Fatwa ID: 07018
Answered by: Maulana Abdul Malik
Question:
Asalam walaikum, I am writing this on behalf of my husband. My husband suffers from clinically diagnosed type 2 bipolar disorder, however, in recent years we have become almost certain that what he has is Borderline Personality Disorder. The two are closely related, though BPD doesn’t really have the same degrees of mania. Originally, he was taking lithium as prescribed by a psychiatrist, but he has since stopped taking it and prefers to ‘self-medicate’ with marijuana oil as he believed the lithium was making him feel brain dead and he couldn’t do his work properly. Anyway, even before his diagnosis, he has struggled with fasting in Ramadan because he is generally prone to high levels of agitation and stress and anger and the fasting exacerbates it. Since his diagnosis, he has tried to complete fasts through Ramadan but often gives up because he can’t cope with the emotional stress brought on by fasting and the terrible anger and behaviour it causes in him. As his wife, I can confirm that fasting does seem to make his mental illness worse and he is unbearable to be around. So, my question is, would his mental illness, and the negative effects of fasting on his illness, be a valid reason for him to not fast with the same exception as a physically ill person? or is he still obliged to fast? Please before making a ruling, please research what BPD is and the effects it has on the brain so you sufficiently understand what happens to him. Jazakallah kheir in advance.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
In the event where a fasting person have a genuine fear (based on experience) or is informed by an upright Muslim doctor that fasting may be detrimental to the person’s life or health. In such situation it would be allowed to not fast and make it up when one feels healthy. (Fatawa Hindiyyah, pg 227, vol 1)[1]
Therefore, in the scenario where fasting will severely affect his mental health based on experience or information from a expert Muslim doctor. He would be allowed not to fast and make up those fast whenever he feels better.
[1] و منها: المريض إذا خاف على نفسه التلف أو ذهاب عضو يفطر بالإجماع وإن خاف زيادة العلة وامتداده فكذلك عندنا و عليه القضاء إذا أفطر كذا في المحيط، ثم معرفة ذلك باجتهاد المريض والاجتهاد غير مجرد الوهم بل هو غلبة ظن عن أمارة أو تجربة أو بإخبار طبيب مسلم غير ظاهر الفسق كذا في فتح القدير، والصحيح الذي يخشى أن يمرض بالصوم فهو كالمريض هكذا في التبيين
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdul Malik.
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
