Do Ear Drops Invalidate One’s Fast?

Answered by Sidi Waseem Hussain

Question

Nose-drops and ear-drops are mentioned as breaking the fast, but is it a condition that the drops reach the body cavity (jawf) or brain? This would almost certainly never happen with ear drops, as there is a barrier between the ear and the main body cavity.

Answer

It is a condition that the ear drops reach the body cavity.

What you are referring to is a sound observation, based on modern-day medical evidence. Classically the scholars mention the ear as being an invalidating entry point, from which a substance would reach the body cavity. However, modern-day medicine negates any such connection, unless there is a hole in the eardrum.

As such ear-drops would not invalidate the fast unless one has a hole in the eardrum.

However, as a precaution, one should avoid using ear drops while fasting. [Rafi Usmani, Dawabit al-Mufattirat]

Wassalam,
[Ustadh] Waseem Hussain
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani 

Sidi Waseem Hussain attained an M.Sc. in Engineering, concentrating on international technology management. He studied the Islamic sciences in Amman for a number of years, with particular emphasis on fiqh, hadith, and ‘aqida. He is the founder of the Danish Islamic Q&A service www.haya.dk. He currently lives in Denmark with his wife.