Udhr

Udhr is a valid excuse — illness, travel, or forgetfulness, among others — that Islamic law recognizes and eases a duty for.

What it means for me: An udhr is not whatever you personally consider an excuse. It is a state the law itself accepts. This is why a mufti asks for details: what illness, how long the travel. Your exact description decides which door your case falls under, not a general word like 'busy' or 'tired'.

Example: A man says he left something undone 'for an excuse'. The mufti asks what the excuse actually was, because the answer depends on the description, not the word itself.

Do not confuse with: Darurah, necessity. Every darurah counts as an udhr, but not every udhr rises to a darurah.

If scholars differ: Some scholars set a wider list of illnesses as a valid excuse to break the fast; others set a narrower one. They also differ on which conditions excuse a person from praying in congregation. The difference is named here as a difference and not decided; the mufti is the reference.