(30) Tsofaffin mutane waɗanda suka rasa ƙarfinsu kuma suke ƙara raunana kowace rana yayin da mutuwa ke gabatowa, ba sai sun yi azumi ba, kuma an yarda su ba su yi azumi ba muddin azumin zai yi musu wahala ƙwarai. Ibn ‘Abbaas (Allah ya yarda da shi) yana cewa, game da ayar (ma'anarta): "Kuma waɗanda suke iya yin azumi da wahala (misali, tsoho, da sauransu), suna da zaɓi ko dai su yi azumi ko su ciyar da miskini (a kowace rana)" [Al-Baqara 2:184]: "Wannan ba a soke shi ba. Yana nufin tsoho da tsohuwa waɗanda ba za su iya yin azumi ba, saboda haka su ciyar da miskini a kowace rana." (Al-Bukhaari, Littafin Tafsiri, Babin Ayyaaman Ma'duudaat…) Waɗanda suka zama sun manta kuma hankalinsu ya dugunzuma ba sai sun yi azumi ko wani abu ba, kuma iyalansu ba sai sun yi wani abu a madadinsu ba, domin irin waɗannan mutane ba a ƙara lissafa su a matsayin masu hakki ba. Idan suna da hankali a wasu lokuta kuma suna ruɗewa a wasu lokutan, sai su yi azumi a lokacin da suke cikin hankali, kuma ba sai sun yi azumi ba a lokacin da suke ruɗewa. (Duba Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan na Ibn ‘Uthaymiin, shafi na 28).

(30) The very elderly who have lost their strength and are getting weaker every day as death approaches, do not have to fast, and they are allowed not to fast so long as fasting would be too difficult for them. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say, concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning), “And as for those who can fast with difficulty (e.g., an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every day)” [al-Baqarah 2:184]: “This has not been abrogated. It refers to the old man and the old woman who cannot fast, so they should feed a poor person for every day.” (Al Bukhaari, Kitaab al-Tafseer, Baab Ayaaman Ma’doodaat…) Those who have become senile and confused do not have to fast or do anything else, and their family does not have to do anything on their behalf, because such people are no longer counted as responsible. If they are of sound mind sometimes and confused at other times, they have to fast when they are OK and they do not have to fast when they are confused. (See Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan by Ibn ‘Uthyameen, p. 28).

(31) Ga wadanda suke yaƙi da maƙiyi ko kuma maƙiyi yana kewaye da su, idan azumi zai sa su rauni har ba za su iya yaƙi ba, to an halatta musu su karya azumi, ko da ba su cikin tafiya. Idan suna buƙatar karya azumi kafin su yi yaƙi, za su iya karya azumi. Annabi ﷺ ya ce wa Sahabbansa a wani lokaci, kafin yaƙi: “Da safe za ku haɗu da maƙiyinku, kuma rashin azumi zai ƙara muku ƙarfi, don haka kada ku yi azumi.” (Muslim ne ya ruwaito shi, 1120, bugun ‘Abd al-Baaqi. Wannan kuma ita ce ra’ayin da Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah ya fi so. Malaman Damascus ma sun bayar da fatawa irin wannan lokacin da aka kai wa birninsu hari a lokacin Tatars.) (32) Idan dalilin mutum na rashin yin azumi a bayyane yake, kamar rashin lafiya, babu laifi idan ya ci ya sha a bayyane, amma idan dalilin a ɓoye yake, kamar haila, to ya fi kyau ya ci ya sha a ɓoye, don kar a jawo zargi da makamancinsa.

(31) For those who are fighting an enemy or are being besieged by an enemy, if fasting would make them too weak to fight, they are allowed to break the fast, even if they are not travelling. If they need to break their fast before fighting, they can break their fast. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to his Companions once, before fighting: “In the morning you are going to meet your enemy and not fasting will make you stronger, so do not fast.” (Reported by Muslim, 1120, ‘Abd al-Baaqi edn. This is also the preferred opinion of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. The scholars of Damascus also issued fatwas to the same effect when their city was attacked by the Tatars) (32) If a person’s reason for not fasting is obvious, such as illness, there is nothing wrong with him eating or drinking openly, but if the reason is hidden, such as menstruation, it is better to eat and drink in secret, so as not to attract accusations and the like.