such as to his brain or throat, and the like, of what penetrates to his stomach, if it reaches it by his choice and is of a nature that can be avoided. This applies whether it reaches from the mouth in the customary manner or in an uncustomary manner, such as through a wajur (medicine poured into the throat) or a ladud (medicine poured into one side of the mouth), or from the nose as with nasal drops (sa'ut), or what enters from the ear to the brain, or what enters from the eye to the throat like kohl, or what enters the interior from the anus via an enema, or what reaches the interior from treating a ja'ifah (a wound reaching the body cavity), or from medication for a ma'mumah (a wound reaching the brain). All of this breaks the fast, because it is reaching his interior by his choice, so it resembles eating. The same applies if he wounds himself, or another wounds him by his choice, and it reaches his interior, whether it settles in his interior or returns and exits from it. Imam al-Shafi'i held this view. Malik said: One does not break the fast by nasal drops (sa'ut) unless it descends to the throat, and one does not break the fast if one treats a ma'mumah or a ja'ifah wound. There is a difference in the transmission from him regarding the enema, and he argued that nothing of it reaches the throat, so it resembles that which reaches neither the brain nor the interior. Our position is that it is something reaching the interior of the fasting person by his choice, so it breaks the fast, just like that which reaches the throat. The brain is an interior space, and what reaches it nourishes it, so it breaks the fast, just like the body's interior.
Section: As for kohl, if one finds its taste in the throat, or knows it has reached it, it breaks the fast; otherwise, it does not. Imam Ahmad explicitly stated this. Ibn Abi Musa said: Whatever one finds the taste of, such as dust-like medicine (dharur), aloe (sabir), or liquid drops (qatur), breaks the fast. If one applies a small amount of non-perfumed antimony (ithmid) kohl,
(18) Al-Wajur: Medicine poured into the throat. (19) Al-Ladud: Medicine poured, using a specialized applicator, into one side of the mouth. (20) Al-Ja'ifah: A wound that reaches the interior cavity of the body. (21) Al-Ma'mumah: A wound that reaches the membrane of the brain, which is the most severe type of head wound. (22) Meaning: The transmission from him is disputed. (23) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, after mentioning the disagreement among scholars regarding kohl, enemas, drops in the urethra, and treating ma'mumah and ja'ifah wounds: The more apparent view is that one does not break the fast by any of these. He supported this position of his with a lengthy discussion; refer to it in al-Fatawa 25/233-237.
