Fatwa ID: 09093
Answered by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh,
I am seeking a clear and detailed fiqh ruling regarding fasting in my current situation, as I want to practice my dīn correctly while avoiding harm and wrongdoing.
During Ramadan my work schedule makes it extremely difficult to maintain a healthy sleep pattern. As a result, when I fast I reach a point of severe sleep deprivation where I become unable to function properly at work. I experience repeated and uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep for long periods, severe mental fog, physical exhaustion, and an inability to carry out my responsibilities safely and responsibly. My job requires alertness and trust (amānah), and in this state I am not able to fulfill it as required.
In addition to this, the extreme fatigue combined with fasting leads me to experience intense and uncontrollable anger that I do not experience outside of this condition. This is not normal irritation — it is a level of anger where I genuinely fear that I may behave in a way that causes emotional harm or ظلم toward my wife and seriously damage my marriage. Preserving my marriage and protecting my character is extremely important to me, and I am afraid of falling into sin because of this state.
My intention is not to avoid fasting. I love Ramadan and I want to fast properly. However, I also want to act according to the Qur’ān and Sunnah and the legal principle that there should be no harm to oneself or to others. I am trying to balance between:
– fulfilling the obligation of fasting
– protecting my work amānah
– preventing harm to my marriage
– maintaining proper Islamic character
In this situation I would like clarification on the following:
- When fasting leads to a genuine inability to function at work due to severe sleep deprivation and causes a loss of normal mental and physical ability, does this take the ruling of illness or harm that allows a person not to fast?
- If fasting in this condition leads to intense and uncontrollable anger to the point that I fear committing ظلم toward my spouse or seriously damaging my marriage, does breaking the fast in order to prevent that harm become permissible or obligatory?
- If I break the fast on such days with the sincere intention to make them up after Ramadan when I am able to fast properly and without causing harm, is there any sin upon me?
- What is the most correct Sharʿī way for someone in my situation to manage Ramadan? Should I continue attempting to fast daily, or is it better to delay the fast on days when this level of harm and loss of control is present?
- Are there practical steps you would advise in order to preserve both the obligation of fasting and the rights of my spouse and my work responsibilities?
I ask this because I want to follow the command of Allah properly and I am afraid of doing something wrong. At the same time, I am also afraid of harming others or neglecting my responsibilities due to a state that feels beyond my control.
JazākumAllāhu khayran for your time, knowledge, and guidance. May Allah reward you for helping us practice our dīn correctly.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Question 1:
Allah (ﷻ) says:
O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺. (Al-Baqarah 2:183)
Fasting is obligatory upon every physically capable, non-traveling individual who witnesses the month of Ramadan. Hunger, fatigue, and anger are a natural byproduct of fasting and part of the test of Ramadan. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
When any one of you gets up in the morning in the state of fasting, he should neither use obscene language nor do any act of ignorance. And if anyone slanders him or quarrels with him, he should say:” I am fasting, I am fasting.” (Sahih Muslim 1151a)
As long as you are physically capable, you must fulfill the obligation of Ramadan. Work fatigue and lack of sleep are not sufficient basis to exempt you from the obligation of fasting. Organizing your time and controlling your anger are all part of the challenge of Ramadan, and enduring these hardships and challenges builds Taqwā, which is the objective of fasting in Ramadan as mentioned in the verse. Therefore, the reasons you mentioned do not exempt you from fasting the month of Ramadan and you will have to work your life around it.
Question 2:
The Prophet (ﷺ) gave specific advice for this situation:
When any one of you gets up in the morning in the state of fasting, he should neither use obscene language nor do any act of ignorance. And if anyone slanders him or quarrels with him, he should say:” I am fasting, I am fasting.” (Sahih Muslim 1151a)
When fasting, it is natural that hunger causes people to get angry and get into fights. However, this is part of the test of Ramadan and this trains us to be mindful of our words and actions when under physical and emotional strain. If fasting makes you angry and behave oppressively towards your wife, the issue lies within yourself and you must work on yourself to fix it. This is not sufficient basis to exempt you from fasting in Ramadan.
Question 3:
Not only is there sin, but you will have to perform the Kaffārah (expiation) of intentionally breaking a fast, which is fasting 60 consecutive days. [1-4] If the days of Eid Al-Adhā or the three days of Tashrīq fall inside the Kaffarah period, the continuity breaks and one must restart the Kaffārah again after those days. [5] If someone intentionally breaks their fast without a Shar’ī reason, they must fast 60 consecutive days as Kaffārah starting any day after Eid Al-Adhā and ending before the start of Ramadan.
Question 4:
Severe thirst or severe hunger that causes death or insanity permits breaking the fast. [6] When you are 100% certain that continuing the fast will drive you medically insane, and you have consulted expert Muslim doctors regarding this issue, then you are permitted to break the fast.
You should attempt to fast daily in the month of Ramadan. Only when fasting will drive you medically insane or lead to death after consulting an expert Muslim doctor, then you may consider breaking the fast. You must try to arrange your life around Ramadan, and it would be easy to balance with better organization and preparation.
Question 5:
Fix Your Sleep: Split your sleep into installments instead of trying to get it all at night. Consider taking a nap after Suhoor, Fajr, Asr, and Maghrib. Sleep right after Tarawih and do not delay. Eat everything before Tarawih and not after as it impacts sleep. Have healthy sleep habits and maintain a consistent schedule. Follow medical advice for good sleep hygiene, like eating light digestible food for dinner, avoiding blue light, not ingesting caffeine, etc. Optimize your schedule and remove unnecessary activities and stressors throughout the day.
Fix Your Diet: Eat a heavy Suhoor with lots of meat and slow-release energy foods (dates, complex carbs, nuts, etc.), preferably those with a low glycemic index. Do not overeat and be selective of the foods you eat and choose high calorie low volume foods. Do the same for Iftar and dinner but cut it down if it impacts sleep.
Adjust Work: Consider taking leave or working at your preferred times if possible. If this job causes a lot of stress and impacts other parts of your life, consider finding a better job that pays well and allows you to fulfill your financial and religious responsibilities. Work from home if possible, or ask your employer to lighten your load in Ramadan.
Anger Management: If you frequently struggle with anger issues, consider taking anger management and counseling. Try to train yourself to control your anger, and this must be done throughout the year. Ask local scholars for advice on how to control anger, and sit in programs pertaining to Tazkiyah and purification of the heart.
Train Your Body Before Ramadan: Fast throughout the year, starting with the Sunnah days. Fast Mondays and Thursdays, and the 13th, 14th and 15th of each Islamic month. Before Ramadan starts, fast abundantly and get into the routine of fasting. This can help your body adapt to fasting before Ramadan. Experiment with your diet and see what works best for you. Experiment with different types of food and observe how it affects your energy and mood. Try incorporating intermittent fasting throughout the year and gradually decrease your eating window.
Last Resort: Try cutting things from your schedule and prioritize your health and sleep. Although discouraged, consider praying less Tarawih, praying Tarawih at home, or omitting it altogether if it causes you to sleep late and impacts your fasting and relationships. Also discouraged, you may skip the Suhoor meal and wake up directly for Fajr Salāt. Nap as often as you can, eat healthy, and reduce stress, and balancing Ramadan with life becomes easy.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Answered by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
إذَا أَكَلَ مُتَعَمِّدًا مَا يُتَغَذَّى بِهِ أَوْ يُتَدَاوَى بِهِ يَلْزَمُهُ الْكَفَّارَةُ
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 205, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[2]
(٢) اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الصِّيَامَاتِ اللَّازِمَةِ فَرْضًا ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ سَبْعَةٌ مِنْهَا يَجِبُ فِيهَا التَّتَابُعُ، وَهِيَ رَمَضَانُ وَكَفَّارَةُ الْقَتْلِ، وَكَفَّارَةُ الظِّهَارِ وَكَفَّارَةُ الْيَمِينِ، وَكَفَّارَةُ الْإِفْطَارِ فِي رَمَضَانَ، وَالنَّذْرُ الْمُعَيَّنُ، وَصَوْمُ الْيَمِينِ الْمُعَيَّنِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 215, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[3]
مَطْلَبٌ فِي الْكَفَّارَةِ (قَوْلُهُ: كَكَفَّارَةِ الْمُظَاهِرِ) مُرْتَبِطٌ بِقَوْلِهِ وَكَفَّرَ أَيْ مِثْلُهَا فِي التَّرْتِيبِ فَيَعْتِقُ أَوَّلًا فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ صَامَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَطْعَمَ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا لِحَدِيثِ الْأَعْرَابِيِّ الْمَعْرُوفِ فِي الْكُتُبِ السِّتَّةِ فَلَوْ أَفْطَرَ وَلَوْ لِعُذْرٍ اسْتَأْنَفَ إلَّا لِعُذْرِ الْحَيْضِ
(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 2, pg. 412, Darul Fikr Beirut)
[4]
كَفَّارَةُ الْفِطْرِ، وَكَفَّارَةُ الظِّهَارِ وَاحِدَةٌ (١) ، وَهِيَ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ أَوْ كَافِرَةٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى الْعِتْقِ فَعَلَيْهِ صِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 215, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[5]
(قَالَ): وَلَوْ صَامَ شَهْرَيْنِ: أَحَدُهُمَا – شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ لَمْ يُجْزِهِ عَنْ الظِّهَارِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُشْرَعْ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ إلَّا صَوْمٌ وَاحِدٌ، وَهُوَ الْفَرْضُ فَلَا يَصِحُّ التَّكْفِيرُ بِهِ؛ … وَإِذَا لَمْ يَجُزْ صَوْمُهُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ عَنْ الظِّهَارِ، فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَسْتَقْبِلَ بَعْدَ يَوْمِ الْفِطْرِ لِانْقِطَاعِ التَّتَابُعِ فِي حَقِّ صَوْمِ الْكَفَّارَةِ، وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ دَخَلَ صَوْمُهُ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ أَوْ أَيَّامَ التَّشْرِيقِ فَعَلَيْهِ اسْتِقْبَالُ الصَّوْمِ صَامَ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ أَوْ لَا؛ لِأَنَّ الصَّوْمَ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ مَنْهِيٌّ عَنْهُ فَلَا يَتَأَدَّى بِهِ الْوَاجِبُ فِي ذِمَّتِهِ؛ وَيَنْقَطِعُ التَّتَابُعُ بِتَخَلُّلِ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يَجِدُ شَهْرَيْنِ خَالِيَيْنِ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ.
(Al-Mabsūt As-Sarakhsī, vol. 7, pg. 13, Matba’ah As-Sa’ādah)
[6]
وَالْعَطَشُ الشَّدِيدُ وَالْجُوعُ كَذَلِكَ إذَا خِيفَ مِنْهُمَا الْهَلَاكُ، أَوْ نُقْصَانُ الْعَقْلِ، كَالْأَمَةِ إذَا ضَعُفَتْ عَنْ الْعَمَلِ وَخَشِيَتْ الْهَلَاكَ بِالصَّوْمِ، وَكَذَا الَّذِي ذَهَبَ بِهِ مُتَوَكِّلُ السُّلْطَانِ إلَى الْعِمَارَةِ فِي الْأَيَّامِ الْحَارَّةِ، وَالْعَمَلُ الْحَثِيثُ إذَا خُشِيَ الْهَلَاكُ أَوْ نُقْصَانُ الْعَقْلِ.
(Al-Fath Al-Qadeer, vol. 2, pg. 350, Maṭba’ah Mustafā Al-Bābī Al-Halabī)