Ramadan: Is it permissible to smoke electronic cigarettes while fasting?
Religious scholars and medical experts reject claims that vaping does not break the fast
Abu Dhabi: As Ramadan approaches, misconceptions about fasting regulations often surface.
One such misconception is that using electronic cigarettes (vaping) during fasting hours is permissible and does not ‘break’ the fast. However, religious scholars and medical experts strongly disagree, asserting that vaping is harmful to health and breaks the fast.
Dr Ahmad bin Abdul Aziz Al-Haddad, Grand Mufti and Director of the Fatwa Department in Dubai, clarified in an interview with Gulf News that the use of electronic cigarettes is no different from traditional cigarettes in terms of its effect on fasting. He explained that inhaling smoke — whether from a cigarette or a vape — introduces substances into the body, which invalidates the fast.
He also noted that substances harmful to health, like the nicotine and chemicals in electronic cigarettes, make vaping not only invalidating to the fast but potentially forbidden (haram).
Dr Al-Haddad further explained that fasting, from an Islamic perspective, means abstaining from anything that would break the fast from dawn until sunset. Anything deliberately consumed, including smoke from e-cigarettes, invalidates the fast.
Medical professionals have also voiced their concerns. Dr Puja G. Khaitan, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, said that vaping is not a safer alternative to smoking. “Despite common misconceptions, vaping products have not been FDA-approved as smoking cessation tools due to their harmful chemicals. These substances, including formaldehyde and arsenic, pose serious health risks, potentially leading to conditions like chronic lung damage and cancer,” she added.
Dr Khaitan also recommended “cold turkey” as the best way to quit smoking, although she acknowledged the challenge and suggested nicotine patches or professional counselling as alternatives.
Nicotine patches
Dr Al-Haddad also clarified that nicotine patches, which deliver nicotine through the skin without introducing smoke into the body, do not invalidate the fast.
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