Can a Soldier Postpone His Ramadan Fast?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

If a soldier is on a tight schedule of training, and fasting may cause harm to his health, is it allowed by Islam to not fast during Ramadan?

Answer

I pray you are well.

Generally, every Muslim is obligated to fast during Ramadan due to the clear common saying in the Quran: ‘Whoever of you sees the month [Ramadan], then he should fast’ [2:185]. Based on this and other sources, the jurists of the Hanafi school have stated that if the intensity of a particular job means that someone will not be able to fast, then he must reduce his workload if possible or otherwise find an alternative form of employment.

If there is no other job he can go into, then he can delay the fasts to another time of the year when it will be easier to perform them, such as winter, or when he has time off. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 to study and sit at the feet of some of the most erudite scholars of our time.

Over the following eighteen months he studied a traditional curriculum, studying with scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish.

In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years, in Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Shama’il, and Logic with teachers such as Dr Ashraf Muneeb, Dr Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr Mansur Abu Zina amongst others. He was also given two licences of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabr and Shaykh Yahya Qandil.

His true passion, however, arose in the presence of Shaykh Ali Hani, considered by many to be one of the foremost tafsir scholars of our time who provided him with the keys to the vast knowledge of the Quran. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic Sciences, Tafsir, Arabic Grammar, and Rhetoric.

When he finally left Jordan for the UK in 2014, Shaykh Ali gave him his distinct blessing and still recommends students in the UK to seek out Shaykh Abdul-Rahim for Quranic studies. Since his return he has trained as a therapist and has helped a number of people overcome emotional and psychosomatic issues. He is a keen promoter of emotional and mental health.