Fatwa ID: 08640

Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Question:

If someone has down syndrome to the extent that they really don’t know what they are doing, e.g. (as explained by the father…) the kids mother passed away few years  back but he still hasn’t even processed that… he can follow short term commands, and imitate some basic actions, e.g. if he is given talqeen to recite the kalima he’ll do that, he can write some arabic, can’t really recite Qur’ān, for salah will imitate some actions…

Would such a person be mukallaf of fasting? If yes, can the father give fidyah on his behalf because as per him, the child is unable to fast properly due to his condition?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Answer:

One who lacks the mental capacity for autonomy and self-control is not Mukallaf. They are therefore not required to fast, and thus no Fidyah is required. However, it is still good to encourage them to try their best to fast as much as they can, provided it is safe for them to do so and one does not place too much pressure on them to conform [1].

References:

[1] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 243, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ وَالْمَجْنُونُ) قَالَ فِي التَّلْوِيحِ: الْجُنُونُ اخْتِلَالُ الْقُوَّةِ الْمُمَيِّزَةِ بَيْنَ الْأُمُورِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَالْقَبِيحَةِ الْمُدْرِكَةِ لِلْعَوَاقِبِ، بِأَنْ لَا تَظْهَرَ آثَارُهُ وَتَتَعَطَّلُ أَفْعَالُهَا، إمَّا لِنُقْصَانِ جَبَلٍ عَلَيْهِ دِمَاغُهُ فِي أَصْلِ الْخِلْقَةِ، وَإِمَّا لِخُرُوجِ مِزَاجِ الدِّمَاغِ عَنْ الِاعْتِدَالِ بِسَبَبِ خَلْطٍ أَوْ آفَةٍ، وَإِمَّا لِاسْتِيلَاءِ الشَّيْطَانِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِلْقَاءِ الْخَيَالَاتِ الْفَاسِدَةِ إلَيْهِ بِحَيْثُ يَفْرَحُ وَيَفْزَعُ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَا يَصْلُحُ سَبَبًا

Raddul Muhtar, vol. 4, pg. 116, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ أَوْ كَانَ مِنْهُمْ غَيْرُ مُكَلَّفٍ) أَيْ صَبِيٌّ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ

Raddul Muhtar, vol. 2, pg. 372-373, Darul Fikr:

وَ (رَمَضَانَ شُهُودُ جُزْءٍ مِنْ الشَّهْرِ) مِنْ لَيْلٍ أَوْ نَهَارٍ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ كَمَا فِي الْخَبَّازِيَّةِ وَاخْتَارَ فَخْرُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَغَيْرُهُ أَنَّهُ الْجُزْءُ الَّذِي يُمْكِنُ إنْشَاءُ الصَّوْمِ فِيهِ مِنْ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ، حَتَّى لَوْ أَفَاقَ الْمَجْنُونُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ أَوْ فِي آخِرِ أَيَّامِهِ بَعْدَ الزَّوَالِ لَا قَضَاءَ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى كَمَا فِي الْمُجْتَبَى وَالنَّهْرِ عَنْ الدِّرَايَةِ وَصَحَّحَهُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ كَمَا فِي الْغَايَةِ

And only Allah s.w.t knows best.

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham