The Islamic holy month of Ramzan is going on when Muslims observe Roza, the dusk to dawn fast, and observe several other prescribed rules. In this context, a video related to Ramzan is going viral on social media. In a video, a Mufti is explaining how to perform Istinja in Ramzan while fasting. Istinja is the process of washing and cleaning the private parts after defecation or urination.
Since Muslims do not even eat or drink water throughout the day in Ramzan, the Mufti tells, in the viral video, how to wash the anus after defecation during fasting so that water does not go from the anus into the stomach. The issue is important because if any substance enters the stomach via either mouth or stomach during the Roza period, it will invalidate the fasting. The video of Mufti Mamur Badar Qasmi is going viral.
रोजे के टाइम गांड धोते टाइम गांड को टाइट रखे वरना पानी पीछे से अंदर चला जायेगा और रोजा टूट जायेगा – मौलाना जी pic.twitter.com/X5Mvg4kX7N
— Dr. Ladla (@SonOfChoudhary) March 31, 2023
Mufti tells people to hold their breath while performing Istinja. After this, he shakes hands as he explains the process of washing the anus using water. Mufti argues that holding the breath will not open the anus, but will keep it tight and closed so that water will not go inside the stomach through the anus at the time of performing Istinja.
Mufti says that if something goes into the stomach through the mouth or through the anus, then the fast will be violated for that reason. Mufti also gives some examples of Islamic religious books to make his talk appear believable.
Do people who believe in Islam really ask such questions? Do Maulanas and Muftis really answer such questions of the people? We tried to explore this.
The viral video is just 47 seconds, so our first task was to find the entire video. Mufti Mamur Badar Qasmi’s official account was found on YouTube. Here’s a short video uploaded on April 5, 2023. In this, Mufti calls the viral video edited, calling it a conspiracy to defame himself.
After this short video, we searched for the original video of Mufti Mamur Badar Qasmi, which is being edited and made viral on social media. We found this original video, which was uploaded 2 years ago. This is a 7-minute 18 second video.
After watching the entire video, it is clear that Mufti Mamur Badar Qasmi spoke about the misconceptions about ‘how to wash the anus after defecation in fasting’. He told his viewers in the video that it is impossible to get water in the stomach through the anus while performing the Istinja. He said, yes, there is a possibility that a person whose anus is very loose may get water in his stomach while performing the Istinja.
According to Mufti Mamur Badar Qasmi, the anus is very tight. If someone wants to insert something in it, it goes inside with great difficulty. Mufti also told that whenever there is constipation one has to apply extra force while defecating. He further said that if the anus was so loose, faeces would come out during sleep or anytime during the day at a slight pressure. This proves that the anus is very hard and tight, clarified the Mufti. He said that the anus remains closed, and nothing can go inside and come outside without applying pressure.
In his short video, Mufti said that there is a Barelvi Maulana who was saying how to perform Istinja during the fast. We tried to find out if that Maulana advised people that one should perform Istinja in the fast by shrinking the anus inside. And do people who believe in Islam really ask such questions? Do Maulanas and Muftis really answer such questions of the people? We searched for videos about this too.
The video of Barelvi Maulana mentioned by Mufti Mamur Badar Qasmi in his video was also found on YouTube. That video is 5 years old. In the 2-minute 25-second video, different users ask Maulana two questions. The person with Maulana handles technical gadgets and writes questions on iPad. Maulana then answers these questions. The second question is related to Istinja. Maulana’s answer can be heard in this video.
In this video, Maulana says, “Do not breathe much while defecating in the fast. Shrink yourself as much as you can. Do not open too wide while you sit. This can cause water to reach the stomach, which will violate the fast.”
Therefore, it makes it clear that are conflicting opinions of clerics regarding the issue. In this example, one cleric claimed that water can enter the stomach via the anus and this will invalidate Ramzan fasting, while the other cleric said that it is not possible, but his video was edited to claim that he said the opposite.
The video of Mufti Mamur Badar Qasmi, which is viral on social media, is edited. Watching his entire video, it is clear that he has not given information on the issue of “how to wash the anus after defecation in Ramzan”.
However, questions like “How to wash the anus or perform Istinja after defecation during Ramzan fasting?” are asked by people who believe in Islam. Maulanas and Muftis also answer such questions of the people, and at least one such cleric claimed that water can enter the stomach via the anal opening.
