Ramadan: People who are allowed to skip fasting (1)

Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) have allowed some people to skip fast in the month of Ramadan, and they do not have to make it up after the month. What is required of them as necessity is to do Fidyah (feed a poor Muslim each day of the month). These people are exempted either because […]

Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) have allowed some people to skip fast in the month of Ramadan, and they do not have to make it up after the month. What is required of them as necessity is to do Fidyah (feed a poor Muslim each day of the month).
These people are exempted either because of their health conditions (those with terminal ailments) or because they are too old and frail or because they are afflicted with insanity or they are weakened by pregnancy or breastfeeding. But Islamic scholars explained that the pregnant and breastfeeding woman could fast, especially if medical practitioners give them the go-ahead.    
The frail, elderly men and women, as said above, may not fast if they find fasting difficult on them. The evidence for this is the statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father, al-Abbas): “An old man and old woman are permitted to break their fast, they should feed a poor person daily. [ad-Daraqutni and al-Hakim].
 The chronically ill is also obliged to feed one poor person [miskin] a day (for every day of fasting that he does not perform).
Ibn ‘Abbas recited the Quranic verse: “And for those who can fast [but do not], there is a ransom”: the feeding of a person in need” [al-Baqarah: 2:185], and said “It is the old man who is unable to fast so he refrains from fasting and instead feeds a poor person. [Daraqutni; Sahih]
Anas Ibn Malik, another of Prophet’s companion,  became too weak to fast one year, so he prepared a large dish of Thareed (a broth of crumbled bread and meat) and invited thirty poor people who came and ate their fill. [Daraqutni, Sahih]
Al-Bukhari recorded that ‘Ata heard Ibn ‘Abbas recite the ayah: “And for those who can fast [but do not], there is a ransom”: the feeding of a person in need” [al-Baqarah: 2:185]. Then Ibn ‘Abbas continued: “It has not been abrogated. [Its ruling applies] to elderly men and women who are not able to fast. Instead, they must feed one poor person on a daily basis.”  
The insane person
An insane person should not fast and should not be asked or forced to fast because he does not know or understand what he is doing. Furthermore the Prophet (pbuh) told us that he is not responsible for anything until he comes back to sanity.