Breaking the fast during Ramadan due to exams

01/08/2010| IslamWeb

Question:

I am a doctor and I decided to do a medical exam next month inshallah. The exam takes 7 hours and is done on the computer. The exam is going to be in Ramadan, and so I want to ask if I have a permission not to fast in the day of the exam as it
will be very difficult for me to concentrate enough if I was fasting. Finally, I want to say that delaying the exam till the end of Ramadan will be difficult for me because of some other obligations but it is not impossible.
 
Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

You must fast during the month of Ramadan and breaking the fast due to the examination is forbidden. Exams or the like activities are not an Islamicly valid excuse to give up the fasting in Ramadan even if the student faces hardship. Such a hardship does not justify breaking the fast during Ramadan since it is bearable.

A student should bear in his mind that obedience of Allah is the most important means to get blessings and success in this life and the next life while disobedience is the greatest means for failure and disappointment.

Allah Knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb