Question: Do injections or IV fluids break the fast?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، الْـحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى أَشْرَفِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
The fast is broken by anything that reaches the stomach or body cavity through a recognized passage and provides nourishment. This is the principle agreed upon by the four madhāhib, though they differ slightly on the technical definitions of “entry point” and “nutritional substance.”
Nutritional injections, such as intravenous fluids (IV drips) that supply hydration, glucose, or calories, are considered to break the fast by most scholars. These injections are akin to food and drink, and they substitute what is normally consumed orally.
Non-nutritional injections, such as intramuscular or subcutaneous shots (e.g., insulin, vaccines, antibiotics, painkillers), do not break the fast so long as they do not nourish the body and are not delivered through the mouth or nose.
This distinction is based on legal maxims such as: “Matters are judged by their purposes,” and the understanding that nourishment nullifies the fast regardless of the route of administration if it serves the purpose of feeding.
Therefore, injections that substitute for food and drink, such as IV fluids and nutritional drips, nullify the fast. Injections used for medical treatment without nourishment do not invalidate the fast.
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.