Does using ointment inserted into the anus break the fast?
Question

                I have a wound in my anus (possibly anal fissure), so I need to apply a cream (antiseptic) after passing the motion, which I usually do during the day time after the Fajir. I need to apply it using my finger(inserting it inside the anus), does that invalidate my fast during the holy month of Ramadhan ?
Praise be to Allah.
    If the fasting person puts anything into his body via the 
    anus, this is one of the things that invalidate the fast according to the 
    majority of scholars. 

    That includes, for example, inserting his finger, whether 
    that is when cleaning himself after relieving himself, or applying any kind 
    of medicine, or inserting anything such as suppositories or enemas. 

    A number of scholars have stated that the fast is not 
    invalidated by that. This is the view of Ibn Hazm and is the view favoured 
    by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and, among contemporary scholars, Shaykh Ibn 
    ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on them all). 

    The reason why it does not invalidate the fast is that there 
    is no evidence to that effect; the basic principle is that it remains valid 
    unless there is evidence to indicate otherwise. 

    It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (2/87): The 
    Hanafis and Maalikis in their most well-known view, which is also the view 
    of both the Shaafa‘is and the Hanbalis, is that having an enema invalidates 
    the fast of the fasting person and he has to make it up, because ‘Aa’ishah 
    (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) entered upon me and said: “O ‘Aa’ishah, is there 
    any piece of bread?” I brought him a piece and he put it in his mouth, then 
    he said: “O ‘Aa’ishah, did any of it enter my stomach? … This is like the 
    kiss of the fasting person; rather the fast is broken by what goes in, not 
    by what comes out.” 

    It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas and ‘Ikrimah: The fast is 
    broken by what goes in, not by what comes out. Because this is something 
    that has reached his insides by his choice, it is akin to food, and it has 
    the same effect as breaking the fast, namely providing nourishment to the 
    body. However the Maalikis stipulated that the thing that enters the body 
    should be in liquid form, but none of the other (fuqaha’) made any such 
    stipulation.

    According to a lesser known view of the Maalikis, which is 
    also the view of al-Qaadi Husayn among the Shaafa‘is – which was described 
    as odd (shaadhdh) – and is also the view favoured by Ibn Taymiyah, if the 
    fasting person has an enema, it does not invalidate the fast and he does not 
    have to make it up. 

    They gave as the reason for that the fact that fasting is 
    part of the Muslims’ religion which both scholars and ordinary people need 
    to know about. If these matters were things that Allah, may He be exalted, 
    had forbidden, it would have been incumbent upon the Messenger (blessings 
    and peace of Allah be upon him) to explain that clearly; if he had mentioned 
    it, then the Sahaabah would have known about it and would have conveyed it 
    to the ummah as they conveyed the rest of his rulings. As not one of the 
    scholars transmitted any hadeeth – either saheeh or da‘eef, musnad or mursal 
    – concerning that matter, it is known that he did not say anything about 
    it. 

    End quote. 

    Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard to 
    enemas, medicine applied to the outer opening of the urethra, and eardrops, 
    they said: Whatever reaches the inside of the body or the inside of the head 
    – because they are regarded as hollow – invalidates the fast, by analogy 
    with food. 

    Abu Muhammad said: Rather Allah, may He be exalted, forbade 
    us whilst fasting to eat, drink, have intercourse, vomit deliberately or 
    commit sins. We do not know that food or drink could be taken in through the 
    anus, the outer opening of the urethra, or the ear, and we were not 
    forbidden to put things inside our bodies in ways other than eating or 
    drinking that it is not haraam to put inside our bodies. End quote. 

    Al-Muhalla, 4/349 

    Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) 
    said: With regard to kohl, enemas, medicine applied to the urethral opening, 
    head injuries that reach the brain and deep stab wounds to the body, these 
    are matters concerning which the scholars differed. Some of them said that 
    none of these things break the fast; others said that all of them break the 
    fast except kohl; or that they all break the fast except medicine applied to 
    the urethral opening; or that the fast is not broken by using kohl but all 
    the other things do break the fast. 

    The most correct view is that none of them break the fast, 
    because fasting is part of the Muslims’ religion which both scholars and 
    ordinary people need to know about. If these matters were things that were 
    forbidden by Allah and His Messenger when fasting, and the fast was 
    invalidated by them, it would have been incumbent upon the Messenger 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to explain that clearly; if he 
    had mentioned it, then the Sahaabah would have known about it and would have 
    conveyed it to the ummah as they conveyed the rest of his rulings. As not 
    one of the scholars transmitted any hadeeth – either saheeh or da‘eef, 
    musnad or mursal – concerning that matter, it is known that he did not say 
    anything about it. 

    End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 25/233 

    See also: ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 6/368; Majallat 
    Majma‘ al-Fiqh al-Islami, 10/638 

    Based on that, if it is possible for the fasting person to 
    delay what he needs of enemas until after he has broken the fast, that is 
    better, more on the safe side and furthest removed from falling into error, 
    because of what we have mentioned about many of the scholars being of the 
    view that his fast is invalidated by that. 

    But if that is too difficult for him, or delaying it until 
    after the breaking the fast would cause him harm, and he applies the cream 
    or uses some other remedy, even if that involves inserting what he needs 
    with his finger, then we hope that there will be no blame on him and that 
    his fast will not be invalidated by it. We have quoted above the scholars 
    that favoured this view. 

    And Allah knows best.