Fatwa ID: 08693

Answered by Maulana Mohammed Aabu Saeed Miah

Question:

Second year now I have noticed a problem, it has been happening so I get bad reflux. I still take my medicine, 20mg esomeprazole. I have increased this to 40mg last year without any success.

What happens all day, I clear my throat and I don’t know if it’s reflux or phlegm coming to my throat, or reflux fluid. If I cough too, it comes till like top of my throat or into my mouth. I have OCD, so I don’t know. Most likely I feel it till top of throat, but not literally in my mouth, hard to explain.

If I increase the dose, or even take over the recommended, it doesn’t make a difference. If I spit it out, I can’t tell if it’s phlegm or reflux. I have tried medicines, and the thing is I spit it out, but what will I do when I’m back at work as I am off now for 1 week? I can’t keep running to a bin or a sink to spit it out, especially working in a prison as an officer, it’s hard to keep leaving my post.

So usually I just swallow it. It reaches to like top of throat, cos it’s a problem. What do I do? Continue fasting or don’t fast and pay money? I asked this question to one of your maulanas last year on call, and he stated last year a mixed answer, to ignore it and fast, and he then said if not, don’t fast. It’s stressing me out as I have this issue. Is my fast accepted, please, cause it’s stressing me out.

It tastes more like phlegm, but if I check now, but I don’t try checking during fasting, I try checking now but makes no difference, as once I open my fast the problem is gone. I asked my doctor for surgery, but he won’t do it to close up the food pipe a bit as it will stop the reflux, but he won’t do it as the medicine clears the problem. But in Ramadhan, due to an empty stomach, the problem gets worse.

So to sum up, I get either reflux or phlegm, not 100% sure, but when I clear throat it comes till top of throat and I swallow instead of spitting, as it’s hard work to keep getting up. I will myself try to avoid clearing throat and coughing.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Eating and drinking nullifies ones fast. However, if this is unintentional and can’t be avoided then it will not nullify ones fast. As the reflux only comes up the throat and does not fill one’s mouth, forcing it back down will not nullify the fast. This is because in your circumstance it is unavoidable. You are advised not to force into the mouth when it comes up so you can spit it out.

References:

وَمَا لَيْسَ بِمَقْصُودٍ بِالْأَكْلِ، وَلَا يُمْكِنُ الِاحْتِرَازُ عَنْهُ كَالذُّبَابِ إذَا وَصَلَ إلَى جَوْفِ الصَّائِمِ لَمْ يُفْطِرْهُ كَذَا فِي إيضَاحِ الْكَرْمَانِيِّ وَلَوْ أَخَذَ الذُّبَابَ، وَأَكَلَهُ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الْقَضَاءُ دُونَ الْكَفَّارَةِ كَذَا فِي شَرْحِ الطَّحَاوِيِّ

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Mohammed Aabu Saeed Miah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham