[0:00]A brother has asked a question regarding some Hanafis who don't fast in the month of Ramadan because they are diabetic and they have to take insulin injections during fasting hours. Now remember, first of all, according to the original position of the Hanafis, injections do not invalidate the fast irrespective of whether they are intramuscular or intravenous injections. The ruling is the same whether the substance is injected into the veins or muscles. If the injection contains nourishment or provides nutrition or medicine, in the Hanafi school, the fast won't be invalidated as long as the insulin is not directly injected into the stomach. So for example, if insulin is injected into the arms of a diabetic person, then that would not invalidate the fast of a Hanafi. So my advice to such Hanafis would be to follow the general majority position of the Hanafi school. Observe your fasts and do not be deprived of the fasting during the blessed month of Ramadan only because you have to have an injection. Remember, according to the Hadith of Rasullah Sallahu Alaihi Wasallam in Sunan Abi Dawud, Tirmizi and Sunan An-Nasai, whoever breaks his one fast during the month of Ramadan without a valid excuse, he will never be able to attain that reward of that one fast, even if that person was to fast throughout his lifetime. And according to Saiduna Ali, this is not only for the one who breaks the fast, even if you miss one fast in the month of Ramadan, you can never make up for the blessings of that one fast, even if you were to fast throughout your lifetime. Obviously, you would have to make for the fast. That is to fulfill the obligation, but the same reward can never be attained. Undoubtedly, that would be a great loss for a true believer who understands the significance of the fast of Ramadan. So my advice to those Hanafis who have to have an injection in the month of Ramadan during the fasting hours is to continue with the fast. Injections do not invalidate the fast in the Hanafi school. Now regarding the narration of ibn Abbas in Sahih al-Bukhari, that which means the fast is invalidated by whatever enters, not what exits. Now what is meant by whatever enters into the body? There is a different understanding of the scholars of of the regarding these Hadith. The Shafi'i say that whatever enters from the natural apertures or the normal routes of entry into into the digestive tract, such as the mouth or the nose, if the food, drink or invalidating substance enters from the natural openings into the body, the fast will be invalidated. But if anything enters from the pores in the skin or the muscles, that will not invalidate the fast. And if the substance, the food or the medication is delivered directly into the bloodstream by being injected into the veins, regarding such intravenous injections, there are two valid positions of the Shafi'i. And on both sides, there are major scholars of the Shafi'i school. A group of the Shafi'i believe that intravenous injections invalidate the fast. And the other group of the Shafi'i, they are of the opinion that that injections into the veins do not invalidate the fast. And as I said that on both sides you have major scholars of the Shafi'i school. Now some scholars say that if the injected substance does not provide nutrition, and it is only given as medicine, that does not invalidate the fast. That's another position. As far as the Hanafi school is concerned, in the Hanafi school, the condition for the invalidation of the fast is that the invalidating substance must enter from a natural opening. The natural orifices or the original pathways into the body, such as the mouth or the nose or the eyes, and I will explain later why eyes are included in this. Even though we believe that does not break the fast. I will explain that in detail later inshallah. Now according to the Hanafi school, these roots of entry, these, these pathways into the body, they must also be connected to the digestive tract, which is the throat, the esophagus, the stomach and the small and large intestines. The food or the drink that enters from the from one of the natural openings of the body must reach one of these belonging to the digestive system. So if the food or drink or any invalidating substance enters from one of the roots of entry into the body and reaches one of the organs belonging to the digestive system, only then the fast will be invalidated. And if the invalidating substance enters into the body from such an artificial opening that is not connected to the digestive system, like a drip or an injection into the arm, and the invalidating substance does not reach the digestive system, in the Hanafi school this will not invalidate the fast. The fast will only be invalidated if the invalidating substance enters from the from those pathways which are connected to the digestive system, such as the mouth, which is that, that natural root of entry, that natural pathway which is connected to the throat, which is part of the digestive tract. So from this we understand that these injections will not invalidate the fast. And this is explained in the Haya of ibn Abidin. It is mentioned in Radul Muhtar.
[5:43]What invalidates the fast is only that which enters from the. This is the Hanafi understanding of the Hadith that state that the fast is invalidated from whatever enters into the body. According to the Hanafis, the Hadith doesn't mean that anything that enters from any part of the body that will invalidate the fast. Otherwise if one rubs oil on the body, that also enters into the body from the, the oil enters into the body from the pores in the skin, and it also gives energy to the body, but the application of oil unanimously does not break the fast. Similarly, you will find in the books of that the sting of a venomous snake does not break the fast. Why? Because the venom enters into the body from an unnatural, a created pathway or a route of entry into the body by the bite of the snake. Whereas the fast is only invalidated when the invalidating substance enters from one of the and reaches the organs belonging to the digestive system. So this is why according to the principles of the Hanafi school, such injections in the arm or in the legs or the thighs or muscles or even in the veins, they do not invalidate the fast. So that's the, the valid, the reliable position in the Hanafi school for those of you who have to take injections on a regular basis, or one-off injection or those who complain that my vaccination date is booked in the month of Ramadan and I will not fast on that day. Remember this principle, in the Hanafi school, the fast is only invalidated when the food, drink or medication enters from the natural openings and reaches the digestive system. Now remember, if you have a choice between having an injection during the fasting hours of Ramadan and after sunset, or even to have the injection after the month of Ramadan. Then in that case it would be, it would be more rewarding for the Hanafi to have the injection after sunset or after the month of Ramadan. Now why is that? Because remember, for validly disputed matters, the principle is that it is, it is praiseworthy, there is a greater reward in following that position, the implementation of which fulfills the obligation according to all the. So in this case if you have the option of having the injection after sunset or after the month of Ramadan, and you delay it till after Ramadan to avoid the of the, your fast in this case will be accepted according to all the. And there's greater in this, but that's if you have a choice, if you don't have the option, and if you are a Hanafi, then you must fast and have an injection rather than not fasting at all. Now there is another recent position of some Hanafi scholars, which has become quite famous among some Hanafis who don't fast because they have to take an injection in the month of Ramadan. They follow the position that the fast is invalidated by having an injection. Now some of these respectable Hanafi, they argue that to be given medication or nutrients via injections comes under the same ruling as consuming food and drink. They claim that they see no difference between the two. Remember when the stomach digests food, the carbohydrate in the food breaks down into glucose. And then the stomach and the intestines, they they absorb the glucose, and the glucose enters into the bloodstream. Now some of these Hanafi, they argue that if the same glucose is directly delivered into the bloodstream, this should also break the fast as this ultimately gives the same result, as the food entering from the mouth and going through the process of digestion. Now that's their opinion. And as I said that this is a recent position held by some of our Sunni Hanafi scholars. And it is not the position of the majority of the traditional Hanafi scholars. Now some people misuse this position, and they end up not fasting on that day of Ramadan when they have to have an injection. And they say that since the injection will invalidate our fast, therefore we will not fast now. And we will do, we will make up for this fast sometime after Ramadan. Now this would be a great loss for a true believer who understands the significance of the fast of the month of Ramadan. Remember, I want to make one point very clear. Obviously, we will never permit people to take an injection or a drip for nourishment or just to gain some energy. That defeats the purpose of sum. But if someone has a medical reason or any other valid excuse to have an injection, then that need should not deprive that person from the blessings of the fast of the month of Ramadan. Even if that Hanafi followed the opinion that injections invalidate the fast. In these circumstances, such a person should follow the original position of the Hanafi school.
[10:21]This person should observe some, this person should fast, and in this case, the injection will not invalidate the fast. And there is no expiation, there is no required for this. This would be closer to for such people, rather than not fasting at all on that day of Ramadan when it is necessary for them to have an injection. And I recommend this only for those Hanafis who have adopted and accepted this as a reliable position in the Hanafi school that they fast will be invalidated by having an injection. However, those who follow the original position of the Hanafi school that the fast is not invalidated by drips and injections, they don't have to make or because their fast is valid according to the actual majority position of the Hanafi school.
