Fasting Exemptions in Ramadan: Travel, Sickness, Pregnancy

Islam asks the fast of every adult Muslim able to bear it - and the Quran itself carves out clear exemptions. The rule is stated twice in Surah al-Baqarah:

"…but whoever of you is ill or on a journey [must fast] an equal number of days [later on]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a redemption [fidya]: feeding a needy person… And that you fast is better for you, if you only knew." (Quran 2:184)

The exemptions are a mercy, not a loophole: "Allah desires ease for you, and does not desire hardship for you" (2:185). This article explains who may break the fast, what each category owes afterwards, and how it plays out in Moroccan practice. Rulings are attributed to their schools; this is an educational summary, not a fatwa issued for your specific situation.

The traveler

Distance. The threshold most cited - including from the Maliki school, relayed from Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas in the Muwatta - is 4 barud = 48 miles ≈ 80 km beyond one's city. Modern fatwa bodies apply it to car, train and plane alike; a minority view (from Ibn Qudamah) defines travel by custom rather than kilometers.

Before or after dawn. Whoever departs before fajr may choose not to fast that day - agreed by the four schools. Whoever begins fasting as a resident and then departs during the day: the majority (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i) hold the fast remains valid, while the Hanbali school (and Ibn 'Uthaymin) prefers breaking it.

Fasting or not - which is better? If it causes no hardship, the majority schools say fasting is better; the Hanbali school and Ibn Baz say not fasting is better for the traveler. If fasting is genuinely difficult, breaking it is better by agreement of the four schools. Comfortable transport does not cancel the concession.

Long stays. In the majority position (Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali), staying more than four days at the destination removes the traveler's concession. Frequent travelers - pilots, drivers, captains - may take the concession per the choices of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn 'Uthaymin.

What is owed: making up the exact number of missed days - a duty on which consensus is reported (Ibn Rushd, Ibn Qudamah, Ibn Hajar). See also our travel prayer rules page for the related shortened prayers.

The sick

• Temporary illness (fever, surgery, acute conditions): break the fast if needed, make up the days after recovery (Quran 2:185).
• Chronic illness and old age with no hope of recovery: the fidya option of 2:184 remains - feeding one needy person per day - as the classical tafsir (e.g., Ma'arif al-Qur'an) explains the abrogation left this category in place.
• Diabetes: more than 150 million Muslims live with diabetes worldwide; the International Diabetes Federation and the DaR alliance publish Ramadan fasting-risk guidance (their risk calculator was updated in 2026) and advise the decision be made with one's physician. A medical red-light classification takes precedence - protecting life comes first.

Women: pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation

Pregnancy and breastfeeding. When there is fear of harm, the woman may break the fast; what she owes differs by school:

Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn 'Umar held that she pays fidya only, without make-up - the option Yusuf al-Qaradawi grants for consecutive pregnancies and nursing, where owed days can pile up unmanageably. All positions are legitimate within their schools; consult a scholar you trust for your case.

Menstruation and postnatal bleeding. Fasting is not valid during them; the days are made up only - no fidya. The proof is the report of 'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "We were commanded to make up the fasts, and not the prayers" (Bukhari 321, Muslim 335).

Making up days and the fidya

• Make-up (qada'): one day per missed day, consecutively or spread out, ideally before the next Ramadan.
• Fidya (for the permanently unable): feeding one poor person per missed day. Morocco publishes no official fidya rate; common estimates for 1447/2026 run at 7–10 DH per day, with the official Zakat al-Fitr of 25 DH as an anchor for the value of a day's staple food. Our Zakat al-Fitr page details that ruling.

The fast in Moroccan hours

In Ramadan 1447 (19 February – 19 March 2026), the fast in Casablanca went from about 12 h 30 on the first day (fajr 05:47, maghrib 18:18) to about 13 h 30 on the last (05:12–18:41). Across the seasons the Moroccan fast spans roughly 11 h 25 at the winter solstice to about 16 h at the summer solstice. The lunar calendar advances ~10–11 days each year - Ramadan will occur twice in 2030 (January and December), and the longest fasts (~16 h) return around 2047–2049.

Daily timings follow the official prayer times; Morocco also keeps UTC+1 throughout Ramadan (in 2026, summer time was switched off on 15 February and restored on 22 March, the day after Eid).

The Moroccan rhythm

Two customs mark the days: the iftar cannon fired in Moroccan cities at sunset - it sounded on the evening of 18 February 2026 to announce Ramadan's arrival - and the Tarawih prayers broadcast live each night of Ramadan by SNRT from the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. The Prophetic sunnah frames both ends of the day:

"Take the suhoor meal, for there is blessing in it." - (Bukhari 1923)

"The people remain upon good so long as they hasten the iftar." - (Bukhari 1957)

At the moment of breaking the fast, the companion Ibn 'Umar would say: "Dhahaba al-zama'u wa-btallat al-'uruq wa-thabata al-ajr in sha Allah" - "The thirst is gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills" (Abu Dawud 2357, graded hasan).

Summary table

Disclaimer

This article summarizes the classical positions with their attributions for education. For a personal ruling - a specific illness, a difficult pregnancy, an accumulation of owed days - ask a qualified scholar, and for medical conditions, your physician first. See the official sources below.