Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam, and the Quranand the Sunnah have clarified all its general provisions. The obligation of fasting in Islam has gone through gradual legislative stages, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) reported to us the key features of these stages. In this report, Naafi’,the freed slave of ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),from the Taabi‘oon, informed us that ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him)recited the words of Allah, Exalted is He, (which mean): {And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day].} [Quran 2:184].However, he (may Allah be pleased with him) recited it as “feeding poor persons [each day],” in the plural rather than, “feeding a poor person [each day],”which is one of the approved ten modes of recitation confirmed by Tawaatur (i.e., by collectively contiguous narrations transmitted by a large group of trustworthy narrators, generation after generation, and it is absolutely impossible for them to agree on a lie). It means thatwhoever is unable to fastmust feed one poor person for each missed fast day. At the early legislative stages, it was prescribed for a Muslim to pay this ransom and refrain from fasting in Ramadan, even if he was physically able to fast. Then, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) clarified that the ayahabout the ransom was abrogated and the relevant ruling was abrogated as well, yet it remained in the Quran (its wording was not abrogated). The ruling was abrogated by the ayah that reads (what means): {So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it.} [Quran 2:185].Thus, whoever was able to fast became obliged to observe fasting during Ramadan. On the other hand, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) held a different opinion in this regard. It has been narrated on the authority of ‘Ataa’ ibn Aboo Rabaah, from the Taabi‘oon, that he heard ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) reciting the ayahthat reads (what means): {And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day].} [Quran 2:184]. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “This ayah was not abrogated. It rather refers to the old people who cannot endure fasting; it is allowable for them to pay the prescribed ransom instead, feeding one poor person for each fast day.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) held that the ruling pertaining to the ransom was not abrogated, but rather that it was applicable to old people who were unable to fast. The hadeeth affirms the abrogation of some ayaat of the Quran. .