Does smelling menthol or feeling the steam from food invalidate the fast?

· 3 Shaʻban 1446 AH1 min readFatwa 40523English

Question

Assalaam o Alaikum If i apply a menthol based pain reliever medicated cream to another person does it affect my fast if I can smell the smell of menthol while doing so? While cooking food, there is so much steam coming out of food and we can feel it when cooking near the pot, does it affect the fast?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

As-salaamu `alaykum wa-ramatullahi wa-barakatuh.

The smell of menthol or feeling the steam of food will not invalidate ones fast.[1]

And Allah Ta`ala Knows Best.

Hussein Muhammad.

Student Darul Iftaa

Arusha, Tanzania

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1]

الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار (ص: 145)

(أو دخل حلقه)

غبار أو ذباب أو دخان) ولو ذاكرا استحسانا لعدم إمكان التحرز عنه، ومفاده أنه لو أدخل حلقه الدخان أفطر، أي دخان كان ولو عودا أو عنبرا لو ذاكرا لامكان التحرز عنه،

النهر الفائق شرح كنز الدقائق (2/ 17)

(أو دخل حلقه) أي: الصائم (غبار أو ذباب وهو) أي: والحال أنه (ذاكر لصومه) لم يفطر وهذا في الذباب استحسان والقياس فطره وجه الاستحسان أنه لا يمكن الاحتراز منه فأشبه الغبار والدخان ونظيره

تحفة الفقهاء (1/ 353)

وَكَذَلِكَ لَو دخل الْغُبَار أَو دخل الدُّخان أَو الرَّائِحَة فِي حلقه لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُمكنهُ الِامْتِنَاع عَنهُ فَيكون فِي معنى النَّاس

بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 90)

وَلَوْ دَخَلَ الْغُبَارُ أَوْ الدُّخَانُ أَوْ الرَّائِحَةُ فِي حَلْقَةِ لَمْ يُفْطِرْهُ، لِمَا قُلْنَا.

Answered by
Hussein Muhammad
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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