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Islam and Spiritualism ( 6 Apr 2023, NewAgeIslam.Com)

Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: The Fifteenth Lesson on the Updated Guidelines for the Treatment in the State of Fasting – Part 15

By Mufti Abdul Malik Misbahi, New Age Islam

Translated into English by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam

6 April 2023

Question: If an asthmatic patient uses an inhaler while fasting, would the fast be broken? If the fast is ruled invalid, will the Qazaa be necessary or will paying the Fidyah be sufficient?

Answer: There are different kinds of asthma patients:

One type of asthma patient uses these inhalers at night and can spend the day normally while fasting. On days when such people observe fasts, inhalers are not allowed to be used. If inhalers are used during the daytime without an absolute necessity, both the Qazaa and Kaffarah of the fast are necessary. If these patients need to use the inhalers due to extremely high levels of anxiety, they may do so, but they must perform the Qazaa later.

Patients with serious illnesses who extremely need to use inhalers on fasting days should refrain from fasting; instead, they should fast on days that are convenient for them. If such days are impractical for them and, given their advanced age, if they do not anticipate encountering such days in the future, they should pay Fidyah for fasting. (The specifics of which were detailed on earlier pages)

Question: If a catheter is inserted into the urinary tract of a patient while fasting, will it break the fast or not?

Answer: Inserting a catheter into the urinary tract of a man while fasting will not invalidate the fast, because the medicine will reach the bladder as much as possible from the urinary tract and there is no orifice [Manfaz] between the bladder and the stomach. It is mentioned in Bahar-e-Shariat in these words:

If a male inserts water or oil into the opening via which he discharges urine (i.e. inside the urethra), then in this case the fast will not break, even if it reaches the bladder. The fast will be broken if a female drops this (water or oil) into the private part. [Alamgiri, cited in Bahar-e-Shariat, vol.5, p.98]

The fast will be broken if a female places a piece of cotton wool (or other similar objects) entirely inside her private area. It won't break the fast if a dry finger is inserted into the anus or a female inserts a dry finger into her private area. If the finger was wet or had anything applied to it, then this will break the fast provided that it was inserted in the area of the anus where the end of the clyster is placed when performing an enema. [Alamgiri, cited in Bahar-e-Shariat, vol.5, p.986]

Question: Will a fast be broken or not if someone who is fasting administers an enema to cure haemorrhoids or relieve constipation?

Answer: As an enema involves injecting medication into the anus, it is a more advanced form of injection. As a result, if he conducts an enema while fasting, his fast will be invalid and he will require performing the Qazaa of the fast.

Question: If heart patients are fasting, can taking a pill under their tongue invalidate their fast or not?

Answer: Investigation revealed that when a pill is placed beneath the tongue, it dissolves in the mouth and mixes with saliva. As the saliva passes down the throat, the taste of the dissolved pill may then be tasted. Hence, it was decided by consensus that if such a pill was placed under the tongue while fasting and it had been dissolved and saliva had been ingested, the fast would be regarded as being invalid.

A similar view has been described in Bahar-e-Shariat as follows:

The fast is broken if someone swallows saliva after putting sugar or something similar in their mouth, which dissolves when kept in the mouth. Similarly, the fast will be broken if a particle the size of a Chana or larger was stuck between the teeth and was eaten, if it was smaller but was taken out of the mouth and then eaten, or if blood came out of the teeth and flowed into the throat and the blood was equal to, or more than, the saliva, and its taste could be felt in the throat. And if it was less (than this) and the throat didn't even feel its taste, the fast won't be broken. [Durr-e-Mukhtar, cited in Bahar-e-Shariat, vol.5, p.986]

Question: Does artificial anaesthesia or numbness invalidates fast or not? And if the unconsciousness lasts for two or three days, what is the ruling for a person in that case?

Answer: On this point, all Ulama agree that unconsciousness itself does not invalidate the fast, whether the unconsciousness is created artificially or not. Absolutely, the judgements may vary depending on the origins and sources of artificial anaesthesia. For instance, if artificial anaesthesia is administered via injection, the fast will not be invalid because nothing will enter through the primary orifice [Manfaz-e-Asali] into the stomach in that scenario, as stated in the response to question number 2.

And if gas is inhaled by the nose through a cylinder or delivered through the mouth to create artificial anaesthesia, this will invalidate the fast because the anaesthesia will undoubtedly enter the throat or brain through the nose or mouth in these circumstances.

Now, if the anaesthesia is prolonged, the first fast will still be valid and the Qazaa will be required for the remaining days if the anaesthesia is administered by injection. However, if the anaesthesia is administered by delivering gas to the throat or brain through a cylinder, the Qazaa will be required for the entire duration of the anaesthesia.

Question: Is it permissible to take a blood test while fasting, or to donate blood to a blood bank, or to donate blood to save someone's life in an emergency or not?

Answer: There are three parts to this question: 1) taking a blood test while fasting, 2) donating blood to a blood bank and 3) saving someone's life in an emergency. Their answers are as follows:

(1) There is no problem with taking a blood test when fasting because it just requires a small volume of blood and there is no risk of becoming weak. Hence, this is permissible.

(2) It is prohibited and Makrooh to donate blood at a blood bank when fasting since doing so results in the removal of 250 to 300 millilitres of blood, which raises serious concerns that doing so will weaken the person who is fasting.

(3) In the same manner that one's personal needs are recognized in the Shariat, the needs of other Muslims are also acknowledged, hence it is permissible to give blood during a fast in order to save a life. Yes, furthermore, it will be Makrooh to donate blood while fasting if a non-fasting individual is discovered to do so and his blood is sufficient for the patient. It will also be Makrooh to do so during the day if there is space to donate blood even at night.

It is mentioned in Bahar-e-Shariat:

It is impermissible to engage in activities during Ramadan that render one so weak that they feel there is a high likelihood of breaking the Fast. Hence, a baker should only work until noon, after which he should relax the rest of the day. [Durr-e-Mukhtar] This order also applies to labourers, workers, and people who work physically demanding jobs. If there is a chance of getting really weak, one should reduce their workload and observe fasts. (Bahar-e-Shariat, Vol.5, p.998)

It is mentioned in Fatawa Razawiyyah:

The needs of other Muslims have also been taken into account, just as personal needs are respected. For instance,

(a) If a person is performing Salah on the bank of a river and someone starts to drown, the person performing Salah must break his intention of Salah and rush to save the person. This is valid even if it is forbidden to cancel an act (like Salah) because Allah Almighty said: "Do not cancel your acts."

(b) If the person performing Salah rushes to assist a person who is in danger of drowning, the time allotted for prayer will expire, he must save the drowning person first and then perform the Qazaa prayer in its place, even though it is forbidden to conduct the Qazaa on purpose.

(c) If someone is performing Salah while a blind person approaches a well and is about to fall into the well, then it is permissible for him to break the intention of Salah and compulsory to warn the blind person.

(Continued)

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Mufti Abdul Malik Misbahi is the author of multiple books. He has also lectured and held positions such as Mufti, Shaykhul Hadith, president, founder, and director at a number of institutions, including Darul Uloom Ghousia in Hubli, Karnataka, and Darul Uoom Solemaniya Rahmaniya in Bikaner Darul Uloom Reza-e-Mustafa, Bihar, Madrasa Shah Khalid, Vanwa Libo Muslim League, Fiji (near Australia), Madina Educational Society, Rajasthan. He currently holds the positions of Mufti in the Sunni Darul Ifta in the Madina Masjid, General Secretary of the Raza Foundation, Director of the Darain Academy, Founder of the Afkar-e- Raza Institution, and Chief Editor of the Do-Maahi Raza-e-Madina (Urdu, Hindi) in Azadnagar, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.