Answered by: Maulana Mustafa Umar
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah
Alhamdulillah, I fast regularly every Ramadhan. For the last many years I get recurrent episodes of reflux. This means stomach contents appear in the lower throat. I feel the taste in my mouth. It is not full vomit. Just some taste appears in my throat. Despite good effort no food particle or any digestive fluid comes out in spit, Only saliva comes out.
Occasionally I feel very tiny particles of food are stuck in my throat but I am unable to take those out in spit. Such reflux events occur quite frequently may be from 50-100 times per day. I have tried some medicines but to no avail. My question is does this reflux of stomach contents coming in my throat invalidate my fast? If yes what is the solution? And what about previous fasts for many years?
Answer:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
In the aforementioned situation, as no food particles came out, your fast will remain intact.[1]
The feeling of having tiny food particles stuck in your throat may be uncomfortable but does not affect the fast either. I ask Allah to cure you from this difficulty.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Mustafa Umar
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] See ʿAlāuddīn al-Kāsānī [d. 587 AH], Badāiʿaṣ-ṢanāiʿfīTartīb ash-Sharāiʿ (DarulḤadīth, Cairo 2004), 2:624; Ibn ʿĀbidīn [d. 1252/1836], RaddulMuḥtārʿalā d-Durr ul-Mukhtār (DarulMaʿrifah, Bayrūt 2015), 3:450.