[Fasting]

Likewise, God has commanded fasting on certain number of days, and it is obligatory for all Muslims; as He has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ۝ أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَاتٍ﴾[1]; “O you who believed! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may become pious; for a certain number of days,” and they are the days of the month of Ramadan; as He has said: ﴿شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ﴾[2]; “The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was sent down as a guide for people and clear proofs of guidance and the criterion, so whoever of you is present in it must fast it,” and naturally, its days begin with the certainty of its crescent by seeing it or a mutawatir report; as God Almighty has said: ﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ﴾[3]; “They ask you about the crescents. Say: ‘they are signs to mark periods of time for people and Hajj.’” So whoever is certain of its crescent must fast until he becomes certain of the crescent of the month of Shawwal; except for one who is unable to do so because of sickness or traveling, then he must fast in another month if he is able to do so; as God Almighty has said: ﴿وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ﴾[4]; “And whoever is sick or travelling (must fast) the same number of other days,” and if despite his ability he does not fast in another month until he is present in the next month of Ramadan, the ransom is that he must feed a needy person for each day; as God Almighty has said: ﴿فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۚ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ﴾[5]; “And whoever is sick or travelling (must fast) the same number of other days, and for those who are able to do so, the ransom is the feeding of a needy person”[6]; but whoever is not able to fast because he is young or old does not have to fast or, accordingly, pay any ransom;