Do suppositories break the fast?

Detailed answer

Many contemporary scholars hold that a medicinal suppository does not break the fast. It is not food or drink, it does not enter through the mouth, and it does not nourish the body. If your doctor has prescribed one, you can use it and continue fasting. There is no need to feel awkward about asking: questions about the body and worship were asked openly in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Many earlier scholars held that anything inserted into the rectum breaks the fast, and some scholars still follow that view; if you are unsure, use the suppository after iftar or ask a trusted local scholar.

Why many scholars say it does not break the fast

The Quran describes the fast as holding back from eating, drinking and intimate relations from dawn until night (Al-Baqarah 2:187). Scholars who say suppositories do not break the fast point out that they are not eaten or drunk and do not do the job of food or drink. They treat them like injections and other medicines that do not nourish.

Vaginal pessaries and examinations

Vaginal pessaries, internal examinations and similar medical procedures also do not break the fast according to many contemporary scholars, for the same reason.

In practice

• If the timing is flexible, use the suppository after iftar or before Fajr. This avoids the difference of opinion completely.
• If you must use it during the day, you can rely on the view that it does not break the fast. Or, if you are unwell, you can take the permission for the sick not to fast and make up the day later.
• Enemas, which put a larger amount of liquid into the bowel, are treated more strictly by many scholars. If you need one during the day, make up the day to be safe, or ask a scholar.

Your health comes first

Never skip or delay a prescribed treatment to keep a fast. Allah says: "Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you" (Al-Baqarah 2:185). Follow your doctor's advice, ideally a doctor who understands fasting, and ask whether a different timing or form of the medicine is possible. See also taking medication in Ramadan.