Opinion Editorials, November 2003, www.aljazeerah.info
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Israeli daily aggression on the Palestinian people
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Fasting, Illness and Old Age
Adil Salahi
Q. I have a family member who has a chronic disease that requires him to take medication several times a day without fail, in order to keep his condition under control. I watched this man really stressed out last Ramadan because of fasting. He is 66 years old, but he refuses to miss fasting. Should he really fast in this condition?
(Name and address withheld)
A. Islam never requires its followers to undertake anything that causes them too much trouble. Fasting is difficult for normal, healthy human beings, even when they are in the prime of life. This is acknowledged in a sacred, or qudsi, Hadith in which God promises rich reward for fasting. He describes fasting as man “going without his food, drink and pleasure for My sake.”
But God does not want us unduly stressed out in order to fast. Hence, He has allowed us a number of concessions to cater to different conditions where fasting becomes particularly or exceedingly difficult. He says: “Whoever is ill or on a journey may fast a similar number of days.” (2: 185) This applies to any condition which people describe as illness or travel. It does not require the illness to be too severe, or the travel to be too arduous.
Whatever is legitimately described as illness or travel counts as a good reason for availing oneself of this concession. Hence, the man in this case may use this concession, either to take his medicines at proper intervals or to keep his condition under control.
The fact that it is a chronic complaint does not affect his entitlement in the least. On the contrary, it may make it more desirable that he should not fast in order not to let his condition deteriorate.
The question arises here: Since this person is an old man, and his condition is chronic, he could be suffering this illness for the rest of his life. What is the solution in this case? This is very simple. When a person suffers from a chronic disease that makes it difficult for him to fast, and he is unlikely to recover for a long time, he does not fast.
He compensate for this by feeding a poor person two meals for each day of Ramadan. If he does more, i.e. feeding more than one person, he receives more reward. But if he keeps to the obligatory compensation, he receives his reward with those who fast in Ramadan. This applies regardless of the age of the person concerned.
Having said this, I may add that elderly people may find it difficult to fast because they are frail, even though they have no specific illness. Old age itself counts as an illness in this case. When an elderly person finds fasting too strenuous to bear, he or she should not fast, but should compensate by feeding poor people.
The two meals should be of the average type he and his family normally have. Thus, if the elderly person concerned is of limited means, the meals should be of his own average. If he is affluent, the meals given to the poor person should again be of the average type his family normally have.
Islamic Manners
Q. I have noticed that many people here do not cover their mouths when sneezing, coughing or yawning. I have been brought up in an environment which teaches that covering one’s mouth is necessary in all these situations, and that one must resist the yawn if possible. Please comment.
R.O.
A. Covering one’s mouth when sneezing, coughing or yawning is recommended. That people may omit it shows that they are lax about observing the Sunnah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has taught us all good manners, in all situations. Following his example is the best option, whether he makes an order or a recommendation. Whether it is possible to resist the yawn is another matter, because yawning suggests that one is sleepy, and the best thing to do in this case is to go to sleep.
If one cannot, then one may avoid yawning by getting himself alert again, through washing one’s face, moving about a little and perhaps taking a cup of tea or coffee.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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