#277: Ruling on the Fast of the People at North Pole
Question
Someone sent this.. How correct is this?
People who are living in Northern Europe don’t need to fast for 20 hours. Because their timetable is abnormal they can lessen the fasting hours by fasting with the timetable of Makkah because Makkah is the land of revelation and the Makkan time table is normal. This is halal to do because Allah said:
And don’t kill yourselves because Allah is ever merciful to you. Surah 4:29.
In the Ummah we have Muslims who are young and old. These people cannot fast for 19 or 20 hours. We need to take the conditions of these people into consideration, hence we are allowed to lessen the fasting hours and fast with the timetable of Makkah to make the deen easy for the people to practise.
FOLLOW THE TIMETABLE OF MAKKAH FATWA BELOW
Sheikh Muhammad Abduh, Grand Mufti of Egypt, mentions in Tafsir al-Manar, classically they mentioned two possibilities to follow more moderate timings:
a) Follow timings of the lands of revelation, viz. Mecca and Medina (Hijaz) – throughout the year, the dawn-sunset fast here is 12-15 hours
b) Follow timings of the nearest “moderate land”
Abduh adds, “Both of these are valid, since it is a matter of judgment (ijtihad), and there is no unequivocal text (nass) about it.”
(Tafsir al-Manar, Sheikh Muhammad Abduh, Grand Mufti of Egypt)
ANSWER
This is a valid ijtihad. And Allah knows best.
Jazaakumullahu khairan!
Baarakallahu feekum!
Answered by Abu Hafs
7th Ramadan 1438A.H.
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