Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As Ramadhan Kareem is approaching I would like the answer to the following qn.
I have read in one of your answers that injection does have a bearing on validity of fast and the fast is valid on taking injection.If this is so people would take injections containing vitamins and other minerals, glucose etc. and it would be easy to fast.
Is it that the fast breaks only if something goes in thru the mouth or is it that if anything enters the body the fast breaks.
If injection is allowed then people would apply balms for pain, perfume, use makeup including lipstick and also smoke.
I thought that the fast was to keep muslims away from all this.A person should be so engrossed in the way of Allah by doing good deeds that he/she should not get evil thoughts. 

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Answer:

Fast and injections

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

There are five things which will break or invalidate the fast:

Eating

Drinking

Sexual intercourse

voluntary semen discharge

the menstruation of the woman while fasting

In one in need of medical attention takes an injection, it would not invalidate his fast in any way.

Your Question: If this is so people would take injections containing vitamins and other minerals, glucose etc. and it would be easy to fast.
The person who keeps the fast, abstaining from the halaal rizk which his Lord has provided him to earn the pleasure of the Merciful Lord, should know that his Lord is indeed The All-Knowing, All-Wise and well aware of the condition of His believing slaves. It would indeed be absolutely inappropriate and unrighteous of a believer to take an injection of vitamins and minerals etc. for no other valid medical reason, but only so that it would become easy for him to fast!

Your Statement: A person should be so engrossed in the way of Allah by doing good deeds that he/she should not get evil thoughts. 

Beloved and dear Sister in Islam, you are absolutely right in your deduction that one should keep the fast in absolute obedience of his Merciful Lord, abstaining from the halaal rizk from dawn to dusk simply because his Lord has commanded him to do so.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 183: O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) ‘Taqwa’ (self-restraint, God-consciousness, fear of Allah, reverence of Allah, etc.)

The guidance of Allah Subhanah in prescribing and ordaining fasts for His believing slaves is that they practice ‘taqwa’ or God-consciousness and self-restraint. By abstaining from even the halaal things for a period of time ordained by his Lord, the believing slave who fasts implies and certifies with his actions that he is ever ready to obey each and every command of his Lord; thus making the abstinence of the things that are declared haraam a foregone conclusion!

Thus if one keeps away from the halaal food and drink while fasting, but does not develop ‘taqwa’ to abstain from evil speech and evil deeds, the Messenger of Allah (saws) declared that such a person got nothing but his fast except thirst and hunger!

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (saws), said: "Allah does not need the fast of one who does not abandon false speech, or acting according to his false speech." Related by Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ahmad.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "Perhaps a fasting person (who does develop ‘taqwa’) will get nothing from his fast save hunger, and perhaps the one who stands to pray at night will get nothing from his standing except sleeplessness."

Related by an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan