Past bad experience led to missing fast
24-11-2004 | IslamWeb
Question:
When I was eleven, I suffered from severe breathlessness as I didn't want to break Wudu for prayers. I couldn't fast properly that day. I felt I was about to die any moment. That day worried everyone. So whenever I express my intention to fast, everyone is up in arms reminding me that I fell sick in a horrible way and they don't want a repeat. I feel very bad myself because of this. I remembered that it is intention that counts. So this means that if I ask Allaah to accept the month of Ramadhaan as already fasted because it is my intention to fast though I didn't because of everyone's fears about my health. Plus I also have to work allotted. Please reply.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
It is known that fasting is incumbent on an adult sane person. So if you have not yet reached the age of puberty at 11 years, then there is no harm on you in breaking the fast in Ramadan as you were not obliged to fast in principle. However, if you had reached the age of puberty at the age of 11, and you were not a traveller, you should not have broken the fast in Ramadan save if you were sick and it was hard for you to fast, or you feared that if you fasted the illness would worsen and become acute. But you should have consulted a doctor, unless you know by experience when this happens to you, your health condition worsens, not just by suspicion or doubt. Therefore, you should know that you should have consulted a doctor before failing to fast the remaining days due to your previous experience. Since you broke the fast according to the wish of your family and their compassion for you and fear that you may experience harm if you fasted, we hope that you are not sinful since you did not intend to break the fast. However you have to make up the days you did not fast if you were at that time religiously required to fast. If you had an excuse due to sickness, then a sick person has to make up the days he failed to fast once he is able to do so. But if you did not have a sound excuse (for breaking the fast), you have to make it up and repent to Allaah. Finally, we draw the attention of the questioner that work is not a valid excuse for failing to fast.
Allaah knows best.