Exams no reason to avoid fasting, says Grand Mufti

Dr Ahmed Haddad, Grand Mufti of Dubai. Supplied photo

Students who are appearing for exams wonder if they are permissible to skip fasting to be stress free, focus more, and study better.
According to a renowned scholar here, sitting exams is not an excuse for high school students to break their fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
Grand Mufti of Dubai Dr Ahmed Al Haddad said that high school students are grown up enough to bear fasting no matter they have tests or not.
The Grand Mufti of Dubai pointed out that students of lower grades may end their fasting, however. "It is no permissible for high school students to break their fasting for just feeling hungry or thirsty."
Such feeling is normal and everybody feels the same during fasting, he added.
"This is actually one of the main supreme objectives behind fasting to feel the pitch of the poor and become more compassionate with them."
Abdullah Sherif, a grade-12 student with the Sharjah International School, said it is too hard for him to manage fasting during exams. "It is really tough to study or even concentrate while fasting."
Mohammed Sultan, a grade-12 student with the Deans International School, said he can manage, though. "Of course, it is not that easy, but I can eat well during the Suhoor before the dawn prayer."
One may also study late after ending the fasting, he added.
"It is as Almighty Allah said in the holy Quran about fasting for a few hours. And, we do not suffer like those working under the sun.
"On the contrary, we are staying in our fully air-conditioned shaded rooms. Younger students below puberty age are not required to fast." Nonetheless, if a Muslim, be he or she a student or not, feels that they are unable to do their job as due while fasting, they can break their fasting, and fast later, Dr Haddad added.
"Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and is an obligation for grown-up male and female Muslims. However, falling sick, travelling or being on period for women are exceptions for breaking fasting."
Feeling tired is not an excuse for breaking fasting, but over exhaustion is, he added.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com