Does Wisdom Tooth Removal with Injections Invalidate the Fast in Ramadan?
Question
Assalamu alaikum sheikh,
Next week Monday i am scheduled for a wisdom tooth removal and as you know ramadan is beginning tomorrow so that day will fall on a day of fasting. My question is will i have to break my fast that day or is my fast valid ? Someone told me that it’s okay since it’s out of my control and i think that my fast would be invalid because i would be getting injections.
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
1. The Shari Context
Fasting in Ramadan requires abstaining from food, drink, and anything that takes their ruling from true dawn until sunset. Allah says:
“Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread of night, then complete the fast until sunset.”
Surat al Baqarah 2:187
The juristic discussion revolves around what invalidates the fast. The classical scholars defined the invalidators as intentional entry of nourishment or substances into the body through a recognized passage, or actions that take the ruling of eating and drinking.
Medical procedures were not known in their modern form, so contemporary jurists apply established principles to new medical realities.
2. Scholarly Discussion
The four madhahib agree that eating and drinking intentionally invalidate the fast. They also agree that substances entering the body through a recognized internal passage in a manner similar to nourishment invalidate the fast.
As for injections, contemporary scholars have distinguished between two types:
- Nutritional injections that substitute for food or drink (such as IV feeding). These invalidate the fast because they serve the same function as nourishment.
- Non-nutritional injections (such as anesthesia, antibiotics, or painkillers). The majority of contemporary jurists hold that these do not invalidate the fast because they are neither food nor drink, nor do they take their ruling.
Dental anesthesia injections given in the gum are local and not nutritional. Therefore, in principle, they do not invalidate the fast.
However, wisdom tooth removal often involves blood and water. If water, medicine, or blood is swallowed intentionally and reaches the stomach, that would invalidate the fast. If swallowing occurs unintentionally despite care, the fast remains valid.
If the procedure is likely to cause severe hardship, dizziness, or require you to take oral medication during the day, then you may break your fast and make it up later.
3. Application to the Question
If the procedure only involves local anesthesia injections and you are able to:
- Avoid swallowing water or blood intentionally.
- Avoid taking oral medication during fasting hours.
Then your fast remains valid.
If during the procedure you must swallow medication, or you are advised medically that fasting may cause harm or delay recovery, then you may break your fast and make up that day later.
If you begin the fast and later realize the procedure is too difficult while fasting, you may break it due to need and make it up afterward.
If the surgery is elective and can be safely rescheduled outside fasting hours without hardship, that would be preferable.
4. Relevant Usul Principle
المشقة تجلب التيسير
Hardship brings about facilitation
In usul al fiqh, when fulfilling an obligation leads to significant hardship beyond normal difficulty, Sharia allows concession. If fasting during the dental procedure would cause genuine harm or excessive difficulty, you may break the fast and make it up later.
Final Ruling
Local anesthesia injections for wisdom tooth removal do not invalidate the fast. If you avoid intentionally swallowing blood, water, or medicine, your fast remains valid. If fasting will cause harm or you must take oral medication, you may break the fast and make it up later. There is no sin in taking a legitimate medical concession.
And Allah knows best.