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How does a pregnant or nursing woman determine that the fast might harm her baby?If after consulting with a Muslim doctor, she is told that due to the nature of the pregnancy and the state of the baby%u2019s growth there is a potential harm to the baby, then the woman can break the fast.What is the ruling on how a pregnant or nursing woman can make up for the missed fasts if the days were missed on account of her own health?The majority of the scholars say that if she breaks the fast on account of her own health, then she only has to make up for the missed days. By analogy of the one who broke his fast due to his illness, he makes up for the days he did not fast, and he does not have to pay the fidya.The evidence is in the Quran, %u201cFast a prescribed number of days, but whoever of you is ill or on a journey, then let him fast an equal number of days after Ramadan%u2026%u201d [Al-Baqara, 2:184]What is the ruling on how a pregnant or nursing woman can make up for the missed fasts if the days were missed on account of fear of harm to her baby?There are several opinions on the ruling:A. What is one opinion and what is the evidence? Some scholars say that she only needs to make up for the missed days. By analogy with the one who broke his fast due to his illness, he makes up for the days he did not fast, and he does not have to pay the fidya. This is the opinion of mainly the Hanafi and Maaliki schools.The evidence is in the Qur%u2019an, %u201cO you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous - [Fasting for] a limited number of days. So who among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]...%u201d [Al-Baqara, 2:183-184]Fasting is an obligation on everyone who is healthy, unless a temporary circumstance prevents them from fasting. No fidya is mentioned for that person, so we cannot add two acts of worship in order to replace one act of worship.Copyright %u00a9 2023 Islamic Association of Raleigh. All rights reserved. 61
