ABU DHABI // Workers may break their fast during Ramadan if they cannot contend with the high heat and humidity, according to a fatwa by the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments. The fatwa, an Islamic religious edict, states: "Breaking the fast is permitted if it causes hardship for those who engage in certain professions, which involve a great deal of effort and hardship, with the condition that the worker starts the day fasting and with the intention to fast."
If the fasting worker finds the hardship and effort exerted to be unbearable, he is permitted to break the fast, for "God does not burden a soul with more than it can bear, and God knows best", the fatwa states. The holy month, expected to start either Wednesday or Thursday, requires all Muslims to abstain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset, with some exceptions such as pregnancy, nursing, illness and travel.
The new fatwa was issued in response to a question posed by an oil-rig worker, who asked if it was permissible for those working in extreme heat and humidity, and susceptible to falling or fainting, or risking other dangers to health because of dehydration and a loss of electrolytes, to break the fast. hkhalaf@thenational.ae
