the condition of legal responsibility being met. Whoever does what he has been commanded to do is not required to repeat it.

The same applies to a menstruating woman and a woman experiencing postnatal bleeding who become pure, and to a traveller who arrives while not fasting. Whoever breaks the fast due to old age or an illness from which recovery is not expected must feed one needy person for each day.

His statement, “The same applies to a menstruating woman and a woman experiencing postnatal bleeding who become pure, and to a traveller who arrives while not fasting,” means that, like one who becomes legally accountable during the day with respect to the obligation to abstain and make up the fast, there are also the cases of a menstruating woman and a woman experiencing postnatal bleeding who become pure, and a traveller who arrives while not fasting. These are three cases; there is also a fourth: a sick person who recovers. These cases are described as those in which an impediment to the obligation ceases during the day. So, are abstinence and making up the fast obligatory?

As for making up the fast, there is no doubt that it is obligatory, since they broke their fasts in Ramadan and must therefore make up what they missed, as Allah Most High says:

“And whoever is ill or on a journey—then an equal number of other days.” [al-Baqarah 2:185]

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, also said: “We were instructed to make up the fasts, but we were not instructed to make up the prayers.” (1) She meant menstruating women.

As for abstaining, the author’s words, may Allah have mercy on him, indicate that it is obligatory, and this is the established position of the school, because they broke the fast only due to an impediment, and that impediment has ceased; a ruling ceases when its effective cause ceases. Another report from Ahmad holds that they are not required to abstain, because they were permitted to break the fast at the beginning of the day, both outwardly and in reality. Eating, drinking, and all other possible fast-breakers were lawful for them at the beginning of the day. They gain nothing from this abstention, and the sanctity of the time has already been lifted by their permissible breaking of the fast at the beginning of the day. It has been narrated from Abdullah ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “Whoever eats at the beginning of the day should eat at its end.” (2) That is, whoever was permitted to eat at the beginning of the day was likewise permitted to eat at its end.