A surgeon loses concentration because of fasting; is it permissible forhim to break the fast?

There is a surgeon who does four or five operations a day, i.e., he is
responsible for the lives of four or five people. He experiences
difficulty when fasting because he loses concentration and hiswork
requires concentration and precision to a great extent.Is it
permissible for him to break the fast? Please notethat he remains in
this situation throughout the year, apart from one day off per week.
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting Ramadan is obligatory for every adult, sane, non-travelling,
healthy Muslim, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become
Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).
184. [Observing Sawm (fasts)] for a fixed number of days, but if any
of you isill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from
other days"
[al-Baqarah 2:183, 184].
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam on which it is built, as
is well known and established, and all Muslims show great respect for
this duty of fasting throughout the Muslim world. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Thus it is [an obligation that mankind owes to Allaah] and whosoever
honours the Symbols of Allaah, then it is truly, fromthe piety of the
hearts"
[al-Hajj 22:32].
See also the answer to question number 38747 .
What the Muslim should do is honour this symbol because Allah has
honoured it, and he shouldbeware of taking the matter lightly. He
should strive to find all possible means of preserving it as Allah has
enjoined. If it is too difficult for him to fast whilst working, then
he has to shift his work from daytime to night-time, if that is
possible. These kinds of regular operations-- i.e., those that are not
emergency cases -- can be done at night as easily as by day, as is the
practice ofmany doctors.
If it is not possible for him to shift his work to the night-time,
then he must take his annual leave during the month of Ramadan or
during part ofit at least, if it is possible for him to do that, and
devote that time to fasting.
If that is not possible, and he cannot find other work in which he can
fast duringthe day in Ramadan, and he will be harmed by giving up his
job, then it is permissible for him to break the fast on the days on
which fasting causes considerable hardship, but he should not break
the fast just for fear of hardship; then he should make up the days
that he did not fast during his weekly break or on other days when he
is able to make it up, on condition that he complete making up the
days that he did not fast before Ramadan begins in the following year.
It says in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat (1/478): If a person's work is
hard and he will be harmed by giving it up and he is afraid of
physical harm, then he may break the fastand make it up later on. This
was stated by al-Aajurri. End quote.
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (28/57) it says: The Hanafis said: With
regard to those whose work involves physical effort and who are in
need of their earnings, such as bakers and harvesters, if he knows
that if he works he will encounter harm that may make it permissible
for him not to fast, then it that case it is haraam for him to break
the fast before he actually encounters hardship. End quote.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (10/244): It is not
permissible for a worker tobreak the fast during the day in Ramadan
just because he is working, butif he encounters great hardship that
forces him tobreak the fast during the day, then he may break the fast
with something that will ward off that hardship, then refrain
fromeating and drinking until Maghrib, when he may break the fast with
the people but he should make up that day on which he broke the fast.

And Allah knows best.

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