By Julmunir I. Jannaral
COTABATO CITY
The Bangsamoro highest clergyman or the Grand Mufti has made a declaration that vaccine to be injected to a Muslim even though observing the fasting in the month of Ramadan will not nullify his fast at all.
Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Abuhuraira A. Udasan on Wednesday has set the record straight about the queries whether a Coronavirus Disease (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 on Covid-19 released by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
To support this notion, the Bangsamoro clergy delineated what nullifies the fasting.
1. Eating and drinking intentionally.
Udasan said that 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.”
2. Copulation.
Another nullification of fast is having sexual intercourse with your wife/husband 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 also added that istimna’ or touching one’s organ for sexual discharge is also not allowed.
3. Intentional vomiting.
The third nullification is intentional vomiting, but if it was not intended, then, it does not nullify fasting.
4. Intending to break the fast.
The fourth is the intention or planning or to break one’s fast. This, according to Mufti, can nullify fasting, because ‘niyat’ or intention” is one of the foundations that make your fasting valid.
5. Committing apostasy
“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.
6. Intravenous sugar solution.
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. JIJ
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