Can I Wear Earphones While Fasting?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

During Ramadan, I usually wear AirPods in my ears. Recently my mother has made me aware that cleaning your ears could break your fast. Is this principle the same with AirPods or would my fast be valid?

Answer

Thank you for your question.

My teacher, Shaykh Jamir Meah, answered this question previously, and he said,  “If you stick your index finger into your earhole, observe how much of your finger enters the hole. Anything that goes beyond the amount your index finger entered the hole nullifies the fast. Anything less does not. If in doubt, the fast remains valid. If one forgets they are fasting while entering something into the ear beyond this point, the fast also remains valid.  There are weaker opinions which hold that the ear cavity is not an open cavity; therefore, anything that enters into it, even intentionally, does not nullify the fast. Imam al Ghazali was of this opinion.”

Please see these links as well: Can I wear earplugs when I’m fasting?

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.