25th February 2025
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: I wanted to know what is the ruling on fasting in pregnancy? Especially early pregnancy in the first trimester? I have suffered one early pregnancy miscarriage before a few years ago and it has taken me years since that last pregnancy to get pregnant again. I will be 8 weeks pregnant when fasting starts this year and my husband has asked me not to fast due to my previous miscarriage and that we have fertility problems and can take us years getting pregnant again, but I just feel bad about missing a whole month of fasting as I will only be 8 weeks into my pregnancy when fasting begins. Please could you advise the best thing for me to do?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, a pregnant woman in the early stages of pregnancy should fast so long as fasting is not harmful to her or to the foetus. If you are sure that fasting will cause harm to your health based on your previous experience,[1] or guidance from a Muslim doctor then you do not need to fast and can make up for them at a later date. There will also be no Kaffarah (expiation) if you decided to fast and then break it for the same health-related reason.[2]
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Samrena Kashaf Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Ibn Nujaym, Bahr-ur-Raiq, Kitabus Sawm, Vol.2, page 307
(قَوْلُهُ: وَلِلْحَامِلِ وَالْمُرْضِعِ إذَا خَافَتَا عَلَى الْوَلَدِ أَوْ النَّفْسِ) أَيْ لَهُمَا الْفِطْرُ دَفْعًا لِلْحَرَجِ وَلِقَوْلِهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «إنَّ اللَّهَ وَضَعَ عَنْ الْمُسَافِرِ الصَّوْمَ وَشَطْرَ الصَّلَاةِ وَعَنْ الْحَامِلِ وَالْمُرْضِعِ الصَّوْمَ» قَيَّدَ بِالْخَوْفِ بِمَعْنَى غَلَبَةِ الظَّنِّ بِتَجْرِبَةٍ أَوْ إخْبَارِ طَبِيبٍ حَاذِقٍ مُسْلِمٍ كَمَا فِي الْفَتَاوَى الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ عَلَى مَا قَدَّمْنَاهُ؛ لِأَنَّهَا لَوْ لَمْ تَخَفْ لَا يُرَخَّصُ لَهَا الْفِطْرُ
Ibn Abidin, Durrul Mukhtar wa hashiyah ibn Abideen Shami, Kitabus Sawm, Vol.2, page 422
(أَوْ حَامِلٍ أَوْ مُرْضِعٍ) أُمًّا كَانَتْ أَوْ ظِئْرًا عَلَى ظَاهِرِ (خَافَتْ بِغَلَبَةِ الظَّنِّ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا أَوْ وَلَدِهَا) وَقَيَّدَهُ الْبَهْنَسِيُّ تَبَعًا لِابْنِ الْكَمَالِ بِمَا إذَا تَعَيَّنَتْ لِلْإِرْضَاعِ (أَوْ مَرِيضٍ خَافَ الزِّيَادَةَ) لِمَرَضِهِ وَصَحِيحٍ خَافَ الْمَرَضَ
[2] Imam Zuhayli, Al-Fiqhul Islami wa adillatuhu, Vol.3, page 745
ولا تجب عليهما الفدية مطلقاً عند الحنفية، لحديث أنس بن مالك الكعبي: «إن الله وضع عن المسافر شطر الصلاة، وعن الحامل والمرضع الصوم ـ أو الصيام ـ والله لقد قالها رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلم، أحدهما أو كليهما» (٢) فلم يأمر بكفارة، ولأنه فطر أبيح لعذر، فلم يجب به كفارة كالفطر للمرضى