Islamic jurisprudence allows the pregnant woman, those who are incapable, and the sick not to fast. If a pregnant woman, in addition to her pregnancy, is prone to low blood pressure and deficiencies in iron and vitamin D, she risks feeling faint if she fasts, which could harm her health as well as her baby's.
Fasting is both a remedy and an act of worship, but Islam never pushes those who lack the capacity for it to fast. Allah has granted us an ease, He is Great, and His Mercy is vast. Nevertheless, we should not choose this ease in every situation, but only when there is a real need.
What the science says: fasting, pregnancy
What published research says about the remedies mentioned above, for context only — these studies look at material causes, while healing belongs to Allah.
Fasting
Fasting, prescribed and then recommended by the Sunnah (Monday-Thursday, the white days), is now studied under the name intermittent fasting: a BMJ meta-analysis shows favorable effects on weight and cardiometabolic risk factors (BMJ, 2025), with an impact on appetite (Nutrients, 2023) and body composition (Diabetes Obes Metab, 2024). Precaution: people with insulin-dependent diabetes, who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or frail should adapt their fasting with their doctor — Islam permits, and sometimes requires, not fasting in case of illness.
Pregnancy
Ginger is the go-to natural remedy for pregnancy-related nausea (J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med, 2022) (J Am Board Fam Med, 2014); dates in late pregnancy ease labor (Explore, 2021); iron and folic acid are monitored (Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, 2023). Precaution: many plants are not recommended during pregnancy (essential oils, hormonal plants, laxative plants, fenugreek) — do not take any supplement without the advice of your midwife or doctor.
