What is the ruling for a chronically ill person who cannot hope for recovery regarding fasting?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Fasting
Primary text
A chronically ill person whose recovery is despaired of must break the fast and feed one poor person for every missed day. This ruling is established because such an individual is considered in the same legal category as an elderly person. This obligation to feed is incumbent upon one who cannot hope to make up the fast later. If making up the fast is possible, then only waiting and performing the missed fasts is required, based on the statement of Allah: {But whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days} [Quran 2:184]. If one feeds out of despair of making up the fast, and then recovers, it is held that the obligation is lifted because the debt was cleared by fulfilling the alternative duty (Fidya) which was due at that time.
Supporting text
An alternative opinion suggests that if one feeds out of despair and later recovers, the missed fasts must still be performed, analogous to a woman who observes a waiting period based on lunar months due to despair of menstruation, and then begins menstruating.