Pouring oil into the ears

Question:

What is the ruling with regard to pouring oil into the ears while
fasting?

Answer:

When oil or any medication is poured into the ears, the fast breaks.
However, if water goes into the ears, the fast does not break.

Allah ta‛ala knows best.

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Further investigation on the above ruling

Question:
Some ‛ulama’ state that dripping oil or medication in the ear does not
break the fast. What is the essence of their investigation?

Answer:

Those who say that dripping oil or medication in the ear does not
break the fast say that physicians have ascertained that there is no
passageway linking the ears to the brain or stomach. Thus, if oil or
medication is dripped into the ear, there is no possibility of it reaching
the brain or stomach.

Imdad al-Fatawa contains the conversation of a questioner which he
had directly with a doctor:

He (the honourable doctor) says that when oil or medication is dripped
into the ear, there is no possibility of it reaching the stomach. This is
because the external canal ends at a skin called a barrier. That skin is
attached to the ear like a box whose only pathway is the external
canal. Unless, off course, if a person – due to some ailment – has a
whole in that skin.1

Maulana Khalid Sayfullah Sahib writes:

This is essentially connected to medical science. After obtaining
affirmations from several doctors, we learnt that there is no pathway
connecting the ear to the brain or stomach. Instead, the ear has a
barrier which seals off this pathway. On the other hand, there is a
pathway linking the eyes to the throat. It is known through experience
that when a person drips medication in his ears, he does not perceive
its taste. Whereas medication applied to the eyes is immediately
perceived in the throat. Therefore, liquid medication applied to the
eyes ought to be a breaker of the fast. Medication dripped into the ears
should be accepted as a breaker of the fast as a precaution.2

A study of the books of jurisprudence shows that a fast breaks on
account of two things: (1) sabb – to pour or insert. (2) wus’l – to reach.
Bada’i‛ as-Sana’i‛:

In the light of the above investigations, it becomes clear that dripping
oil or medication into the ear ought not to break the fast because there
is no pathway [linking the ears to the brain or stomach].

Allah ta‛ala knows best.

REFERENCE:

1 Imdad al-Fatawa, vol. 2, p. 147.
2 Jadid FiqhiMasa’il, vol. 1, p. 185.