual time of her period in which case it is hayd (menstrual blood). lstihaadah does not have any effect on the validity of the fast
Pregnancy and Nursing:
According to the most accurate opinion, a woman who is pregnant or breast feeding is regarded as being like one who is ill, so she is permitted not to fast, and she only has to make up the days that she missed, whether she fears for herself or for her child. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Allah has lifted the obligation of fasting from the pregnant and breast feeding woman" (Tirmidhi).
If a pregnant woman fasts and experiences some bleeding, her fast is still valid; this does not affect her fast at all.
Make up:
Women have to make up the fast they miss during Ramadan - even without their husbands knowledge! It is not a condition for obligatory fasts for a woman to have the permission of her husband. If a woman starts to observe an obligatory fast, she is not allowed to break it except for a legitimate reason. Her husband is not permitted to order her to break her fast when she is making up a day that she has missed; he is not allowed to have intercourse with her when she is making up a missed fast, and she is not allowed to obey him in that regard. In tile case of voluntary fast, a woman is not permitted to start a non-obligatory fast when her husband is present without his permission because of the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah according to which the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"No woman should fast when her husband is present except with his permission" (Bukhari).
SHOULD YOU HAVE?
Should you really have gone through the troubles of fasting? True, Allahs command is clear:
"O YOu believelfasting isprescribed to you as it was prescribed to who those before you that you may (learn) self-restraint. " (Q2:183)
but is this command relly binding on you? Should you fast?
ADULTS: Fasting is an obligation on every adult, sane, settled (i.e., not travelling) Muslim who is able to fast and has nothing such as hayd (menstrution) or nifaas (post-natal bleeding) to prevent him or her from doing so. A person is deemed to have reached adulthood when any of the following three things occur: emission of semen, whether in wet dream or otherwise; growth of coarse pubic hair around the private parts; attainment of fifteen years of age. In the case of females there is the fourth, namely menstruation!; When a girl reaches menache (starts her periods), she is obliged to fast even if she has not yet reached the age of ten (10)!
CHILDREN: Children should be instructed to fast at the age of seven if they are able to, and some scholars said that child may be smacked at the age of ten if he does not fast, just as in the case of salaat. The child will be rewarded for fasting, and the parent will be rewarded for bringing him up properly and guiding him to good. Al-Rubay" bint Muawwidh (my Allah be pleased with her) said, speaking about Ramadan when it was made obligatory:
"We used to make our children fast ,we would give them that toy to play with until it was time to break fast" (Bukhari).
Some people do not think it is important to tell their children to fast; indeed, the child may be enthusiastic about fasting and may be capable of doing it, but his father or mother may tell him not to fast, out of so- called "pity" for him. They do not realize that true pity and compassion consists of making him get used to fasting. Allah says:
"0 you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families fire (hell)whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the command they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded " (Q66:6).
Extra attention must be paid to the matter of girls fasting when she has just reached maturity, because she may fast when she has her period, out of shyness and then not make up the fast later.
OTHERS: If a kaafir (unbeliever) becomes Muslim. or a child reaches puberty. or an insane person comes to his senses during the day, they should refrain from eating for the rest of the day. This is because they arc now among those who are obliged to fast. but they do not have to make up for the days of Ramadan that they have missed, because at the time they were not among those who were obliged to fast. The insane are not responsible for their deeds (their deeds are not being recorded), but if a person is insane at times and sane at other times, he must fast during his periods of sanity. If he becomes insane during the day, this does not invalidate his fast ,just as is the case if someone becomes unconscious because of illness or some other reason, because he had the intention of fasting when he was sane. A similar case is the ruling governing epileptics.
FASTING DEBT: If someone dies during Ramadan, there is no "debt" on him or his heirs with regard to the remaining days of the month. Equally, if someone does not know that it is fard (obligatory) to fast Ram adan, or that it is haram to eat or have sexual intercourse during the day in this month, then according to the majority of scholars, this excuse is acceptable, as is also the case for new convert to Islam, a Muslim living in Daar al-Harb (non-Muslim lands) and a Muslim who grew up among the kuffar. But a person who grew among the Muslims and was able to ask questions and find out, has no excuse. Wallahu aalam!
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited