Children, the elderly, or those with medical conditions can be exempt from fasting during Ramadan. People who have an intense hunger and thirst should also be aware around the rules Ramadan 2023 has begun for Muslims in many countries around the world, including the UK, Morocco,
Saudi Arabia,
Turkey and
Egypt, with moon-sighting reports triggering a start date of March 23. In some other nations including
India and Bangladesh, Ramadan is beginning a day later on March 24. The holy month of Ramadan is when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and is marked with daily fasting in daylight hours as part of a renewed focus on prayers , worship, religious study, spirituality and charity. Fasting has been defined as "to abstain from food, drink and marital relations from daybreak to sunset, with the intention of drawing near to Allah." In general, all male and female adults are expected to take part in this. READ MORE: Ramadan timetable 2023 announced with full list of prayer, sehri and iftar times However, there are some situations where going without nourishment all day, due to the rules of Ramadan, is not advisable. So what are the exemptions from fasting? Who is excluded from taking part in Ramadan and why? What are the exemptions from Ramadan fasting? 1. Pre-pubescence Children who have not yet reached puberty (which starts around the age of 11 for girls and 12 for boys but may begin earlier) are not required to fast during Ramadan. However, some youngsters try fasting for half a day just to get used to the idea and share in the experience of what the rest of the family is doing. 2. Sickness This refers to any illness or health condition. If you're not feeling well or have any condition that would be affected by going without food and drink for a prolonged period, it's advised not to take part in fasting. This can, for example, include people who have diabetes. But some diabetics still choose to do daily fasting. Professor Wasim Hanif, Professor of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Consultant Physician, and Clinical Director in Diabetes at University Hospital Birmingham, said: "It is important to ensure that people who are living with diabetes only fast after discussing it first with their diabetes team. Fasting can be dangerous if you have diabetes as it can cause health problems." He urged people to check the guidance on Diabetes
UK before committing to any fasting. Disruptions to sleep patterns during Ramadan - because of the late-night prayers and the need to get up early for a pre-dawn meal before fasting begins - can particularly affect those with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Fasting during Ramadan may also not be advised for some patients with eating disorders as it can reinforce their harmful relationship with food, according to the TherapyForMuslims website . Global Psychiatry carried out research into the impact of fasting on mental health conditions and concluded : "Ramadan fasting did not have a major impact on the mental health in eating behaviour and eating disorders, even though there might be some triggering effects in vulnerable subjects. Ramadan fasting may not be recommended in subjects with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome in subjects with bipolar disorder because of a relevantly increased risk of relapse. "In summary, there is no major reason to recommend against fasting during Ramadan except in subjects with major psychiatric disorders. Even though some studies show some mood reduction and increased fatigue and anxiety, there is no study indicating that Ramadan fasting triggers new mental health problems or disorders." 3. Senility and old age Elderly people are excluded from fasting. This rule refers to anyone "who is old and has lost his strength, or who is approaching death, so that every day he becomes weaker, until he dies, or who is suffering from a terminal or incurable illness and has no hope of recovery." As with the other exempt groups, elderly men and
Women who are exempt from fasting must instead pay a set amount to feed a poor person for each missed day of fasting. 4. Pregnancy and breastfeeding Islamic rules state that pregnant and breastfeeding women are not expected to take part in fasting if they believe it will harm their health or the health of the baby. But evidence suggests that up to 90 per cent of pregnant Muslim women participate in fasting for at least part of the month as they want to share in the cultural experience of Ramadan with their families. The research found that fasting while pregnant during the holy month does not affect the birth weight of the baby, although placental weight is significantly lower. There is no data on the impact on perinatal mortality (stillbirths and early baby deaths). 5. Menstruation Observing the Ramadan fast is also forbidden for women who are on their menstrual cycle at the time or are in a state of lochia (bleeding after giving birth). Detailing the rules, MuslimCoaching.com said: "A menstruating woman can eat and drink during the day in Ramadan, but she should do so discretely and not in public." If menstruation begins during fasting hours, the fast is invalidated and can stop. If a woman's period begins during the night before fasting starts the next day, then she is excluded from that day of fasting. If menstruation stops during the fasting hours, then a woman should "act like a fasting person" and abstain from eating and drinking for the remainder of the day. But this day does not count as a proper fast and must be made up for later. If it stops before fasting begins, then the next day of fasting can take place as normal. The same applies to those women in a state of lochia (post-natal bleeding). 6. Travelling People who are travelling during Ramadan may be excused from fasting in certain cases. IslamQA says the journey must be long enough so that prayers have to be shortened and the person must not be intending to stay permanently in their destination. In addition, the trip "must not be for any sinful purpose, rather it should be for a sound purpose, according to the majority of scholars." Exemption from fasting ends when the person gets back home or if they decide to stay in their new location "indefinitely, or for a lengthy period." If they do, they become a resident rather than a traveller and must take part in Ramadan in the usual way. 7. Intense hunger and thirst If someone observing Ramadan is "overtaken by intense hunger or unbearable thirst" they can stop fasting and then eat and drink what they need to feel better again. But after that, they should refrain from food and drink for the rest of the day and make up for the broken fast later on.