A brother of mine suffers from epilepsy and takes certain pills regularly. Is it valid for him to fast while taking these pills?
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The questioner:
A brother of mine suffers from baldness and takes certain pills regularly. Is it valid for him to fast while taking these pills?
The Shaykh:
If he takes them during the day, then he does not fast. If his intention is to take them during the day, then he does not fast; he breaks his fast. If he is healed in the future, or if his healing is not expected in the future, he must make up the days he broke. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:184] As for if this illness is continuous with him and he needs treatment for a whole year, night and day, and he is unable to fast, neither in its proper time nor by making it up, then it is sufficient for him to feed a poor person for each day the amount of half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of food. He gives it to a poor person, whether he collects the days owed to him and pays them all at once, or pays them separately, and whether he gives it to one person or to several people.
Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:184] regarding your children, "food for the weak." The meaning is that they are exempted, meaning fasting is difficult for them due to a chronic illness or old age and decrepitude, but their minds are with them. These people feed a poor person for each day, and that is sufficient for them instead of fasting.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. Thank you.
The questioner:
Do you advise him to use these pills at night instead of using them during the day?
The Shaykh:
If using them at night is sufficient, so that he does not use them during the day and he fasts, then this is obligatory for him. Indeed,
The presenter:
May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh:
it is obligatory for him to do without them during the day and to be able to fast, because fasting is obligatory for him and breaking the fast is not obligatory for him.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
If he cannot do without them, or if fasting distresses him, even if he does not take the pills or does not take them, if fasting distresses him and increases his illness, then it is forbidden.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you and reward you with good.
A brother of mine suffers from baldness and takes certain pills regularly. Is it valid for him to fast while taking these pills?
The Shaykh:
If he takes them during the day, then he does not fast. If his intention is to take them during the day, then he does not fast; he breaks his fast. If he is healed in the future, or if his healing is not expected in the future, he must make up the days he broke. Allah the Exalted said:
whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]
كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَAllah the Exalted said:
And upon those who are able
وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُThe presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. Thank you.
The questioner:
Do you advise him to use these pills at night instead of using them during the day?
The Shaykh:
If using them at night is sufficient, so that he does not use them during the day and he fasts, then this is obligatory for him. Indeed,
The presenter:
May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh:
it is obligatory for him to do without them during the day and to be able to fast, because fasting is obligatory for him and breaking the fast is not obligatory for him.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
If he cannot do without them, or if fasting distresses him, even if he does not take the pills or does not take them, if fasting distresses him and increases his illness, then it is forbidden.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you and reward you with good.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، يقول لي أخ يصاب بالصرع ويأخذ بعض الحبوب دائماً هل يصح أن يصوم مع أخذه للحبوب؟ الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.