Do elderly Muslims have to fast?

What the Quran says

Right after making fasting compulsory, Allah gives a way out for those who can only fast with great difficulty.

Ibn Abbas, one of the great Quran scholars among the Companions, explained that this verse applies to the old man and old woman who cannot fast: they feed a poor person for every day instead (Sahih al-Bukhari 4505). The Companion Anas ibn Malik did exactly this when he became too old to fast.

Who is excused?

• Too weak to fast: excused, and pays fidya instead of making up the days.
• Advanced dementia or confusion: no longer accountable, so no fasting and, according to most scholars, no fidya either.
• Chronic illness: if a doctor says fasting is harmful long term, the same fidya rule applies. See Do I have to fast during Ramadan if I have diabetes?
• Healthy older people: age alone isn't an excuse. A fit 70-year-old who can fast should fast.

If the weakness is temporary, like a short illness, the person makes up the days later instead of paying fidya.

How fidya works

Fidya means feeding one poor person two meals, or giving the cost of that, for each missed day. Scholars differ slightly on the exact amount: the Hanafi school uses a set measure of grain or its value, while others use one mudd of staple food. In practice, most UK and US mosques and Muslim charities publish a fixed daily amount, and you can pay all 29 or 30 days at once. Family members can pay it on behalf of an elderly parent.

Caring for elderly parents in Ramadan

If you're a convert with Muslim grandparents or in-laws, or caring for an older Muslim, help them feel included even if they can't fast: bring them to iftar, read Quran with them, and take care of their fidya. Respecting the elderly is part of our faith. See Can I put my parents in a care home as a Muslim?