بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
This is a question posed to the muhaddith of this era Ash-Shaykh Muhammad Nasruddin Al Albani may Allah be merciful to him.
Q: I read in (the book) “Description of the Prophet’s Fasting During Ramadan” authored by Saleem Al Hilaali wherein he states the pregnant woman and the one nursing and or suckling if they fear (harm) for themselves or their child they can break their fast and feed a poor person each day (in place of the fasting days missed), and that it isn’t binding upon them to make up those days. Is this statement correct?
A: It isn’t compulsory for them to make up the days, on the contrary the feeding of a poor person it (alone) is. This is the correct answer. As for the previously mentioned condition, that being if they fear (harm) for themselves or their child, this condition is solely based on the ijtihad of some scholars that neither the pregnant woman nor the one nursing and or suckling have been burdened with. That’s because the Prophet -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- said, “Indeed Allah has lifted (the obligation) of fasting from the pregnant woman and the one nursing and or suckling.”
Furthermore Ibn Abbas said in his explanation Concerning Allah’s statement:
…و على الَّذين يُطيقونه فِديةٌ طعامُ مسكين...
“…and whoever has difficulty (with fasting) they feed a poor person…” (Al-Baqarah: 184)
“The pregnant woman and the one nursing and or suckling feeds (a poor person).”And so the previously mentioned condition (of fear for themselves or their child) is not present.
Thus the conclusion is that it is permissible for every pregnant woman and every woman nursing and or suckling to break her fast and feed a poor person (during each missed day), and there is no making up of the days, just this (the feeding).
Translated by Najeeb ibn Yusuf Al Anjelesi
Source: http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=95002