✅Answer: Diclofenac is one of the medications that are in the category of suppositories. A suppository, or enema, or amaleh is the insertion of medicine or other things into the body cavity through the anus. It has always been of two types: solid and liquid. Although in the past it was mostly used for treatment, nowadays it is sometimes used for treatment and sometimes for other purposes.

✅In this regard, please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْعَمْرَكِيِّ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ وَ الْمَرْأَةِ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ لَهُمَا أَنْ يَسْتَدْخِلَا الدَّوَاءَ وَ هُمَا صَائِمَانِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 110

Ali ibn Ja'far said: I asked Musa ibn Ja'far, peace be upon him, about a man and a woman, is it permissible for them to insert medicine into themselves (give themselves an enema) while fasting? The Imam said: There is no problem.

2 عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَحْتَقِنُ تَكُونُ بِهِ الْعِلَّةُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ- فَقَالَ الصَّائِمُ لَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يَحْتَقِنَ.

📚 Al-Tahdheeb, Vol. 4, p. 204

📚 Al-Istibsar, Vol. 2, p. 83

Bizanti asked Imam Abu al-Hasan, peace be upon him, about a person who has a disease and uses an enema during the month of Ramadan (inserts medicine through the anus). The Imam said: It is not permissible for a fasting person to use an enema (insert medicine into the anus).

3 أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ مَا تَقُولُ فِي التَّلَطُّفِ بِالْأَشْيَافِ يَسْتَدْخِلُهُ الْإِنْسَانُ وَ هُوَ صَائِمٌ فَكَتَبَ لَا بَأْسَ بِالْجَامِدِ

📚 Al-Tahdheeb, Vol. 4, p. 204

📚 Al-Istibsar, Vol. 2, p. 83

Hasan said: I wrote a letter to Imam Abu al-Hasan, peace be upon him: What do you say about inserting a suppository while fasting? The Imam replied in writing: A solid suppository is not a problem.

✅Based on the above narrations and applying the interpretive narration to the general one, it is observed that in narration 2, the use of an enema and suppository is generally forbidden for a fasting person, but in narration 1, a medicinal suppository, which is used for treatment, is permitted. Also, in narration 3, the condition of being solid is added for it to be permissible for a fasting person. Regarding the question, Diclofenac, which is a solid medicine and is used to treat fever and pain, does not invalidate the fast.

✅So, according to the three narrations above, only a solid suppository and that too for the purpose of treatment is permitted. And according to narration 2, in which the use of a suppository for a fasting person is absolutely forbidden, one should avoid non-solid suppositories and suppositories for non-medicinal purposes while fasting, because the Imam, in a general principle, says: It is not permissible for a fasting person to use an enema. And from the other two narrations, only the permission for a solid suppository for the purpose of treatment is derived.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ

Fasting person's use of a suppository