سورة البقرة

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): [Allah specified] the limit of illness by which it becomes obligatory upon its owner to break the fast just as it is obligatory upon him during travel; based on the words of Allah: فَمَن کَانَ مِنْکُمْ مَرِیضًا أَوْ عَلیَ سَفَرٍ [Whoever among you is sick or on a journey]. Allah has entrusted [the matter] to the person himself and delegated it to him, [so that] if he feels weakness in his body, he should break the fast, and if he finds strength in himself, he should fast; the condition of the sick person depends on his own state.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): [The verse is about] one who is sick and cannot fast, or who, if he were able to fast, would find his illness aggravated and would fear for his life. The determination of this is left to him and he is trusted in the matter; so if he feels weakness, let him break his fast, and if he finds strength to fast, let him fast — whatever the illness may be.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Zurara said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "What is the limit of illness which causes a person to break his fast and to leave the standing prayer [and pray sitting]?" He said: "A person is more aware of his own condition; he knows better what he can bear."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): If a fasting person fears [swelling, pain, or] the loss of his eyesight, [he must] break his fast.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Whoever falls ill in the month of Ramadan and does not fast, then recovers and is negligent in making up the fasts he missed until the next Ramadan arrives, is obliged to give one mudd of food as charity for each day and also to make up his fasts afterwards.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Walid ibn Sabih: On one of the days of the month of Ramadan in Madina, I developed a [severe] fever. Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) sent me a large bowl containing vinegar and oil, and said to me: "Break your fast and pray your prayer sitting down."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The ruling on one who fasts in the month of Ramadan while travelling is the same as that of one who breaks the fast in that month while in his homeland.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) did not fast during travel, neither a recommended fast nor an obligatory one. [They (the opponents of the Shia) falsely claim that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) fasted while travelling]. This verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) at "Kura' al-Ghamim" at the time of the noon prayer; so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) called for a vessel of water and drank, and ordered the people to break their fast as well. A group said: "The day has reached its middle and we wish to complete today's fast," and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) named them "Usah" (the disobedient). And they continued to be called by this name until the passing away of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): A person fasted while on a journey. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "If the report has reached him that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) forbade fasting during travel, then making it up is obligatory upon him; and if he was unaware, nothing is upon him."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): If someone travels in the month of Ramadan, he must break his fast; but if, out of ignorance [of the ruling], he fasts, his fast does not need to be made up.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was fasting in the month of Ramadan when he set out on a journey. [He] broke his fast and said: "Whoever fasts during travel in the month of Ramadan [his fast is invalid and] he must, in his place of residence [upon returning from the journey], fast again [and make it up], for indeed Allah says: فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَیَّامٍ أُخَرَ [Then (he shall fast) a number of other days]."

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): If he fasts during travel or in a state of illness, making it up is still obligatory upon him.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Abd Khayr said: I said to Abu al-Hasan Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him): "I owe fasts from days of the month of Ramadan; is it permissible for me to make them up scattered and with intervals?" He said: "Make them up consecutively if you wish, or with intervals if you wish." I said: "Some say you must only make them up consecutively [and there is no permission to fast with intervals]." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "[It is not so;] rather, you may perform them with intervals as well, because Allah said: فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَیَّامٍ أُخَرَ [Then (he shall fast) a number of other days]; and had Allah intended consecutiveness, He would certainly have stated it, just as He said regarding the atonement of fasting: ْ فَصِیامُ شَهْرَیْنِ مُتَتابِعَیْنِ [Then the fasting of two months consecutively]. (Al-Mujadila / 4)"

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): The Sunnis [the general body] have differed regarding the fast of one who is on a journey or is ill. Some said he must fast, others held that he must not fast, and a further group held that if he wishes he may fast, and if he wishes he may not fast and may break it. But according to us (the Shia), in both cases he must break the fast and not fast. And if someone fasts while on a journey or in a state of illness, he must make it up (qada), because Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: فَمَن کَانَ مِنکُم مَّرِیضًا أَوْ عَلَی سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَیامٍ أُخَرَ [But whoever among you is sick or on a journey, then a number of other days]. And this is the tafsir of [the verse of] fasting.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Whoever is ill or on a journey during the month of Ramadan must make up (qada) the number of days he was unable to fast because of those causes, either consecutively or separately, for Allah said: فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَیَّامٍ أُخَرَ [Then a number of other days]. So if he makes up the days he did not fast [it is sufficient and no expiation is required], for he has then carried out what was obligatory upon him.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Making up the fast (qada) is also not obligatory upon them (those who do not have the ability to fast); and if they are also unable to pay the sadaqa, there is no blame upon them and the obligation of sadaqa is lifted.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): What is meant is the aged old man and a [pregnant or nursing] woman who fears that by fasting she may lose her child.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): That is, those who because of old age, the illness of severe thirst ('atash), or the like, are not able to fast, must give in exchange one mudd [of food] as expiation for each day.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When Allah the Mighty and Majestic revealed the obligation of fasting the month of Ramadan and revealed the verse وَ عَلَی الَّذِینَ یُطِیقُونَهُ فِدْیَةٌ طَعامُ مِسْکِینٍ [And upon those who are able to do it, a redemption by feeding a poor man], an aged old man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), sat before him and leaned [on his companions] and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! This is a month whose fasting Allah has made obligatory, while I do not have the strength and capacity [to fast]." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Go and eat, and for each day give half a sa' of food [as fidya], and if you can, fast one day, two days, or as many days as you are able." A woman came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), I am a pregnant woman and now that it is the month of Ramadan, I fear that by fasting, harm will come to the child in my womb." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Go and break your fast, and whenever else you are able, fast then." Likewise a nursing woman came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), this is a month whose fasting Allah has made obligatory, while I fear that by fasting my milk will dry up and my child will perish from hunger." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Go and break your fast, and when you are able, fast." And one who suffered from the illness of extreme thirst came to him and said: "O Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), even though it is the month of Ramadan and its fasting is obligatory, I cannot bear a single hour without water and I fear I shall perish." The Prophet said: "Go and break your fast, and when you are able, fast."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): The aged old man, the person afflicted with extreme thirst, and the child who cannot manage by eating the pre-dawn meal — in place of each day, they should feed a poor person.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Muslim narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Whoever is unable to fast sixty days, in its place [he must] feed sixty poor persons; who does the verse refer to? The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "The verse refers to those who, on account of illness or thirst, are unable to fast sixty consecutive days."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The meaning is the sick person and the aged old man who is not able to fast.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The aged old man and the one whom extreme thirst overtakes.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: "I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the ruling of a person who is ill from this Ramadan until the next Ramadan, and during that time does not regain his health and does not have the strength to fast — what is it?" The Imam said: "In place of every day that he broke fast, he must give one mudd of food to a poor person, and if he does not have wheat, he must give one mudd of dates; for Allah says: فِدْیَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْکِینٍ [a redemption by feeding a poor man]. Then if he is able, he must fast in the coming Ramadan, and if he is not able to fast, he must wait until the next Ramadan and make it up; and if by the next Ramadan he still has not regained his health, then just as he gave the fidya (expiation) for the fasts he did not keep in the previous Ramadan, he must also give one mudd of food as expiation for each day of this Ramadan that he did not fast. And if between those two Ramadans he regained his health but was lazy and did not make up those fasts before the arrival of the next Ramadan, he must both make up those fasts and give the expiation; because he [deliberately did not make up those fasts and] wasted his fasts."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In place of each day, he should give two mudds of food as expiation.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) was asked about the meaning of what is said in the [salam of the] prayer: السَّلَامُ عَلَیْکُمْ [peace be upon you] — what is it? The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Its meaning is what Allah the Mighty and Majestic says in its translation. [The meaning of Allah's salam is your safety from the punishment of the Day of Judgement.] The least of the phrases permitted to be said in the salam of the prayer is السَّلَامُ عَلَیْکَ أَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَ بَرَکَاتُهُ [peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings], and phrases said beyond this are only by way of virtue [and reward], for Allah says: فَمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ خَیْراً فَهُوَ خَیْرٌ لَهُ [so whoever does good spontaneously it is better for him]."