06.05.2020

12.09.1441

 

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmathullaahi Wa Barakaathuhu!

 

All Praises are worthy to Allah alone. May Peace and Blessings be showered upon his final Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), his family and companions!

 

There is a consensus among the religious scholars that if anything that could be consumed as food or drink reaches the stomach, the fast is nullified. This ruling is derived from the Holy Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah - Verse 187, and many Ahadith.

 

وَأَجْمَعَ الْعُلَمَاءُ عَلَى الْفِطْرِ بِالْأَكْلِ وَالشُّرْبِ بِمَا يُتَغَذَّى بِهِ، فَأَمَّا مَا لَا يَتَغَذَّى بِهِ، فَعَامَّةُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ عَلَى أَنَّ الْفِطْرَ يَحْصُلُ بِهِ (المغنى لابن قدامة)

 

 Similarly, if materials that cannot be consumed as food (e.g. stones, iron etc.) reach the stomach, the fast would still be nullified. This is also a view shared by the majority of the scholars including those of the four schools of thought (Mad’habs).

 

The following statement by Ibnu Abbas (Rali) is in support of this view:

 

“Fasting is nullified by the introduction of objects into the body (through the openings)” (Saheeh Bukhari).

 

وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَعِكْرِمَةُ الصَّوْمُ مِمَّا دَخَلَ وَلَيْسَ مِمَّا خَرَجَ صحيح البخاري كتاب الصوم - بَابُ الحِجَامَةِ وَالقَيْءِ لِلصَّائِمِ)

 

 Scholars of the Shafie Mad’hab state that if a person who is fasting willingly inserts an object into the mouth, whilst he is concious of his fast, and that object goes beyond the central part of the throat, then the person’s fast would be nullified; similarly if a person who is fasting, inserts any particle through the nose, and if that particle goes beyond the internal nasal cavity (known as Khaishoom), then the person’s fast would be nullified. This is also the view of the scholars of the Hanbali Mad’hab.

(وَأَمَّا) السُّعُوطُ فَإِنْ وَصَلَ إلَى الدِّمَاغِ أَفْطَرَ بِلَا خِلَافٍ قَالَ أَصْحَابُنَا: وَمَا جَاوَزَ الْخَيْشُومَ فِي الِاسْتِعَاطِ فَقَدْ حَصَلَ فِي حد الباطن وَحَصَلَ بِهِ الْفِطْرُ قَالَ أَصْحَابُنَا وَدَاخِلُ الْفَمِ وَالْأَنْفِ إلَى مُنْتَهَى الْغَلْصَمَةِ وَالْخَيْشُومِ لَهُ حُكْمُ الظَّاهِرِ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَشْيَاءِ حَتَّى لَوْ أَخْرَجَ إليه القئ أَوْ ابْتَلَعَ مِنْهُ نُخَامَةً أَفْطَرَ  (المجموع شرح المهذب)

 

ثُمَّ دَاخِلُ الْفَمِ وَالْأَنْفِ إلَى مُنْتَهَى الْغَلْصَمَةِ وَالْخَيْشُومِ لَهُ حُكْمُ الظَّاهِرِ فِي الْإِفْطَارِ بِاسْتِخْرَاجِ الْقَيْءِ إلَيْهِ وَابْتِلَاعِ النُّخَامَةِ مِنْهُ وَعَدَمِهِ بِدُخُولِ شَيْءٍ فِيهِ... قَالَ فِي الْمِصْبَاحِ وَالْغَلْصَمَةُ أَيْ: بِمُعْجَمَةٍ مَفْتُوحَةٍ فَلَامٍ سَاكِنَةٍ فَمُهْمَلَةٍ رَأْسُ الْحُلْقُومِ، وَهُوَ الْمَوْضِعُ النَّاتِئُ فِي الْحَلْقِ وَالْجَمْعُ غَلَاصِمُ وَقَوْلُهُ م ر ثُمَّ دَاخِلُ الْفَمِ أَيْ: إلَى مَا وَرَاءَ مَخْرَجِ الْحَاءِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ وَدَاخِلُ الْأَنْفِ إلَى مَا وَرَاءَ الْخَيَاشِيمِ اهـ وَقَالَ الْكُرْدِيُّ: عَلَى بَافَضْلٍ فَالْخَيْشُومُ جَمِيعُهُ مِنْ الظَّاهِرِ قَالَ فِي الْعُبَابِ وَالْقَصَبَةُ مِنْ الْخَيْشُومِ اهـ وَهِيَ فَوْقَ الْمَارِنِ وَهُوَ مَا لَانَ مِنْ الْأَنْفِ اهـ   (حاشية الشرواني)

 

(قوله: ولا يفطر بوصول إلى باطن قصبة أنف) أي لأنها من الظاهر، وذلك لأن القصبة من الخيشوم، والخيشوم جميعه من الظاهر. (قوله: حتى يجاوز منتهى الخيشوم) أي فإن جاوزه أفطر، ومتى لم يجاوز لا يفطر.(وقوله: وهو) أي المنتهى.(إعانة الطالبين)

 

The view expressed by the scholars of the Hanafi Mad’hab is that, the fast would be nullified only if the inserted object is concealed fully into the body; thus, if a portion of it is still visible or is inserted and taken out, the fast wouldn’t be nullified. The scholars of the Maliki Mad’hab are of the view that, if any solid particles reach the throat, the fast won’t be nullified, except if it reaches the stomach.

(قَوْلُهُ: وَكَذَا لَوْ ابْتَلَعَ خَشَبَةً) أَيْ عُودًا مِنْ خَشَبٍ إنْ غَابَ فِي حَلْقِهِ أَفْطَرَ وَإِلَّا فَلَا (قَوْلُهُ: مُفَادُهُ) أَيْ مُفَادُ مَا ذُكِرَ مَتْنًا وَشَرْحًا وَهُوَ أَنَّ مَا دَخَلَ فِي الْجَوْفِ إنْ غَابَ فِيهِ فَسَدَ وَهُوَ الْمُرَادُ بِالِاسْتِقْرَارِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَغِبْ بَلْ بَقِيَ طَرَفٌ مِنْهُ فِي الْخَارِجِ أَوْ كَانَ مُتَّصِلًا بِشَيْءٍ خَارِجٍ لَا يَفْسُدُ لِعَدَمِ اسْتِقْرَارِهِ (رد المحتار على الدر المختار)

Hence, according to the views of the scholars of the Hanafi Mad’hab, the COVID 19 Screening test, which is carried out by inserting a swab through the nose or mouth to take out a sample of Secretions, doesn’t invalidate the fast. The views of the scholars of the Maliki Mad’hab would also be the same, as nothing reaches stomach.

 

وَاحْتُرِزَ بِالْمَائِعِ عَنْ غَيْرِهِ كَحَصَاةٍ وَدِرْهَمٍ فَوُصُولُهُ لِلْحَلْقِ لَا يُفْسِدُ بَلْ لِلْمَعِدَةِ. ِ(حاشية الصاوي على الشرح الصغير)

 

As far as the views of the scholars of the Shafi’e Mad’hab are concerned, since the swab inserted through the mouth and nose for the COVID 19 Screening test does not go beyond the limits mentioned above (which has also been confirmed by the experts in this field), such a testing procedure will not invalidate the fast.

 

However, if it is proved with certainty that this instrument goes beyond the above mentioned limits, the fast will be nullified. The missed fast should be made up for on another day.

 

وفى نهاية المحتاج فى مسألة مضغ العلك للصائم: فَإِنْ تَيَقَّنَ وُصُولَ بَعْضِ جُرْمِهِ عَمْدًا إلَى جَوْفِهِ أَفْطَرَ وَحِينَئِذٍ يَحْرُمُ مَضْغُهُ، بِخِلَافِ مَا إذَا شَكَّ أَوْ وَصَلَ طَعْمُهُ أَوْ رِيحُهُ لِأَنَّهُ مُجَاوِرٌ، وَكَالْعِلْكِ فِي ذَلِكَ اللِّبَانُ الْأَبْيَضُ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَوْ أَصَابَهُ الْمَاءُ يَبِسَ وَاشْتَدَّ كُرِهَ مَضْغُهُ وَإِلَّا حَرُمَ.

We kindly urge the Muslims to fully cooperate with the relevant officials in this regard.

 

Allah the Almighty is the All Knowing.

 

 

Ash Sheikh M.L.M Ilyas

Secretary - Fatwa Committee

All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama

 

Ash Sheikh I.L.M Hashim Soori

Supervisor - Fatwa Division

All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama

 

Ash Sheikh M.M.A Mubarak

Secretary

All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama

 

Ash Sheikh Mufti M.I.M Rizwe

President

All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama