Answered by: Maulana Mohammed Haroon Hussain
Question:
Please confirm that merely inhaling the vapour/fumes from Vicks or any other decongestant would not nullify the fast as it has no perceptible body or mass.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
One must not breathe in the vapour from Vicks or any other decongestant as it will break the fast1. This is especially true if it is put into the nose or sniffed up from the nose. The bottom line is that if smoke/vapour reaches the throat, it will break the fast2. This will be the case even if it is Oud/Anbar which produces smoke that reaches the throat3. This is not the same as the smelling of flowers or scented water or musk etc because there is a difference between air which has been fragranced with musk and it is like and between smoke/fumes reaching the person’s throat by his own action (sniffing it/inhaling it intentionally)4.
Therefore, one must avoid it.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Mohammed Haroon Hussain
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
1 فتاوى دار العلوم ديوبند – جلد 6 – ص 264 – دوا سونگنے سے روزہ ٹوٹتا ہے یا نہیں – دار الاشاعت كراتشي
2 ولو أدخل حلقه الدخان أفطر أيَّ دُخانٍ كانَ ولَوْ عُودًا أوْ عَنْبَرًا لَهُ ذاكِرًا لِإمْكانِ التَّحَرُّزِ عَنْهُ
3 أيْ بِأيِّ صُورَةٍ كانَ الإدْخالُ، حَتّى لَوْ تَبَخَّرَ بِبَخُورٍ وآواهُ إلى نَفَسِهِ واشْتَمَّهُ ذاكِرًا لِصَوْمِهِ أفْطَرَ لِإمْكانِ التَّحَرُّزِ عَنْهُ وهَذا مِمّا يَغْفُلُ عَنْهُ كَثِيرٌ مِن النّاسِ
4 ولا يُتَوَهَّمُ أنَّهُ كَشَمِّ الوَرْدِ ومائِهِ والمِسْكِ لِوُضُوحِ الفَرْقِ بَيْنَ هَواءٍ تَطَيَّبَ بِرِيحِ المِسْكِ وشِبْهِهِ وبَيْنَ جَوْهَرِ دُخانٍ وصَلَ إلى جَوْفِهِ بِفِعْلِهِ إمْدادٌ
رد المحتار – جلد 3 – ص 520 – كتاب الصوم – باب ما يفسد الصوم وما لا يفسده – دار الحديث القاهرة