Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam that Allah made obligatory on Muslim males and females. It is one of the very blessed months. It is the month about which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said what means: If the nation would know the goodness in Ramadan, they would wish the whole year to be Ramadan. We should do our best to keep this rite buy fasting this month. If somebody, due to a kind of illness, is unable to perform fasting, he/she will be forgiven and must either fasts those days again when he/she gets improved or pay fidayif he or she suffers from incurable illness. However, the one who can decide when the ill person should fast or not is a good Muslim doctor.
Dr. Jamal Badawi, Professor of Religious Studies and Management at St. Mary’s University & the Vice-Chairman of the Islamic American University, states: “The general rule is that one should not miss the blessings of fasting in Ramadan even if it causes us a tolerable degree of inconvenience such as hunger and thirst for which we get immense reward from Allah. In the meantime, the Qur’anic verses about fasting allude to those who find fasting extremely difficult for them including illness and allows for breaking the fast and making up for the missed days. If however, the illness is incurable then a ransom, i.e. feeding a poor person for each day missed in Ramadan, is applicable.
The assessment of illness which justifies breaking the fast should preferably made by a Muslim physician whenever possible. Being a Muslim, such physician appreciates the importance of fasting and knows about what is involved in Muslim fasting and as such he is able to make an assessment which is both informed and professional. Our sincere du’a’ for your cure and wellbeing.”