Fasting and Medication
Health comes first
Islam exempts the ill from fasting (Qur’an 2:184). Never stop prescribed medication to fast — speak to your doctor and to a scholar together.
Generally accepted as not breaking the fast
- Topical creams, patches and eye or ear drops, according to the majority.
- Non-nutritional injections such as insulin or vaccines, according to many contemporary councils.
- Blood tests and small samples.
Generally accepted as breaking the fast
- Oral tablets, syrups and anything swallowed.
- Nutritional drips and feeding tubes.
Disputed
Asthma inhalers, nasal sprays, suppositories and endoscopy are matters of genuine scholarly disagreement.
Rescheduling doses
Many once- or twice-daily medicines can be moved to Suhoor and Iftar with a pharmacist’s guidance. Long-acting formulations can sometimes replace daytime doses. People with diabetes should discuss glucose monitoring before Ramadan begins; breaking the fast for hypoglycaemia is required, not optional.
Attribution: the rulings summarised here are the positions recorded in the classical schools and the well known hadith collections. They are presented for information, not as a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar in your community.
Frequently asked questions
Can a diabetic person fast?
Many can with medical supervision and adjusted medication; others are advised not to. This is an individual medical decision made with your doctor.
What if I must take medicine during the day permanently?
Scholars then treat the person as unable to fast; the days are made up later if the condition passes, or fidya is given if it is permanent.
Published Reviewed against the standards in our editorial policy.