upon him, and he does not return (5) to being occupied with what he has already been absolved from. For this reason, al-Khiraqi said: Whoever is a sick person whose recovery is not expected, or an elderly person who cannot remain firm on a mount, he appoints someone to perform Hajj and Umrah on his behalf, and it suffices for him, even if he recovers. It is possible that he is obligated to make up the fast, because feeding is a substitute for despair (6), and we have seen that the despair has passed (7), so he resembles one who observed the waiting period ('iddah) based on months due to despair of menstruation, and then menstruated.

504 - Issue: He said: (And if a woman menstruates or experiences postpartum bleeding, she breaks her fast and makes it up (1); if she fasts, it does not suffice for her.)

The scholars have reached a consensus that it is not permissible for a woman who is menstruating or experiencing postpartum bleeding to fast, that they must break their fast during Ramadan and make it up, and that if they do fast, it does not suffice for them. 'A'ishah said: We would menstruate during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and we would be commanded to make up the fast, but we would not be commanded to make up the prayer. Agreed upon (2). The command is specifically from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Abu Sa‘id said: The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Is it not that when one of you menstruates, she neither prays nor fasts? That is the deficiency of her religion." Recorded by al-Bukhari (3). The menstruating woman and the woman experiencing postpartum bleeding are the same, because postpartum blood is menstrual blood, and its ruling is the same as its ruling. Whenever menstruation occurs in any part of the day, the fast of that day is invalidated, whether it occurred at the beginning or at the end. Whenever a menstruating woman intends to fast and abstains from food and drink, knowing the prohibition of that, she completes the day, but it does not suffice for her.