Thursday, August 16, 2012

There is nothing wrong with giving food and drink to a mentally impaired person during the day in Ramadan

On the first day of Ramadan, I had a visit from an old lady who is one
hundred years old. Sometimes she is aware and sometimes she is not
aware. She asked me to make coffee for her, and I did that and brought
the coffee to her. Is there any sin on me for that? Pleasenote that I
told her that it was Ramadan. Please advise me, may Allah reward you.
Praise be to Allaah.
If it seems that she is mentally impaired and that she has become
senile, there is nothing wrong with your making coffee for her,
because sheis not obliged to fast. The fact that she is partly
rational, such as when shesays, 'Do such and such or bring me such and
such,' does not mean that she is of completely sound mind. In most
cases one who reaches the age of one hundred has become senile and has
changed. If it seems to you that she ismentally impaired and that she
is not fully aware, there is nothing wrong with her eating and
drinking. But if you think that she is fully of sound mind and that
she is being negligent, then do not give her coffee or anything else,
lest you arehelping her in falsehood. Allah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness
andpiety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2].
If a person asks for food in Ramadan and he is healthy and is Muslim,
he should not be given eitherfood or drink or cigarettes, and he
should not be helped in falsehood.
But if he is mentally impaired, such as one who has an intellectual
disability, has become senile, is insane or is very old, there is no
blame on them because fasting is waived in their case.

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