QUESTION:
What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: what is the ruling on the one who cleans his ear in the state of fasting? Will this act break his fast?
Questioner: Munir Ahmed from UK
ANSWER:
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
Whilst fasting, cleaning the ears with a cloth, straw or cotton buds is permissible and will not break the fast. ‘Allaamah Haskafi writes in Durrul Mukhtaar,
لَوْ حَكَّ أُذُنَهُ بِعُودٍ ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَهُ وَعَلَيْهِ دَرَنٌ ثُمَّ أَدْخَلَهُ وَلَوْ مِرَارًا
Translation: If one cleans their ears with a stick, and dirt falls on the stick, then inserting the same stick (upon which is dirt) again inside the ears, even if done a few times(this will not break the fast).
(در المختارمع رد المحتار، کتاب االصوم، باب مایفسد الصوم و مالا یفسد، ج2 ص396 مطبوعہ دار الفکر بیروت)
Under this, it is mentioned in Raddul Mukhtar with the reference of Fatawa Bazzaziyah,
أَنَّهُ لَا يُفْسِدُ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ
Translation: (cleaning the ear with a stick) will not break the fast by concensus.
(رد المحتار على الدر المختار، کتاب الصیام، ج2 ص 396 مطبوعہ دار الفکر بیروت)
Also, Sadr ush Sharee’ah, Badr ut Tareeqah, Mufti Amjad ‘Ali A’zami mentions in Bahaar e Shari’at,
Or if he scratched the ear with a dried stem (etc.) and some wax from the ear came on to it, and if he then inserted the same wax coated stem (piece of stick) into his ear, and even if he does this a few times; or if a small particle remained in the mouth unknowingly and it is swallowed with the saliva, or if blood came out from the teeth and entered the throat, but it did not go past the throat, then in all the aforementioned cases, the fast will not be nullified.
(بہار شریعت،حصہ پنجم،روزے کا بیان، ج 1 ص 986 مطبوعہ مکتبة المدينة پاکستان )
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Abu Hanzalah Khalid Tasneem Al-Madani
Translated by Usman Ghani
Verified by: Mufti Atta Muhammad Mushahidi (Head of Dar ul Hashmat ur Raza)
Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0507] Does using cotton buds to clean the ears nullify the Fast?