You are not allowed to drink water while you are actively fasting in Ramadan, but if you are genuinely sick and need water, you are allowed to break the fast and drink.

Key point in Islam

Islam makes a clear exception: people who are sick are exempt from fasting.

That means:

  • If drinking water (or taking medicine) is needed for your health, you are allowed to:
    • Break the fast during the day, and
    • Drink water and take medication as needed.
  • In many cases, if your illness is temporary, you make up those missed fasting days later when you’re healthy.

So you don’t drink “a little water and keep the fast”; rather, if you need water, the fast is broken for that day and your health takes priority.

How scholars and communities usually handle this

Many imams and Muslim organizations emphasize:

  • Life and health come first; it is not pious to harm yourself by fasting when sick.
  • If a doctor says you must drink plenty of fluids (for example, with COVID, infections, or throat/chest issues), you are considered ill and excused from fasting.
  • If your illness is long-term and you cannot safely fast at all, you may be exempt permanently and instead give charity (fidya) if you can, depending on your school of thought.

A common real-life scenario: someone with a serious throat infection is told by their doctor to drink water regularly for several weeks; Muslims in that situation are usually advised not to fast until they recover and can safely go without water during the day.

Health and hydration angle

Modern medical advice stresses that fasting while dehydrated or sick can worsen:

  • Dizziness, fatigue, and weakness
  • Risk of complications, especially for people with chronic illness (e.g., diabetes, kidney disease)

Because of this, many doctors and religious scholars together advise:

  1. Check with a doctor if fasting could worsen your illness.
  1. If the doctor recommends regular fluids or medication in the day, skip fasting until you are stable again.

If you’re unsure what you should do

What you should do can depend on:

  • How serious your illness is
  • What your doctor says about fluids and medication
  • The guidance of a trusted local imam or scholar (they know your situation and your school of thought)

A simple, practical approach:

  1. Ask your doctor plainly: “Is it safe for me to go all day without drinking water or taking my medicine?”
  2. Take that answer to a knowledgeable imam and ask how to apply the Ramadan rules in your case (making up days later, fidya, etc.).

In short:
You cannot continue a valid fast and drink water during the day, but if you are sick and need water, Islam allows you to break or skip the fast, drink, and protect your health, then make up the day(s) later if you are able.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.