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Can Muslims with ADHD Skip Fasting?

04 March, 2026
Q I was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) last year and have found it very difficult to fast on certain days due to my mental health worsening and due to side effects of taking my medication. What is the ruling on fasting if you have a mental health condition and making up the missed fasts?

Answer

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:

Persons with ADHD can fast in Ramadan if fasting does not harm their health and medication can be managed outside fasting hours. If fasting would worsen symptoms or missing medication could cause harm, Islam permits skipping those fasts and making them up later or giving fidyah if fasting is not possible.


Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory if you are mentally accountable and able to fast without harm. However, Islam allows a person who is ill to skip fasting on days when fasting may cause real harm. The missed days should be made up later, or Fidyah (feeding a poor person for each missed day) may be given if fasting is not possible long term.

Allah says:

{Whoever among you is ill… then (let him fast) a number of other days.” (A-Baqarah 2:185)

 ADHD and Fasting Ramadan

If fasting does not seriously worsen your condition, and your medication can be taken at Suhoor or Iftar, then fasting remains obligatory.

If fasting or missing medication is likely to seriously worsen your symptoms, you may skip fasting on those days. 

Follow Your Doctor’s Advice

The decision should be based on the advice of a trustworthy family physician who understands your condition. If your doctor advises that fasting without daytime medication may harm your health, you may delay those fasts.

Making Up Missed Fasts

  • If your condition improves later, make up the missed fasts.
  • If fasting is permanently harmful, you may give Fidyah instead.

Remember, Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity (Qur’an 2:286).

Read more:

Almighty Allah knows best.

Source: Ask the Scholar

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada