Can I Break My Fast If I Have a Headache?

Question: 108414

I got a severe headache during Ramadan because of a toothache. Can I take pills when I am fasting?

Summary of answer

It is permissible to break the fast in Ramadan if you have a severe headache. So you can take medicine and you may eat and drink to take away that pain. But you have to make up the days you missed after Ramadan.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Severe headaches are one of the reasons for which it is permissible to break the fast in Ramadan , especially as fasting is something that makes the headache worse.

So there is nothing wrong with the one who is affected by that breaking his fast in order to take medicine , and he may eat and drink to take away that pain. But he has to make up the days that he did not fast after Ramadan is over, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days.” [Al-Baqarah 2:185]

It says in Al-Jawharah An-Nubayrah (Hanafi) (1/142): “The sick person for whom it is permissible to break the fast if fasting will make his fever worse or increase the pain in his eyes or head .”

And Allah knows best.

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