What is the ruling on someone who does not wake up until a few minutes after the Adhan in Ramadan, and needs to take essential medication, fearing health complications if he does not take it? Should he drink it and break his fast, or continue his fast with the possibility of suffering an exhaustion attack? And if he only drinks the medication, should he abstain from other things that break the fast for the rest of the day, or is he permitted to consume other things that break the fast?

If the questioner fears harm, such as an increase in illness or a delay in recovery, if he does not take the medicine at its prescribed time, and a Muslim doctor informs him of this, then he is permitted to take the medicine after Fajr. He is considered to have broken his fast due to the excuse of illness and must make up the day. He is not required to abstain from eating for the rest of the day because he broke his fast due to an excuse. If the excuse ceases during the day, the jurisprudential schools of thought differ on the ruling for someone whose excuse ceases during the day. The Maliki and Shafi'i schools, according to the more sound opinion, and one narration from the Hanbali school, believe that it is not obligatory to abstain from eating for the rest of the day, while the Hanafi school believes it is obligatory to abstain. In summary: The questioner is permitted to break his fast and must make up one day, and he is not required to abstain from eating for the rest of the day.