What is the ruling of using the nicotine patch in the month of Ramadan?

Answer

Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.

What is the nicotine?

Nicotine is a chemical that contains nitrogen, which is made by several types of plants, including the tobacco plant. It is also produced synthetically.

What is the nicotine patch?

It is patch impregnated with nicotine, which is worn on the skin by a person trying to give up smoking. Nicotine is gradually absorbed into the bloodstream, helping reduce the craving for cigarettes.

Therefore, scientists try to help those who are addicted by finding substitutes. One of these substitutes is the nicotine patch which contains amounts of light nicotine to help the smoker quit smoking.

Does the nicotine patch invalidate the fast?

Initially, Muslim scholars agree that a Muslim should not eat or drink while fasting, nor should they take what is similar to foods or drinks.

A Muslim should not eat what is not usually eaten like coins, soil, herbs, or marijuana. Allah says: “and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Saum (fast) till the nightfall,)” Al-Baqarah: 187

The majority of Muslim scholars found that the fast is broken if anything reaches the oral cavity or the brain via any organ such as the mouth, the nose, the ears, or the eyes. So, whatever reaches the inside of a human intentionally via any path breaks the fast. Aishah narrated that the prophet said” breaking the fast is due to what enters the body.” This is a general rule regardless of the path through which the substances enter the body.

Other scholars found that what breaks the fast is what enters the body from a normal path such as the mouth and the nose, but what enters the body through the ears, the eyes, or the skin does not break the fast. Therefore, what is absorbed by the skin such as fats, ointment, or skin patches which include treatments does not break the fast. This is decided by the Muslim World League (decision 93).

Many contemporary scholars adopt the latter opinion such as Ibn Othimin and Mohammad Noah Al-Qudah.  They see as long as this nicotine patch is absorbed by the skin and does not enter the body from a usual path, it does not break the fast. However, it will be better if a Muslim does not use it while fasting.

On the contrary, other scholars find that it breaks the fast as it enters the body, and it reaches the blood and mixes with it even if it does not enter from a usual path. They consider this patch similar to nutritious injection. Their evidence is the prophetic hadith: “and sniff water deep into the nose except when you are observing fast.” This is to prevent water from reaching the oral cavity.

Finally, I think that whatever reaches the body to strengthen it while fasting regardless of the path; in other words, what reaches the body through a usual path such as the mouth or nose, or through an unusual path such as the skin or injection, all of these break the fast.

What is excluded is any treatment that enters the body via any unusual path such as intravenous injection; this does not break the fast.