The Punishment for Eating Openly in Ramadan; Serving Food in Eateries During the Days of Fasting

Question

In Ramadan, people for whom fasting is fard go about eating openly in front of those who are fasting and wander around the bazaars. Has the Shari‘a set any limit regarding respect for Ramadan? Is it permitted by the Shari‘a for a sick person and a traveller to eat in front of those who are fasting? What is the ruling on selling food in eateries in front of fasting people in Ramadan?

Answer

A sick person and a traveller, having a legitimate excuse, should not eat in front of those who are fasting (just like a menstruating woman and a woman in postnatal bleeding) — they should eat in private. To adopt, without a legitimate excuse, the conduct described in the question is a grave offence, and its punishment is also very severe; but inflicting punishment is not…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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