Taking injections during Fasting ; It is permissible to take injections (any kind: i.e intramuscular, intravenous, joint cavities etc etc) whilst fasting. This does not break your fast. Likewise intravenous drips of medication, glucose or anything else do not break your fast!
Why?
We come back to the same rule I’ve stated over and over again:
Only if the ‘ayn/original matter (I.e the actual food, medicine, etc) enters the stomach (not its effects) via large holes/orifices (not pores or pore like structures), only then will the fast be rendered invalid and broken. Stated by all classical fuqaha.
Based on this, an injection delivers medication to the blood stream, or muscle or joint etc where it then perform its function either at the injection site or around the body through distribution via the bloodstream and vascular system. It DOES NOT ENTER THE STOMACH itself. If anything does enter the stomach it is not the ‘ayn (original matter) but the effects (if at all).
Therefore according to the principle above stated by all classical scholars and texts, the use of injections does not break the fast. The original matter does not enter the stomach!
Some modern scholars have ruled that injections, drips, etc do break the fast and they use the reason that the injection, drop etc provides sustenance/energy/strength to immune system etc etc which is what the effects of food are also (sustaining and energising the body etc) and on this basis they have said injections break the fast.
It must be noted that this reason does not conform to the rulings of the classical scholars and texts who all state the principle above. As long as this principle is adopted then injections cannot break the fast. In order to accept the ruling of the modern scholars who state injections do break the fast, it would be necessary to reject the principle stated by the classical fuqaha or to make it mansookh (abrogate it). Alternatively the principle would need amending. Is there any one in the modern world who can do this? If there is, let them bring their evidence forward.
Answer adapted from bahrur ra’iq, durr e mukhtar, radd Ul muhtar et al and summarised from ‘Rafiq u sa’imeen’ by Mufti Azam Pakistan, Mufti Rafiq Al Hasni.
Allah ﷻ & His Rasool ﷺ know best.
By Shaykh Abu Yusha Yasin
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