[Q 577] Using Vicks While Fasting

QUESTION:

Assalamu alaikum, can vickes vaporub be used whilst fasting

ANSWER:

There are different possible situations regarding this matter, which are as follows:

• If in the state of fasting a person applies Vicks/Baam inside the nose and its components reach the brain through the nose or go inside through the throat, then the fast will break, while the person remembers that he is fasting.

• If Vicks/Baam is applied on top of the nose, the forehead, or the throat, the fast will not break.

• Likewise, if a person only smells Vicks/Baam without applying it inside the nostrils, the fast will also not break, because in this case its components do not go toward the throat or brain, and its ruling will be similar to smelling a fragrance.

• In the state of fasting, if a person inhales the steam/vapour of Vicks/Baam, the fast will break, while the person remembers that he is fasting.

Answered by: Usman Madani (Ask Mufti Scholar)
Translated answer
Date: 11th March 2026.