Is my fast broken with nasal spray? what should I do? Is there any Fidya?
Question:
I have a certain issue that i want to share with you and would like to seek your opinion and guidance to the matter
I have a major issue with my nose getting blocked very often. I had visited an ENT specialist and he gave me a spray known as XYLOLIN ADULT NASAL SPRAY. So actually what happens is that I have to spray every 3 to 4 hours in both my nostrils otherwise both nostrils would get severely blocked. The blockage is so severe that I can’t do anything or rather I can’t operate as my brains would stop working until I spray twice per nostril.
I have been fasting over the whole month of Ramadhan, however I have also been spraying at the same time with the fear that my fasts are not valid as some liquid from the spray passes down the throat.
I have also several times tried to only spray before closing My fasts and then not spraying again but by10 am in the morning, my nostrils become so severely blocked that I am forced to spray the medicine otherwise I can’t operate. I am sure you are aware that I am a business man and have to work during the day and find my daily bread and butter so therefore I have no choice but to use the spray.
I hAve been to the ENT specialist several times to seek permanent solution and he has finally advised me that a minor surgery has to be Done which am planning to do after ramadhan in INDIA Inshallah.
So my question is that knowing that by spaying my fast get broken, what should I do? Is there any Fidya that applies on me? The fact that I have to spray, and my fasts become null and void, should I continue fasting?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
We had initially mentioned on our website (Here) about using nasal spray during fast:
“Nasal Spray is used for the inner lining of the nose. It is makruh to use an inhaler during fast. If the medication from the nasal spray passes the throat, then the fast is invalidated and a Qadha will have to be kept along with a kaffarah. However, if the spray is used in case of an attack, then only a Qadha will become wajib without kaffarah.”
However, after corresponding with different Muftis and reading further on the matter, hereunder is out retraction from the above fatwa. The mas’ala of using nasal spray while in state of fast will be as follows:
Since Nasal Spray is used for the inner lining of the nose, there is always a chance of its fluid going down the throat. While using a swab or cotton dipped it nasal spray solution can be used to avoid the medication from going beyond the throat, it is nonetheless a process which endangers one’s fast. Hence it is makruh to use a nasal spray during fast. If the medication from the nasal spray passes the throat, then the fast is invalidated and a Qadha will have to be kept. However, no kaffarah needs to be kept. This is due to the fact that application of medication through one’s nose is breaking of the fast in its objective sense (Ma`nan) and not in its outer appearance (Suratan). To understand further about this distinction, please refer to our earlier fatwa Here[1]
In light of above, you must take count of all those fasts wherein, the nasal spray went down the throat, and make qadha’ for them. There is no expiation of kaffarah required for those fasts.[2]
At the same time, I must also advise you that xylolin or other acid based nasal sprays tend to be addictive. This means that the body becomes dependent on them. This is the reason that you are unable to survive more than a few hours without them. The surgery which you have been suggested is most probably are cleansing of your nasal and sinus passages, which is effective in many but not all cases. Nonetheless, you need to take these active measures to fix the problems.
Along with these, you may want to try out breathe easy strips, which are designed to give you nose passage a lift for slightly easy breathing while your sleep. These strips are not a permanent solution, but they are sufficient in many cases to detach one’s body from addiction of such nasal sprays. Once you shed off the nasal sprays, then the treatment will becomes much easier.
We make abundant du’as that Allah Ta’ala keep you steadfast on deen and give you a prolonged shifaa’, Ameen.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal bin Abdul Hameed al-Mahmudi
www.fatwa.ca
[1] https://fatwa.ca/fiqh_usool/could-you-give-a-basic-guideline-as-to-when-does-one-need-to-make-qadha-only-for-a-broken-fast-and-when-does-one-need-to-give-kaffarah-along-with-the-qadha/
(تنبيه) : قال قاضي خان: الحقنة توجب القضاء، وكذا السعوط والوجور والقطور في الأذن أما الحقنة والوجور؛ فلأنه وصل إلى الجوف ما فيه صلاح البدن وفي القطور والسعوط؛ لأنه وصل إلى الرأس ما فيه صلاح البدن، وعن أبي يوسف في السعوط والوجور والحقنة الكفارة؛ لأنه وصل إلى الجوف ما فيه صلاح البدن فكان بمنزلة الأكل والصحيح هو الأول؛ لأن الكفارة موجب الإفطار صورة ومعنى ولم يوجد اهـ. كما في الكافي أي ولم يوجد الموجب للكفارة الذي هو مجموع الإفطار صورة وهو الابتلاع مع المعنى الذي هو نفع الجسد بل أحدهما وهو النفع وبه لا يجب إلا الفطر دون الكفارة (درر الحكام شرح غرر الأحكام (1/ 203))
“أو احتقن أو استعط” الرواية بالفتح فيهما الحقنة صب الدواء في الدبر والسعود صبه في الأنف “أو أوجر” وفسره بقوله “بصب شيء في حلقه” وقوله “على الصحيح” متعلق بالاحتقان وما بعده وهو احتراز عن قول أبي يوسف بوجوب الكفارة وجه الصحيح أن الكفارة موجب الإفطار صورة ومعنى والصورة الابتلاع كما في الكافي وهي منعدمة والنفع المجرد عنها يوجب القضاء فقط(حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح (ص: 672))
ونعني بصورة الأكل، والشرب ومعناهما: إيصال ما يقصد به التغذي أو التداوي إلى جوفه من الفم لأن به يحصل قضاء شهوة البطن على سبيل الكمال.
ونعني بصورة الجماع ومعناه: إيلاج الفرج في القبل لأن كمال قضاء شهوة الفرج لا يحصل إلا به، ولا خلاف في وجوب الكفارة على الرجل بالجماع(بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 98)
(قوله ومن أوجر أو احتقن أو استعط أو أقطر في أذنيه أفطر) الوجور صب الماء أو اللبن أو الدواء في الفم وقوله احتقن بفتح التاء والقاف وهو صب الدواء في الدبر فإن أوجر مكرها أو نائما أفطر ولا كفارة عليه وإن كان طائعا فعليه الكفارة وإن استعط قال أبو يوسف تجب الكفارة.
وقال الطحاوي لا كفارة عليه بالإجماع كذا في الينابيع قال في الهداية لا كفارة عليه لانعدام الصورة يعني في الحقنة والسعوط وقوله أو أقطر في أذنيه يعني الدواء وأما الماء فإنه لا يفطر لعدم الصورة والمعنى بخلاف الدهن.( الجوهرة النيرة على مختصر القدوري (1/ 141))
