حُمِمْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ يَوْماً فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَبَعَثَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع بِقَصْعَةٍ فِيهَا خَلٌّ وَ زَيْتٌ وَ قَالَ أَفْطِرْ وَ صَلِّ وَ أَنْتَ قَاعِدٌ.
“Once in al-Madinah, during the month of Ramadan, I had fever, and abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), sent a bowl with olive oil and vinegar in it and said, ’Eat and perform Salat (prayer) in a sitting position.”’
كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَسْأَلُهُ مَا حَدُّ الْمَرَضِ الَّذِي يُفْطِرُ فِيهِ صَاحِبُهُ وَ الْمَرَضِ الَّذِي يَدَعُ صَاحِبُهُ الصَّلَاةَ قَائِماً قَالَ بَلِ الْإِنْسانُ عَلى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ وَ قَالَ ذَاكَ إِلَيْهِ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِنَفْسِهِ.
‘In fact, man is well aware of his soul,’ it is up to him to decide; he knows about his soul.’”
سَأَلْتُهُ[1] مَا حَدُّ الْمَرَضِ الَّذِي يَجِبُ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ فِيهِ الْإِفْطَارُ كَمَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ فِي السَّفَرِ مَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضاً أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ قَالَ هُوَ مُؤْتَمَنٌ عَلَيْهِ مُفَوَّضٌ إِلَيْهِ فَإِنْ وَجَدَ ضَعْفاً فَلْيُفْطِرْ وَ إِنْ وَجَدَ قُوَّةً فَلْيَصُمْهُ كَانَ الْمَرَضُ مَا كَانَ.
“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the limits of illness because of which it is obligatory on the patient not to fast as is the case on a journey, ‘. . . one who is on a journey or suffers from an illness. . . .’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is up to him to decide. If he finds weakness, he eats and if he finds stren
الصَّائِمُ إِذَا خَافَ عَلَى عَيْنَيْهِ مِنَ الرَّمَدِ أَفْطَرَ.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a fasting person is afraid about the illness of his eyes, he is allowed to eat.’”
إِذَا صُدِّعَ صُدَاعاً شَدِيداً وَ إِذَا حُمَّ حُمَّى شَدِيدَةً وَ إِذَا رَمِدَتْ عَيْنَاهُ رَمَداً شَدِيداً فَقَدْ حَلَّ لَهُ الْإِفْطَارُ.
“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a fasting man who feels a severe headache if he can eat. He (the Imam) said, ‘If one feels severe headache, a severe fever and a severe eye illness, then it is lawful for him to discontinue his fasting.’”
سَأَلَهُ أَبِي يَعْنِي أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- وَ أَنَا أَسْمَعُ مَا حَدُّ الْمَرَضِ الَّذِي يُتْرَكُ مِنْهُ الصَّوْمُ قَالَ إِذَا لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ يَتَسَحَّرَ.
“Once my father asked him (abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) ) and I was listening, ‘What is the limit of an illness because of which it is permissible to stop fasting?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is when one is not able to take Suhur (breakfast in the morning before dawn).”’
اشْتَكَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا عَيْنَهَا فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَأَمَرَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَنْ تُفْطِرَ وَ قَالَ عَشَاءُ اللَّيْلِ لِعَيْنِكِ رَدِيٌّ.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Once in the month of Ramadan ‘Umm Salamah complained of illness of her eyes. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, commanded her to eat, saying, ‘Not to eat until supper can cause the demise of your eyes.
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا حَدُّ الْمَرِيضِ إِذَا نَقِهَ فِي الصِّيَامِ[2] قَالَ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِنَفْسِهِ إِذَا قَوِيَ فَلْيَصُمْ.
“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the limit of the illness that weakens one when fasting. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is up to him to decide; he knows better about his soul and when he is strong he can then fast.’”