Q: I would like to inform Your Eminence that I have been suffering from asthma and severe allergy for 13 years. I traveled to London this year to perform medical examinations because sickness has caused me some complications. May Allah protect you. The physician advised me to take medicine for three months three times a day. This specified period will coincide with the month of Ramadan. I would like to know what I should do as my condition requires receiving medicine to cure my lungs. I suffer great hardship due to observing Sawm (Fast) every year during Ramadan. What should I do? May Allah protect Your Eminence and guide you to increase in good deeds!

A: If the reality is as you mentioned, there will be no blame on you in taking medicine according to your needs even if it is during daytime in Ramadan for the sake of alleviating your pain and hoping that Allah may cure you. If your medicine can be taken (Part No. 10; Page No. 177) through the nose, intravenously, or intramuscularly for the sake of alleviating asthma and facilitating breathing, your Sawm will be valid and you will not be required to make up for these days later. But if your medicine is in the form of tablets or syrup taken orally, then you have to make up for these days in which you received such medicine after recovering and being able to observe Sawm. Moreover, if your disease continues and your medicine is tablets or syrup taken orally, you have to feed a needy person for every day of Sawm you have missed. You have to feed every needy person half a Sa` (1 Sa`=3 kg. Approx.) of wheat, dates, rice, or the like of the food you usually feed your family. Allah is the One Who grants recovery.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.