Ads by Muslim Ad Network

Can a Person with Epilepsy Break the Fasting?

13 April, 2022
Q Dear scholars, as-salamu `alaykum! When is the fast broken? My husband had to break his fast to take his medicine against epilepsy, since he forgot to take it in the morning at sahur. (It's dangerous for him not to take it twice a day). Does this mean that his Ramadan is broken now, or can he just continue the fast tomorrow as if nothing happened until the `Eid al-Fitr? Does he have to compensate for the missed day? He felt very bad about what happened and thinks that he will not be able to continue the fast at all, since he failed to keep the Ramadan unbroken. I have tried to encourage him to continue so that we can keep the prayers and the fast together. What advice do you have for us? Best greetings and blessings. Jazakum Allah khayran.

Answer

Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.


In this fatwa:

Your husband who had to take medication for epilepsy falls under the category of the sick. So, he did not break any rule, for a sick person is excused from fasting if he cannot avoid taking medication.


Elaborating more on your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

Ads by Muslim Ad Network

Your husband who had to take medication for epilepsy falls under the category of the sick. So, he did not break any rule, for a sick person is excused from fasting if he cannot avoid taking medication.

So, in this case he needs not feel sorry for what he has done; rather he only needs to make up for the day he has missed.

In the future, if he can take the medication before fasting and that would be sufficient and would not interfere with his health, then he can continue fasting.

If, however, he must take medication during the day at all times without fail, then it is advisable for him not to fast.

In this case, he needs to offer fidyah by feeding a poor person for every single day of fast he has missed; he does not need to make up for the fast he has missed if his sickness remains with him forever.

Remember, Allah’s laws are not intended to impose hardship on us. Allah says, {He wishes to grant you ease and He does not wish to impose hardship on you.} (Al-Hajj 22:78)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Allah loves His servants to make use of His concessions just as He loves them to carry out His orders.” (Ahmad)

Allah Almighty knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.