Vaccines won’t nullify Ramadan fasting

The Bangsamoro highest clergy or the Grand Mufti has made a declaration getting inoculated by Covid-19 vaccine will not nullify fasting in the month of Ramadan.

Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Abuhuraira A. Udasan on Wednesday set the record straight about the queries whether Covid-19 vaccine could nullify or invalidate one’s fast or not.

“When it comes to the vaccine on Covid-19, it does not nullify your fast,” said Udasan in a video advisory released by the Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

To support this notion, the Bangsamoro clergy enumerated what nullifies fasting such as eating and drinking intentional; copulation; intentional vomiting; intending to break the fast; committing apostasy and intravenous sugar solution.

Udasan said intentional eating and drinking can break the fast. However, he expounded, “if you forgot you were fasting and ate accidentally, it does not nullify your fast, proceed fasting accordingly.”

Another nullification of fast is having sexual intercourse or any form of sexual contact.

“However, it is permissible to hug and kiss between husband and wife as long there is no sexual discharge,” he said.

Udasan also added ‘istimna’ or touching one’s organ for sexual discharge is also not allowed.

The third nullification is intentional vomiting but if it was not intended, it does not nullify fasting.

The fourth is the intention or planning to break one’s fast. This, according to Mufti, can nullify fasting because ‘niyat’ (intention) is one of the foundations that make your fasting valid.

“Another nullification of fasting is if you are murtad (apostate) in Islam because fasting of non-Muslims are not accepted,” Udasan said.

Apostasy is an act of refusing to continue to follow, obey, or recognize a religious faith.

“Lastly, intravenous sugar solution or dextrose can nullify the fast, because it’s not just a vaccine or injection but changes your strength, it replaces your food intake,” said Udasan.