Promised Messiah (A.S) – Fasting during illness
The Promised Messiah (A.S) states:
“The one who fasts during the month of Ramadan while being a traveler or in illness, disobeys the clear command of God Almighty. God Almighty has made it clear that those affected by illness and travelers should not fast. Recover from illness and fast after the journey is over. This command of God must be obeyed because salvation is by grace, not by the force of one’s actions. God Almighty did not say that the disease has to be slight or serious and that the journey may be short or long. Rather, the rule is general and should be followed. If the patient and the traveler fast, then the fatwa of disobedience will be imposed on them.”
[Al Badr, #42, v6, 17 OCT 1907, p7]
Promised Messiah (A.S) provides a general rule and explains that if God has forbidden a sick person and a traveller, then this command should be followed. He details it further in another incident where he tells a traveller to break his fast:
“Miyan Abdullah! Just like it’s God’s command to fast, similarly, it’s His command to not [fast] while traveling. All of you should break your fast.
[Seerat-ul-Mahdi, V2, P 125]
Now that we have established that not fasting during sickness and during a state of travel is as important as fasting when healthy. We cannot force Allah with our actions by fasting during an illness. But what exactly constitutes as an illness?
Promised Messiah (A.S) also explains this general rule. Someone asked him,
“Sometimes Ramadan comes in such a season that there is a lot of work for the farmer like sowing. Similarly there are laborers who cannot fast. What is your guidance regarding it?
He (A.S) replied,
الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ (deeds are judged by intentions) these people keep their circumstances hidden. Every person must think of their situation with purity and taqwa (fear of Allah). If someone can fast during labor job, then they can, otherwise they come under the rule of a patient. They can fast later when possible.
Then regarding 2:185 verse, وَعَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ said:
It means those who do not possess the strength
[Al Badr, 26 Sept 1907, p7]
This proves that we are not allowed to skip fasts for every slight illness. Rather, it must be an illness that negatively impacts our health if we fast or when the person does not have the strength to fast. This is consistent with the life of the Promised Messiah (A.S). He had diabetes most of his life and he used to fast regularly, once, even 9 months straight.
The following incident adds some detail:
ایک دفعہ میں نے رمضان شریف کا آخری عشرہ قادیان میں گذارا۔ ان دنوں میں حضور علیہ السلام کو تپ لرز و یومیہ آتا تھا۔ ظہر کے بعد لرزہ سے تپ ہو جا تا تھا۔ اس لئے ظہر کے وقت حضور جماعت میں شریک ہوا کرتے تھے اور باقی نمازوں میں شریک نہیں ہو سکتے تھے۔ ظہر سے پہلے بھی کبھی بانتظار نمازیاں بیٹھتے تھے ۔ میری عادت تھی کہ میں ضرور اس جگہ پہنچ جایا کرتا تھا جہاں حضور مٹھتے تھے کبھی ایسا نہیں ہوا کہ میں دور رہا ہوں ۔ اگر ایسا اتفاق ہوتا بھی جو صرف ایک دفعہ ہوا تو خدا تعالی کوئی نہ کوئی سامان کرد یتا کہ میں قریب پہنچ جاؤں ۔ غرض جب حضور ظہر کی نماز کے واسطے تشریف لاتے میں طبیعت کا حال دریافت کرتا تو فرماتے کہ سردی معلوم ہورہی ہے ۔ بعض دفعہ فرماتے کہ نماز پڑھو۔ سردی زیادہ معلوم ہورہی ہے مگر باوجود علالت کے حضور روزہ برابر رکھتے تھے ۔ ایک دن میں نے عرض کیا کہ آپ کی تکلیف ہے اور کئی دن ہو گئے ہیں ۔اگر روزہ افطار کرد با لینی بوقت بخار کھول یا توڑ لیا ) کر میں تو بہتر ہو ) فرمایا کہ روزہ کی وجہ سے کچھ تکلیف محسوس نہیں ہوتی ہے بلکہ آرام معلوم ہوتا ہے ۔ بھوک پیاس کچھ معلوم نہیں ہوتی ۔ رات کو البتہ کچھ زیادہ تکلیف ہوتی ہے ۔ اس لئے روز و رکھ لیتا ہوں ۔ میچ کو تپ اتر جاتا تھا تو حضور سیر کو تشریف لے جایا کرتے تھے۔
(اصحاب احمد جلد 10 صفحہ 397 ،398 نیا ایڈیشن روایت حضرت منشی حبیب الرحمن صاحب)Hazrat Munshi Habib-ur-Rehman Sahib writes: Once I spent the last ten days of Ramadan in Qadian. In those days, the Promised Messiah (A.S) used to get fever/chills. He would get a fever after Zuhr. Therefore, at the time of Zuhr, the Promised Messiah (A.S) used to join the congregation and could not participate in the rest of the prayers. People used to come early for Zuhr prayers. I used to go to sit where the Promised Messiah (A.S) used to sit. It never happened that I sat anywhere else. Even if by chance, it did happen and it happened once, God Almighty would arrange for me to sit closer.
Therefore, when the Promised Messiah (A.S) used to come for Zuhr prayers, I would inquire about his health. To which he would reply that he is feeling a fever. Sometimes he would say, pray salat. The cold seems to be getting worse, but in spite of his illness, he used to fast regularly.
One day I complained that you are in pain and many days have passed. It would be better to break fast because of the fever. He said that the fast doesn’t bother me but actually makes me feel at ease. I don’t get hungry or thirsty, although there is more pain at night. That is why he fasts.
[Ashab-e-Ahmad, v10, pg 397,398, new edition, narrated by Munshi Habib Rehman Sahib]
The above incident proves that the Promised Messiah (A.S) fasted during his illness because he had the strength to do so and made him feel better. Similarly, we have another narration that shows that he fasted until the last 3 years of life, when he got extremely weak.
حضرت مصلح موعوڈ سے سوال پوچھا گیا کہ حضرت مسیح موعود علیہ السلام چونکہ بیار رہتے تھے کیا روز ور کھتے تھے؟ آپ نے فرمایا: حضرت صاحب خوب روزہ رکھتے تھے مگر چونکہ آخر میں کمزور زیادہ ہو گئے تھے اور مرض میں بھی زیادتی تھی اس لئے تین سال کے روزے نہیں رکھے، یعنی 7،6،5 (1905، 1906 اور 1907 ءمراد ہے۔ ناقل )
(افضل 12 جون 1922 صفحہ 7)The question was asked to Hazrat Musleh Maud (R.A) that since Hazrat Masih Mo’ud (PBUH) used to be sick mostly, did he used to fast? He said: Hazrat Sahib used to fast a lot, but since he became weak in the end and the illness was too much, he did not fast for the last three years…
[Al Fazl, 12 June 1922, p7]
Summary
Thus, fasting during an illness is not allowed and this rule is very important to follow. An illness is defined as something that negatively affects oneself or which doesn’t leave enough strength for the person to fast.