The arrival of the sacred month of Ramadan has raised the question of whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine injection should be postponed during the daytime till after Eid.
There has been much discussion on the administration of COVID-19 vaccines and if it is permissible for Muslims who are fasting during Ramadan to receive a vaccine. Although the vaccine is not administered orally, there may be many Muslims who are concerned that the vaccination may negate their fast and who may therefore refrain from having the vaccine administered.
Reassurance and education for patients is essential to ensure they still receive their vaccine. A large number of countries have kicked off vaccination campaigns globally in order to combat the pandemic. They will continue to inoculate their citizens despite Ramadan.
However, the question does remain among those who observe it, as to whether the shot violates a fast. It must be noted that the vaccine goes into the muscle rather than the bloodstream and is not nutritious. Hence, it does not amount to breaking the fast.
Here’s what Islamic scholars say!
“There is no nutritious vitamin or food substance in any vaccine, including the COVID-19 vaccine. Injecting such a thing into the body does not break the fast,” Idris Bozkurt, a top official of the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), told Anadolu Agency.
In addition to this, Professor Dr. Ahmet Yaman, who teaches at the Faculty of Theology at Necmettin Erbakan University, explained the Islamic perspective on fasting and vaccination. He quoted one of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) sayings, which reads, “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.”
Further clarification here…
Taking Prophet’s (PBUH) words into consideration, Dr. Yaman said Islam places a particular emphasis on the take up of measures that prevent contagious diseases. He invoked another of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) sayings, “Get treated; because Allah has also created a cure for every sickness.”
Yaman said that the vaccines created for COVID-19 should be seen in the context of the Hadiths. Those who decide not to have it, he said, are violating the rights of the entire society and humanity, too.
“Vaccines and other injections do not break the fast,” he said. “Fasting can only be broken by eating and drinking and sexual intercourse. COVID-19 vaccine does not break the fast because it does not mean food or vitamin intake from outside”.
In fact, many Islamic authorities around the world including Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh and Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Latif Derian have both said that getting the coronavirus vaccine does not constitute breaking one’s fast. Also bear in mind that the COVID-19 vaccine provides protection after the second dose!
Story Courtesy: TRT World
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