Can Muslims use weight loss injections like Ozempic?
Yes, in many cases. Islam encourages medical treatment, so using a prescribed weight loss injection is generally allowed, especially for diabetes or weight-related health problems. Use it under a doctor's care, avoid unregulated or fake pens, and ask your doctor how it fits with fasting.
Treatment is encouraged
When some Bedouins asked the Prophet ﷺ whether they should seek medical treatment, he said, "Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it" (Sunan Abi Dawud 3855). Obesity can be a real health condition linked to diabetes, blood pressure and joint problems. Taking a prescribed medicine such as Ozempic, Wegovy or a similar injection for those reasons is a form of lawful treatment.
If your doctor has recommended it, you don't need to feel guilty. Looking after your health is part of caring for the trust Allah gave you. See Can Muslims diet to lose weight?
When it is mainly cosmetic
If you're otherwise healthy and only want to lose a few pounds, the question is more about risk than permissibility. Islam forbids harming yourself ("There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm," Sunan Ibn Majah 2340), so weigh the benefits against the side effects. These medicines have side effects, such as stomach upset, so your doctor and the leaflet are the best places to learn the risks. For personal medical decisions, a doctor's advice comes first, and a trusted imam can help with any religious doubts.
Staying safe
- Use a prescription. Get it from a doctor or licensed pharmacy, with proper dosage advice.
- Avoid fake or unregulated pens. Health authorities have warned about counterfeit versions sold online.
- Tell your doctor about other conditions, medicines, pregnancy or plans to become pregnant.
- Don't use it as a shortcut. Healthy eating and movement still matter, and a plan for the long term is wise.
Fasting and injections
Most contemporary scholars say non-nutritive injections don't break the fast. See Does an injection or vaccine break my fast? The practical question is health: these medicines can reduce your appetite and may cause nausea or dehydration, and they may need adjusting if you take other diabetes medicines. Speak to your doctor before Ramadan. If fasting would harm you, Islam gives an allowance:
For related questions about taking medicine while fasting, see Can I take medicine while fasting?
Keep a healthy relationship with food
Weight loss should never become an obsession. If you notice guilt around eating or fear of gaining weight, talk to your doctor or a counsellor. For other aids, see Are weight loss supplements and fat burners haram?
- Prescribed weight loss injections are generally allowed as medical treatment.
- Cosmetic use is a question of risk: weigh the side effects and ask your doctor.
- Use real prescriptions, not unregulated or fake pens.
- Ask your doctor about fasting; Islam gives an exemption if fasting would harm you.
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