Can I skip fasting because of a mental illness?
Yes, if fasting would harm you or make your condition worse. The Quran exempts people who are ill, and that includes mental illness. If it's temporary, you make up the days later. If it's long-term and you can't expect to fast, most scholars say you feed a poor person for each day (fidyah). Decide with your doctor and ask a local scholar about your details.
Mental illness counts as illness
Scholars apply this to any illness that fasting would worsen, slow recovery from, or make very hard to bear. Depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and eating disorders can all qualify, for example when:
- Medication timing matters: you need to take medicine during the day, or moving the dose would destabilize you.
- Sleep is a trigger: the changed Ramadan routine sets off episodes.
- Food is part of the illness: fasting can feed restrictive patterns during eating disorder recovery.
- Your doctor advises against it: scholars give weight to a trustworthy doctor's advice.
The very next verse says: "Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship" (Quran 2:185). Never stop or change medication to fast without your doctor.
Making up days or paying fidyah
This is where the schools differ, so here's the short version:
- Temporary illness: all four schools agree you make up the missed days later, when you're well. No fidyah is needed.
- Long-term illness with no expected ability to fast: the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools require fidyah, feeding one poor person for each missed day. The Maliki school considers it recommended, not required.
- Loss of reason: someone whose illness takes away sound mind isn't required to fast during that time. Scholars differ on whether those days must be made up.
Conditions like depression can come and go, so it isn't always clear which category you're in. A local scholar, ideally with your doctor's input, can help you decide. For a similar question about a physical condition, see Do I have to fast during Ramadan if I have diabetes?
Don't let guilt make it worse
Many people feel ashamed to skip Ramadan. Using an exemption Allah gave isn't weak faith; it's following His guidance. See Is depression a sign of weak faith in Islam?
You can still live the month: pray, read Quran, make dua, give charity and join iftar with others. If this is your first Ramadan, see Do I have to fast Ramadan in my first year as a Muslim?
- Mental illness can be a valid reason not to fast.
- Temporary illness: make up the days later.
- Long-term illness: fidyah, though the Maliki school sees it as only recommended.
- Decide with your doctor and a local scholar.
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