33. THE FAST OF THE UNCONSCIOUS
“what is the Islamic verdict on fast of one who has been in Coma or Mad for 2 yrs and he became well and sound in mid of Ramadan in the 3rd year?.”
ANSWER
Alhamdulillaah!
Firstly, we want to draw the attention of the one who asked the question to the fact that majority of the Ulamaa of Sunnah discourage the asking of imagined questions and concentrating on matters that are not real when it comes to fatwah. Maalik – rahimahullaah – disliked it to the extent that it became a hallmark of his Madh’hab.
Concerning your question, Allah ta’aala said:
( ﻓَﻤَﻦْ ﺷَﻬِﺪَ ﻣِﻨْﻜُﻢُ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻬْﺮَ ﻓَﻠْﻴَﺼُﻤْﻪُ ) [ ﺍﻟﺒﻘﺮﺓ 185: ]
“Whosoever among you witnesses the month, then let him observe its fast.”
Al-Baqarah: 185
Imaam Abubakr Al-Jassaas – rahimahullaah – said while commenting on this:
“What is meant by witnessing the month is that it meets him while he is of the people of taklif (responsibility)…and whosoever is not of the People of Taklif, it is not obligatory that they observe the fast of the month.”
It is agreed upon among the Muslims that the one who is mad or in coma are not of the people of Taklif.
The Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:
ﺭﻓﻊ ﺍﻟﻘﻠﻢ ﻋﻦ ﺛﻼﺙ : ﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﺼﺒﻲ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﺒﻠﻎ، ﻭﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺋﻢ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﺴﺘﻴﻘﻆ، ﻭﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺠﻨﻮﻥ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﻔﻴﻖ .”
“The pen is lifted from three: from the minor until he comes of discerning age, from the one who is asleep until he rises from his sleep and from the insane until he gains his mental balance.”
Transmitted by Abu Daawud and An-Nasa’i
Therefore, there is nothing obligatory upon the persons you described and there is also nothing upon them to compensate for the fast they missed.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahi feekum
Jazaakumullaahu khayran.
