A concession was granted to the elderly man and the elderly woman, while they were still able to fast, that they could break their fast if they wished and feed a poor person in place of each day. Then this was abrogated by the verse, "So whoever among you witnesses the month, let him fast it" [Baqarah 2:185]. The ruling remained in place for the elderly man and the elderly woman when they could no longer endure fasting, and for the pregnant woman and the nursing mother when they feared for themselves, that they may break their fast and feed a poor person in place of each day.
رخص للشيخ الكبير والعجوز الكبيرة في ذلك وهما يطيقان الصوم أن يفطرا إن شاءا، ويطعما مكان كل يوم مسكينا، ثم نسخ ذلك في هذه الآية: {فمن شهد منكم الشهر فليصمه} [البقرة: ١٨٥] وثبت للشيخ الكبير والعجوز الكبيرة إذا كانا لا يطيقان الصوم، والحامل والمرضع إذا خافتا أفطرتا وأطعمتا مكان كل يوم مسكينا.
Abu Dawud narrated it (2318) from Ibn Muthanna, who said Ibn Abu Adi narrated to us, from Saeed, from Qatada, from Urwa (this is how it appears, but the correct name is Azra), from Saeed bin Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, and he related it, in abridged form. Bayhaqi narrated it through this same chain (4/230) in full. There is some flaw in the meaning of the hadith in Abu Dawud's abridgment, or in the abridgment of someone below him, so I have transferred the hadith in full from Sunan Bayhaqi. Azra is Ibn Abdul-Rahman bin Zurara Khuzai, a teacher of Qatada's.Jurisprudence of the hadith. From these verses and hadiths it can be understood that people fall into five categories.1. The healthy resident. At first he had a choice between fasting and feeding the poor, if he wished, he could fast, and if he wished, he could break his fast and feed a poor person for each day. This was later abrogated, and fasting became obligatory for him.2. The sick person and the traveler. Neither of them fasts, rather they break their fast and make up an equal number of days later. If they do fast, however, it suffices for them.3. The elderly man and the elderly woman. Those who are unable to fast must feed a poor person for each day, according to the view of the majority. This is also the position chosen by Bukhari, who said, "As for the elderly man, if he is unable to fast, then Anas, after he had grown old, fed a poor person bread and meat each day for a year or two, and broke his fast." This appears in the Book of tafsir, in the chapter on the saying of Allah Most High, "[Fasting for] a specified number of days. But whoever among you is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days. And upon those who find it difficult, a fidya of feeding a poor person. And whoever volunteers excess, it is better for him. But to fast is better for you, if you only knew. [184]" [Baqarah 2:184]. Malik and Shafii, in one of his two opinions, said that feeding is not obligatory upon them due to their inability to fast, for they are like the child upon whom no fidya is obligatory, since Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.4. The pregnant woman and the nursing mother. If they fear for themselves, they are permitted to break their fast, and they owe only making up the days, since they are in the same position as the sick person. But if they fear for their children and so break their fast, they owe both making up the days and feeding the poor. According to the view of Ibn Abbas, in both cases only feeding the poor is required.5. The menstruating woman and the woman in postpartum bleeding. Their fasting is not valid, rather they must break their fast, then make up the days later.