Coronavirus patients need not fast in Ramadan: UAE Fatwa Council

The UAE Fatwa Council has issued five Fatwas on fasting in this year's Ramadan, in the shadow of Covid-19. The Council said that fasting is obligatory upon healthy people who are required to fast. It also ruled that COVID-19 patients may not fast when the virus symptoms appear and if they were told by the physicians that fasting will make their condition worse.

 

According to the Council, the frontline medical workers are also permitted not to fast while on duty if they fear that fasting could lead to weakening their immunity or to losing their patients.

 

The UAE Fatwa Council in a virtual meeting chaired by Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah has said that the permission for coronavirus patients is based on verses from the holy Quran. UAE Fatwa Council also said that accredited Islamic doctrines, all agree that “it is permissible for sick people not to fast, while it is not permissible for healthy people to break his fast.”

 

On Taraweeh prayer and whether it could be performed outside the mosque premises or by following radio, TV or social media, the Council ruled that under the current situation, it could be performed individually at home.

 

The third Fatwa focussed on Eid Al Fitr prayer should the current situation continue until that time. It ruled that people may perform Eid Al Fitr prayer individually at their homes or in group with their respective family members without a sermon.

 

In the fourth Fatwa, the Council asserted that performing Friday prayer is not permissible.



Instead, one should perform Dhuhr prayer because Friday prayer has its own congregational requirements and if such requirements are not met due to some obstacles, then it is no longer valid.

 

The Council also warned against unusual practices and reminded that it is obligatory to follow the authorities' instructions to avoid gatherings and to stop Friday prayer as a precautionary measure against communicable disease risks which increase with mass gatherings.

 

On Zakat and Zakat Al Fitr, the Council said it is permitted to pay Zakat earlier, adding that it is even better to pay it as quickly as possible, given the current circumstances.

 

The Council pointed out that all types of Zakat are better spent within the country to help the beneficiaries meet their needs. They could also be paid to relevant authorities or charitable organisations that operate in collecting Zakat funds and delivering them to the beneficiaries, like the Zakat Fund.

 

At the end of the meeting, the Council members called upon Muslims to utilise the holy month of Ramadan in pious worship and helping the needy people.

 

The council reaffirmed the need to abide by the closure of mosques until further notice, issued by the UAE National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority in coordination with the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Awqaf, as well as federal and local religious and health authorities in the country.