Dear respected Shaykh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. A woman is afflicted by stroke and the doctors prohibited her from fasting. What is the ruling? مصابة بجلطة ومنعها الأطباء من الصيام

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.   Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.   As to what follows:   In response to your question, we say:     This illness is included in Allah’s statement: “And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]” [al-Baqarah 2: 184] and Allah’s statement: “and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Saum (fasts) must be made up] from other days” [al-Baqarah 2: 185]. The scholars have different opinion regarding an illness which permits a person not fast. Some scholars said, “Every illness, whether or not it affects fasting, permits a person to leave fasting. This is the opinion of Imam al-Bukhari and a number of scholars.   A group of scholars held that the illness which allows a person not to fast is the one that causes him hardship in fasting.  Thus according to this opinion a sickness which causes no hardship in fasting does not allow a person to leave fasting. For example, skin diseases  that have no effect of fasting, disease of the eye and vision which do affect fasting, and similar diseases which are not worsened by fasting nor does it lead to a delay in their cure, and do not cause hardship, do not allow a person to leave fasting. This is the opinion  of most of the scholars.  These types of diseases- and these are the ones which affect fasting – are divided into two; temporary diseases  which it is hoped that they will be cured; it is incumbent upon the sick to make up later for the missed days. If a person is suffering from an illness which is worsened by fasting, or whose cure is delayed by it, or if  fasting causes him difficulty which is beyond the usual and constraints him, then it is compulsory for such people to leave fasting, but they should make up for the missed days some other time because of  Allah’s statement“and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Saum (fasts) must be made up] from other days” [al-Baqarah 2: 185].   If the disease is chronic, and we do not say this based on the fact that the disease is incurable, but this is usually what happens, and in most cases there will be no cure for such a disease, but Allah is able to do all things (i.e. he can cure a person from diseases which are perceived to be incurable); if a person is  suffering from such a disease it is not compulsory for him to fast because he is included in the verse “and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Saum (fasts) must be made up] from other days” [al-Baqarah 2: 185] Thus Allah has allowed such people to leave fasting but it is not possible for them to make up for this fast at some other time because there is no difference- with respect to them- in their inability to fast in Ramadan and other months. Thus such people are not required to make up for the missed fasts but it is incumbent upon them to feed a poor person for each day of missed fasting.  They taking the ruling of the people who cannot fast, as Allah the Exalted has said, “ And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]” [al-Baqarah 2: 184]. An authentic hadith  transmitted by Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) states, “This Verse is not abrogated, but it is meant for old men and old women who do not have strength to fast, so they should feed one poor person for each day of fasting (instead of fasting)” [al-Bukhari (4505)]. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) did this, as is stated in an authentic hadith, that when he became old and advanced in age, and was not capable of fasting, he would feed a poor person for each day of missed fasting [al-Muwatta‘ (51)]. This ruling covers a sick person who is suffering from a chronic ailment, and an old person who is not capable of fasting.  Thus, this woman who was afflicted by stroke, her condition, is the condition of the person whose sickness is chronic. If the sickness is a sickness which can be cured like some types of stroke then she can leave fasting and make up for it later.  In reality there are different types of strokes; some of them make a person lose consciousness, other can be cured and others are chronic. Thus any stroke which causes loss of consciousness does not necessitate fasting or feeding a poor person. If a stroke does not cause loss of consciousness, and is curable, the affected person should wait until he is strong enough to fast then make up for the missed days because of Allah’s statement “and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Saum (fasts) must be made up] from other days” [al-Baqarah 2:185]. If the stroke  is from the third type, and that is the one whose effect is permanent and it is a chronic illness, then the affected person should feed a poor person for each missed day, if he is unable to fast or cannot withstand fasting.”