Students Do Qada Of The Fasts Due To Examinations In The Month Of Ramadan

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the noble scholars and the Islamic jurist  say regarding the following matter:

The month Ramadaan will be during the summer season, is it permissible for the students to miss the Fardh [obligatory] Fast of Ramadaan and to make up for them later, due to annual examinations? Further, what is the ruling regarding the parents who are pleased with their children on missing the fast or instruct their children to miss the fast?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   The Fast of Ramadan is Fard upon every sane and pubescent muslim, it is a sin to miss them without a valid reason. Annual examinations or summer season is not an acceptable valid reason according to sharia’ah, therefore the pubescent students will be sinful for missing the obligatory fasts due to the mentioned reasons and if their parent instruct them to miss the fast or having the ability they do not hold them accountable for missing the fast, then they will also be sinful.

   If the student is non pubescent, then although the fast is not Fard and there is no sin in missing it without a valid reason, but when a 7 year old child is capable of fasting, then it is necessary upon the parents to enjoin the child to fast and when the child is in 11th  years of his age, then it is wajib upon the parents to punish the child upon missing the fast, therefore parents can only allow a child who is 7 years old or an older child who is non pubescent , when there is presumption of harm due to fasting, otherwise if they instruct the child to miss a fast without a valid Shar’ee reason or they remain silent[approve] when the child miss a fast, then they will be sinful for leaving a wajib.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Mufti Fuzail Raza Attari