Can You Put Eye Drops While Fasting?

Question: 22199

If the bitter taste of eye drops enters the throat, does it break the fast? If you put the eye drops in during the day and then go to sleep, and do not know whether you swallowed it, what is the ruling?

Summary of answer

The view favored by Ibn Taymiyyah is that putting eye drops while fasting does not break your fast.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

The scholars differed concerning eye drops and whether or not they break the fast .

The view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin, is that they do not break the fast.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin said:

“Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was of the view that kohl does not break the fast, not even if the taste of the kohl reaches the throat. He said, this is not called food or drink, and it is not like food or drink, and it does not have the same effect as food or drink.

There is no sahih hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which expressly indicates that kohl breaks the fast, and the basic principle is that it does not break the fast. An act of worship remains valid unless it is proven that it is invalidated. What he said is correct, even if a person can taste it in his throat. Based on the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam, if a person puts drops in his eyes whilst fasting and tastes it in his throat, that does not break his fast.” (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 6/382)

And Allah knows best.

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