Is it permissible for someone with chronic asthma to drink water during prayer if there is an urgent need to avoid suffocation and continue her prayer?
It is impermissible to drink during an obligatory prayer, and doing so invalidates the prayer by consensus. As for supererogatory prayers, the preponderant opinion is that it is not permissible except out of necessity, but it does not invalidate the prayer.
If a worshiper drinks out of forgetfulness, their prayer is not invalidated. However, if the drinking is excessive, the prayer is invalidated, whether it is an obligatory or a supererogatory prayer.
If a worshiper is compelled to drink during an obligatory prayer, they should interrupt the prayer, drink, and then resume it. This is permissible due to their excuse.
However, if coughing is persistent, such that if the worshiper interrupts and resumes the prayer, they would need to drink again, then drinking during the obligatory prayer is permissible to the extent of the necessity.
It is obligatory to take medications that alleviate or reduce coughing in order to perform the prayer.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/10480
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 10480
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy