Fasting and spastic colon patients
Fatwa No: 27755

Question

I have been suffering from spastic colon, which is sometimes associated with diarrhea, for many years. This means I need to drink plenty of water. Am I allowed to break my fast without bearing a sin?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Muslim jurists agree that a sick person is allowed to break his fast if fasting constitutes a source of harm for him in terms of aggravating his condition or delaying his recovery. However, he is required to make up for the days that he misses whenever is be able to, according to the saying of Allaah Almighty (which means): {… So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them]—then an equal number of days [are to be made up]...} [Quran 2: 184]

If you come to know through a trustworthy doctor that you are not expected to recover from your sickness, then you are not required to make up for the days that you miss. Rather, you are required to pay an expiation, which is to feed a poor person per missed day. The amount of food you have to offer per person is a mudd of foodstuff, which equals 750 grams.

Allaah Knows best.

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