Use of an inhaler and steam treatment while fasting Fatwa No: 86754
- Fatwa Date:25-1-2004
My mother is chronic asthma patient, but she keeps the fast regularly. While fasting sometimes she has to use inhalers or steam to regulate her breathing. Does this affect her fast? I would like to know which school of Fiqh do you follow when answering the questions? Do you follow Shiite scholars or otherwise?
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
It appears that taking inhalations for Asthma breaks the fast because it is a solution that reaches the throat, and therefore it will undoubtedly reach the stomach. If the fasting person is in need of using such a medicine during the day, in the same way a patient is in need of taking a medicine (either by drinking or eating it), he is allowed to break the fast and make up for each day he broke the fast.
We mentioned that this is what appears to be because the texts of scholars all agree that any solution that reaches the throat is considered as a solution that reaches the stomach, and anything that reaches the stomach deliberately by mouth breaks the fast.
As regards our Mathhab (methodology), all the Muftis in Islamweb belong to Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa'h in creed and in subdivisions (branches). The rulings in Islamweb are not bound to any particular school; rather they are given according to the most preponderant answers of the scholars based on Islamic jurisdiction evidence.
Allaah Knows best.