Fasting is an obligation for all Muslim believers, as ordained by Allah in Surat al-Baqarah: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous. (2:183) أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۚ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ ۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ ۚ وَأَن تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ For a specified number of days. But whoever among you is sick, or on a journey, then a number of other days. For those who are able: a ransom of feeding a needy person. But whoever volunteers goodness, it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew. (2:184) Fasting in the month of Ramadan is not optional Ramadan is a month which is sanctified. It is a major sin to break the sanctity of this month by not fasting without a valid reason. Fasting in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and therefore not fasting In Ramadan is punishable. School exams and school trips, business trips, sports fixatures are not valid reasons to abstain from fasting. Many parents think that GCSEs and A Levels are sufficient reason to abstain from fasting, however that is not the case. Instead they should give their children the motivation to fast and rely on Allah as His command is weightier than their exams. Valid reasons for not fasting are chronic medical conditions. It is very important to teach this to children once they pass puberty and not to dismiss fasts lightly, or to think that they can be skipped during Ramadan and made up … Continue reading How much is fidyah? And how much is kaffarah?