Source: Fatāwā Arkan-e-Islam
What is the Shar‘i ruling on applying kohl (surmah) and using eye or ear drops while fasting? Does this affect the fast?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
✔ There is no harm in applying surmah (کحل) while fasting.
✔ Similarly, using drops in the eye or ear during the fast is permissible, even if their taste is felt in the throat.
◈ These substances:
✔ Are not considered food or drink,
✔ Do not fall under the category of nourishment,
✔ And thus, do not invalidate the fast.
❖ The only prohibited things during fasting are acts that involve eating, drinking, or their equivalents.
Therefore, applying kohl or using non-digestive medicinal drops cannot be treated as breaking the fast.
The great scholar Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) also held this view —
that kohl and similar non-nutritive applications do not affect the validity of the fast,
and this is considered the correct and sound opinion.
⚠ However, if someone uses nasal drops and the medicine reaches the stomach,
➤ In that case, the fast is broken.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«بَالِغْ فِي الاسْتِنْشَاقِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ صَائِمًا»
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ḥadīth: 142; Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Ḥadīth: 87)
“Exaggerate in rinsing the nose — except when you are fasting.”
◈ This Hadith implies caution regarding what enters through the nose while fasting,
as the nose can serve as a direct path to the stomach.
The fast remains valid when using surmah, eye or ear drops.
⚠ Use caution with nasal applications, as they can invalidate the fast if the substance reaches the stomach.
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
✦ The Question
What is the Shar‘i ruling on applying kohl (surmah) and using eye or ear drops while fasting? Does this affect the fast?
✦ Shar‘i Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
✔ There is no harm in applying surmah (کحل) while fasting.
✔ Similarly, using drops in the eye or ear during the fast is permissible, even if their taste is felt in the throat.
✦ Reasoning:
◈ These substances:
✔ Are not considered food or drink,
✔ Do not fall under the category of nourishment,
✔ And thus, do not invalidate the fast.
❖ The only prohibited things during fasting are acts that involve eating, drinking, or their equivalents.
Therefore, applying kohl or using non-digestive medicinal drops cannot be treated as breaking the fast.
✦ Statement of Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله):
The great scholar Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) also held this view —
that kohl and similar non-nutritive applications do not affect the validity of the fast,
and this is considered the correct and sound opinion.
✦ Exception: Nasal Drops
⚠ However, if someone uses nasal drops and the medicine reaches the stomach,
➤ In that case, the fast is broken.
✦ Evidence:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«بَالِغْ فِي الاسْتِنْشَاقِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ صَائِمًا»
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ḥadīth: 142; Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Ḥadīth: 87)
“Exaggerate in rinsing the nose — except when you are fasting.”
◈ This Hadith implies caution regarding what enters through the nose while fasting,
as the nose can serve as a direct path to the stomach.
✔ Conclusion:
| Application Type | Ruling During Fast | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kohl (Surmah) | Permissible | No issue, even if some taste is felt |
| Eye drops | Permissible | No harm, even if taste reaches throat |
| Ear drops | Permissible | Valid — ear is not a digestive pathway |
 Nasal drops (reaching stomach) | Breaks the fast | Should be avoided while fasting |
The fast remains valid when using surmah, eye or ear drops.⚠ Use caution with nasal applications, as they can invalidate the fast if the substance reaches the stomach.
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
