[Q 382] Wearing Contact Lenses While Fasting

Question

What is the ruling on wearing contact lenses while fasting? Does it break the fast?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

Wearing contact lenses while fasting will break the fast because contemporary scholars hold the view that there is a Manfaz (open passage) between the eyes and the stomach. Anything placed in the eyes can travel through this passage, reaching the throat and eventually the stomach, thereby invalidating the fast.
Since contact lenses are soaked in water before being worn, if the moisture from the lenses reaches the stomach through the eyes, even in a small quantity, the fast will be broken.
Therefore, it is advised not to wear contact lenses while fasting. If someone is accustomed to using lenses, they should put them on during Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) so that any moisture from the lenses reaches the passage before the fasting time begins.

Answered by: Usman Madani (Ask Mufti Scholar)
Translated answer
Date: 24th February 2025