If a person has a difficult and important exam in about 3 weeks, is it allowed to break fast because fasting here is 22 hours and it will be difficult to study whilst fasting for such a long time?
Such an excuse is not a valid excuse to break one’s fast. If one were to break their fast on purpose knowing this verdict then a make-up fast and Kaffarah (penance of feeding 60 impoverished or fasting 2 months per day missed) will be owed. However, if one’s thirst or hunger causes one to be in extreme physical distress then one may drink an amount that is enough to allow them to continue to abstain from eating until it is time to break the fast. If one does drink or eat, it is then required for them to make-up the fast after the month of Ramadhan. It is important to note that such a person may travel the legal distance to break their fast, in such a case no Kaffarah is required just a make-up fast.