Can I Skip Fasting in Ramadan Due to Fear of Becoming Ill Due to Hectic Schedule?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
I am a dental student with a hectic schedule, including long classes and a night clinic. I also have hypertension, migraines, and a tendency to faint.
For Ramadan, can I skip fasting on these demanding days and make them up later if I fear becoming ill?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
No, you cannot skip fasting solely based on fear of becoming ill unless a qualified Muslim physician advises that fasting poses a genuine health risk for you.
Allah (Most High) says,
“But if any of you is ill or on a journey, let them fast an equal number of days later. Allah intends ease for you, not hardship.” [Quran, 2:185]
If fasting endangers your health due to medical conditions, you may delay the fasts and make them up later. However, this decision must be based on reliable medical advice aligned with Islamic principles.
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Mohammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
