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Russell Silver Syndrome and Fasting: What Islam Says

02 February, 2025
Q I have feeding difficulties so I can only eat one meal a day due to Russell Silver Syndrome and due to this I have hypoglycaemia and heart issues. Do I still fast for Ramadan or am I exempt?

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:

How to Know If You Should Fast With Russell Silver Syndrome:

  • Consult a doctor about the risks of fasting.
  • Seek guidance from an Islamic scholar.
  • Evaluate whether fasting worsens your health.
  • If unsafe, refrain from fasting and consider Fidyah.
  • Follow Islamic rulings to maintain religious obligations.

Answering your question, the Fatwa Center at IslamWeb, states:

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Islamic Obligation of Fasting and Exemptions

In principle, it is obligatory on you to observe fasting in Ramadan, and the obligation in this regard is not waived unless it is proven by experience or a doctor’s note that fasting is harmful to you or constitutes an unbearable difficulty.

In this case, it is permissible for you not to fast, as evidenced by the Saying of Allah, The Exalted, (which means): {…and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days…} [Al-Baqarah 2:185]

Medical Conditions That Warrant Exemption

Jurists stated that the illness that warrants not fasting is the one that makes it difficult for a person to observe fasting, or when it is feared that fasting might worsen his condition or delay his recovery. 

Scholarly Opinions on Exemptions from Fasting

Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The nature of the sickness that permits not fasting is intense sickness that worsens by fasting or if it is feared that recovery would be delayed as a result.” [End of quote]

Imam An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Al-Majmu` Sharh Al-Muhadhdhab (6/258):

“This applies if he faces obvious difficulty by fasting, without need to reach a point when he is unable to fast as a condition for the permissibility of giving up fasting. Rather, our companions (the Shafi`i scholars) said, ‘The condition for the exemption from (obligatory) fasting is that it would cause a person such difficulty that is hard for him to bear.’”

Allah’s Mercy in Granting Fasting Exemptions

This is a manifestation of the Mercy of Allah, The Exalted, bestowed upon His Slaves and relieving them of hardship and inconvenience. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {and He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty.} [Al-Hajj 22:78]

Alternative Options for Those Unable to Fast

If your state is as described above, then it is permissible for you to refrain from fasting. If your sickness is curable, it is incumbent on you to make up for the missed fast days after recovery.

If your sickness is incurable, then you should opt for feeding a poor person for each missed fast day.

We ask Allah, The Exalted, to bless you with recovery.

Further explanations are included in the fatwas below:

Almighty Allah knows best.

Source: Islamweb.net