After receiving the vaccine against COVID-19, the chief Imam of the Almaty Mosque calls on Muslims to be vaccinated
The chief imam of the Central Mosque of Almaty, Yerkinbek Shokai, noted that vaccination during Ramadan does not break the fast, and urged believers to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
Recall, according to the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Kazakhstan, everything that enters inside naturally (through the mouth, nose, rectum) breaks the fast, and if the substance enters the body externally, then the fast is not broken. This is stated in the book "Fatawa Hindiya": "The ingestion of a substance such as fats through the pores does not break the fast" (volume 1, p. 266). A vaccine is a preparation made from microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses and introduced into the human body to prevent infectious diseases and enhance immune properties; it is not an essential food or vitamin that provides the body with energy. In this regard, vaccines (subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous) do not break the fast.
“Imams in the city are vaccinated one by one. We have a fatwa of the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Kazakhstan on vaccination. It talks about the need for vaccination and that it is a drug that is injected into the muscles, so vaccination does not break the fast, ”he explained.
In general, representatives of various religious associations came to Almaty to be vaccinated, not only to protect themselves and their loved ones, but also to demonstrate the unity of the people of Kazakhstan in the fight against the pandemic, as well as to show their parishioners that vaccination is not only possible, but also necessary.
“For the second year now, the whole world has been living under severe restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, from which Kazakhstan has also suffered. The only remedy for today that will help you quickly return to your old life is vaccination. Recently, there have been many myths that this procedure is contrary to religion, but this is not the case. Vaccination in no way interferes with fasting, because the substance does not enter the bloodstream through the digestive system. Vaccinations help keep yourself healthy and protects those around you. Religion cannot be against this, ”Yerkinbek Shokay noted.