Fasting! < 70 MattErs of FasTiNg!!>>

In the Name of Allaah the Most Gracious The Most Merciful

Al-Siyaam

70 Matters Related to Fasting

Book by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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Contents

Introduction

Definition of Siyaam (fasting)

Ruling on fasting

The virtues of fasting

The benefits of fasting

Etiquette and Sunnah of fasting

What should be done during this great month

Some of the ahkaam (rulings) on fasting

How the onset of Ramadaan is determined

Who is obliged to fast?

Travellers

The sick

The elderly

Niyyah (intention) in fasting

When to start and stop fasting

Things that break the fast

Rulings on fasting for women

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Introduction

Praise be to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We

seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil

deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides cannot be misled, and whomsoever He leaves

astray cannot be guided. I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah

alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is

His slave and Messenger.

Allaah has blessed His slaves with certain seasons of goodness, in which

hasanaat (rewards for good deeds) are multiplied, sayi’aat (bad deeds) are

forgiven, people’s status is raised, the hearts of the believers turn to

their Master, those who purify themselves attain success and those who

corrupt themselves fail. Allaah has created His slaves to worship Him, as

He says (interpretation of the meaning): “And I (Allaah) created not the

jinns and humans except that they should worship Me (Alone).”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]

One of the greatest acts of worship is fasting, which Allaah has made

obligatory on His slaves, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“… Observing al-sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was

prescribed for those before you, that you may become al-muttaqoon (the

pious).” [al-Baqarah 2:183]

Allaah encourages His slaves to fast:

“… And that you fast, it is better for you, if only you know.” [al-Baqarah

2:184 – interpretation of the meaning]

He guides them to give thanks to Him for having made fasting obligatory on

them:

“… that you should magnify Allaah for having guided you so that you may be

grateful to Him.” [al-Baqarah 2:185 – interpretation of the meaning]

He has made fasting dear to them, and has made it easy so that people do

not find it too hard to give up their habits and what they are used to.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“… for a fixed number of days…” [al-Baqarah 2:184]

He has mercy on them and keeps them away from difficulties and harm, as He

says (interpretation of the meaning:

“… but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be

made up) from other days…” [al-Baqarah 2:184]

No wonder then, that in this month the hearts of the believers turn to

their Most Merciful Lord, fearing their Lord above them, and hoping to

attain His reward and the great victory (Paradise).

As the status of this act of worship is so high, it is essential to learn

the ahkaam (rulings) that have to do with the month of fasting so that the

Muslim will know what is obligatory, in order to do it, what is haraam, in

order to avoid it, and what is permissible, so that he need not subject

himself to hardship by depriving himself of it.

This book is a summary of the rulings, etiquette and Sunnah of fasting.

May Allaah make it of benefit to myself and my Muslim brothers. Praise be

to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.

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Definition of Siyaam (fasting)

(1) Siyaam in Arabic means abstaining; in Islam it means abstaining from

things that break the fast, from dawn until sunset, having first made the

intention (niyyah) to fast.

Ruling on fasting

(2) The ummah is agreed that fasting the month of Ramadaan is obligatory,

the evidence for which is in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Allaah says

(interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Observing al-sawn (the fasting) is prescribed for you

as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become

al-muttaqoon (the pious).” [al-Baqarah 2:183]

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is

built on five [pillars]…” among which he mentioned fasting in Ramadaan.

(Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 1/49). Whoever breaks the fast during

Ramadaan without a legitimate excuse has committed a serious major sin,

The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, describing

a dream that he had seen: “… until I was at the mountain, where I heard

loud voices. I asked, ‘What are these voices?’ They said, ‘This is the

howling of the people of Hellfire.’ Then I was taken [to another place],

and I saw people hanging from their hamstrings, with the corners of their

mouths torn and dripping with blood. I said, ‘Who are these?’ They said,

‘The people who broke their fast before it was the proper time to do so,’

i.e., before the time of iftaar.” (Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/420).

Al-Haafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “Among the

believers it is well-established that whoever does not fast in Ramadaan

without a valid excuse is worse than an adulterer or drunkard; they doubt

whether he is even a Muslim at all, and they regard him as a heretic and

profligate.” Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] (may Allaah have mercy on him)

said: “If a person does not fast in Ramadaan knowing that it is haraam but

making it halaal for himself to do so, kill him; and if he does it because

he is immoral [but believes it is haraam], then punish him for not

fasting.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/265).

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The virtues of fasting

(3) The virtues of fasting are great indeed, and one of the things

reported in the saheeh ahaadeeth is that Allaah has chosen fasting for

Himself, and He will reward it and multiply the reward without measure, as

He says [in the hadeeth qudsi]: “Except for fasting which is only for My

sake, and I will reward him for it.” (al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 1904;

Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/407). Fasting has no equal (al-Nisaa'i, 4/165;

Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/413), and the du’aa’ of the fasting person will not

be refused (reported by al-Bayhaqi, 3/345; al-Silsilat al-Saheeh, 1797).

The fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast and

one when he meets his Lord and rejoices over his fasting (reported by

Muslim, 2/807). Fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of

Judgement, and will say, “O Lord, I prevented him from his food and

physical desires during the day, so let me intercede for him.” (Reported

by Ahmad, 2/174. Al-Haythami classed its isnaad as hasan in al-Majma’,

3/181. See also Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/411). The smell that comes from the

mouth of a fasting person is better with Allaah than the scent of musk.

(Muslim, 2/807). Fasting is a protection and a strong fortress that keeps

a person safe from the Fire. (Reported by Ahmad, 2/402; Saheeh

al-Targheeb, 1/411; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3880).

Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will remove his face seventy years’ distance from

the Fire. (Reported by Muslim, 2/808). Whoever fasts one day seeking the

pleasure of Allaah, if that is the last day of his life, he will enter

Paradise. (Reported by Ahmad, 5/391; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/412). In

Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyaan, through those who fast will

enter, and no one will enter it except them; when they have entered it

will be locked, and no-one else will enter through it.” (al-Bukhaari,

Fath, no. 1797).

Ramadaan is a pillar of Islam; the Qur’aan was revealed in this month, and

in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months. “When

Ramadaan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell

are closed, and the devils are put in chains.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari,

al-Fath, no. 3277). Fasting Ramadaan is equivalent to fasting ten months

(See Musnad Ahmad, 5/280; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/421). “Whoever fasts

Ramadaan out of faith and with the hope of reward, all his previous sins

will be forgiven.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 37). At the

breaking of every fast, Allaah will choose people to free from Hellfire.

(Reported by Ahmad, 5/256; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/419).

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The benefits of fasting

(4) There is much wisdom and many benefits in fasting, which have to do

with the taqwa mentioned by Allaah in the aayah (interpretation of the

meaning):

“… that you may become al-muttaqoon (the pious).” [al-Baqarah 2:183]

The interpretation of this is that if a person refrains from halaal things

hoping to earn the pleasure of Allaah and out of fear of His punishment,

it will be easier for him to refrain from doing haraam things.

If a person’s stomach is hungry, this will keep many of his other

faculties from feeling hunger or desires; but if his stomach is satisfied,

his tongue, eye, hand and private parts will start to feel hungry. Fasting

leads to the defeat of Shaytaan; it controls desires and protects one’s

faculties.

When the fasting person feels the pangs of hunger, he experiences how the

poor feel, so he has compassion towards them and gives them something to

ward off their hunger. Hearing about them is not the same as sharing their

suffering, just as a rider does not understand the hardship of walking

unless he gets down and walks.

Fasting trains the will to avoid desires and keep away from sin; it helps

a person to overcome his own nature and to wean himself away from his

habits. It also trains a person to get used to being organized and

punctual, which will solve the problem that many people have of being

disorganized, if only they realized.

Fasting is also a demonstration of the unity of the Muslims, as the ummah

fasts and breaks its fast at the same time.

Fasting also provides a great opportunity for those who are calling others

to Allaah. In this month many people come to the mosque who are coming for

the first time, or who have not been to the mosque for a long time, and

their hearts are open, so we must make the most of this opportunity by

preaching in a gentle manner, teaching appropriate lessons and speaking

beneficial words, whilst co-operating in righteousness and good deeds. The

dai’yah should not be so preoccupied with others that he forgets his own

soul and becomes like a wick that lights the way for others while it is

itself consumed.

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Etiquette and Sunnah of fasting

Some aspects are obligatory (waajib) and others are recommended

(mustahabb).

We should make sure that we eat and drink something at suhoor, and that we

delay it until just before the adhaan of Fajr. The Prophet  (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Have suhoor, for in suhoor there

is blessing (barakah).” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, 4/139). “Suhoor is

blessed food, and it involves being different from the people of the Book.

What a good suhoor for the believer is dates.” (Reported by Abu Dawood,

no. 2345; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/448).

Not delaying iftaar, because the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah

be upon him) said: “The people will be fine so long as they do not delay

iftaar.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, 4/198).

Breaking one's fast in the manner described in the hadeeth narrated by

Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him): “The Prophet  (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him) used to break his fast with fresh dates before

praying; if fresh dates were not available, he would eat (dried) dates; if

dried dates were not available, he would have a few sips of water.”

(Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3/79 and others. He said it is a ghareeb hasan

hadeeth. Classed as saheeh in al-Irwa’, no. 922).

After iftaar, reciting the words reported in the hadeeth narrated by Ibn

‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both), according to which the

Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), when he broke his

fast, would say: “Dhahaba al-zama’, wa’btallat al-‘urooq, wa thabat

al-ajru in sha Allaah (Thirst is gone, veins are flowing again, and the

reward is certain, in sha Allaah).” (Reported by Abu Dawood, 2/765; its

isnaad was classed as hasan by al-Daaraqutni, 2/185).

Keeping away from sin, because the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah

be upon him) said: “When any of you is fasting, let him not commit sin…”

(Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 1904). The Prophet  (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not stop speaking

falsehood and acting in accordance with it, Allaah has no need of him

giving up his food and drink.” (Al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 1903). The

person who is fasting should avoid all kinds of haraam actions, such as

backbiting, obscenity and lies, otherwise his reward may all be lost. The

Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It may be that

a fasting person gets nothing from his fast except hunger.” (Reported by

Ibn Maajah, 1/539; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/453).

Among the things that can destroy one’s hasanaat (good deeds) and bring

sayi’aat (bad deeds) is allowing oneself to be distracted by quiz-shows,

soap operas, movies and sports matches, idle gatherings, hanging about in

the streets with evil people and time-wasters, driving around for no

purpose, and crowding the streets and sidewalks, so that the months of

tahajjud, dhikr and worship, for many people, becomes the month of

sleeping in the day so as to avoid feeling hungry, thus missing their

prayers and the opportunity to pray them in congregation, then spending

their nights in entertainment and indulging their desires. Some people

even greet the month with feelings of annoyance, thinking only of the

pleasures they will miss out on. In Ramadaan, some people travel to kaafir

lands to enjoy a holiday! Even the mosques are not free from such evils as

the appearance of women wearing makeup and perfume, and even the Sacred

House of Allaah is not free of these ills. Some people make the month a

season for begging, even though they are not in need. Some of them

entertain themselves with dangerous fireworks and the like, and some of

them waste their time in the markets, wandering around the shops, or

sewing and following fashions. Some of them put new products and new

styles in their stores during the last ten days of the month, to keep

people away from earning rewards and hasanaat.

Not allowing oneself to be provoked, because the Prophet  (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If someone fights him or insults

him, he should say, ‘I am fasting, I am fasting.’” (Reported by

al-Bukhaari and others. Al-Fath, no. 1894) One reason for this is to

remind himself, and another reason is to remind his adversary. But anyone

who looks at the conduct of many of those who fast will see something

quite different. It is essential to exercise self-control and be calm, but

we see the opposite among crazy drivers who speed up when they hear the

adhaan for Maghrib.

(*) Not eating too much, because the Prophet  (peace and blessings of

Allaah be upon him) said: “The son of Adam fills no worse vessel than his

stomach.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2380; he said, this is a hasan

saheeh hadeeth). The wise person wants to eat to live, not live to eat.

The best type of food is that which is there to be used, not that which is

there to be served. But people indulge in making all kinds of food (during

Ramadaan) and treating food preparation as a virtual art form, so that

housewives and servants spend all their time on making food, and this

keeps them away from worship, and people spend far more on food during

Ramadaan than they do ordinarily. Thus the month becomes the month of

indigestion, fatness and gastric illness, where people eat like gluttons

and drink like thirsty camels, and when they get up to pray Taraaweeh,

they do so reluctantly, and some of them leave after the first two rak’ahs.

(*) Being generous by sharing knowledge, giving money, using one’s

position of authority or physical strength to help others, and having a

good attitude. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may

Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah  (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most generous of people [in doing

good], and he was most generous of all in Ramadaan when Jibreel met with

him, and he used to meet him every night in Ramadaan and teach him the

Qur’aan. The Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon

him) was more generous in doing good than a blowing wind.” (Reported by

al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 6). How can people exchange generosity for

stinginess and action for laziness, to the extent that they do not do

their work properly and do not treat one another properly, and they use

fasting as an excuse for all this.

Combining fasting with feeding the poor is one of the means of reaching

Paradise, as the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

said: “In Paradise there are rooms whose outside can be seen from the

inside and the inside can be seen from the outside. Allaah has prepared

them for those who feed the poor, who are gentle in speech, who fast

regularly and who pray at night when people are asleep.” (Reported by

Ahmad 5/343; Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 2137. Al-Albaani said in his footnote, its

isnaad is hasan because of other corroborating reports). The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives food to a

fasting person with which to break his fast, will have a reward equal to

his, without it detracting in the slightest from the reward of the fasting

person.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3/171; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/451).

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “What

is meant is that he should feed him until he is satisfied.”

(Al-Ikhtiyaaraat al-Fiqhiyyah, p. 109).

A number of the Salaf (may Allaah have mercy on them) preferred the poor

over themselves when feeding them at the time of iftaar. Among these were

‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar, Maalik ibn Deenaar, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others.

‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar would not break his fast unless there were orphans

and poor people with him.

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What should be done during this great month

(*) Preparing oneself and one’s environment for worship, hastening to

repent and turn back to Allaah, rejoicing at the onset of the month,

fasting properly, having the right frame of mind and fearing Allaah when

praying Taraaweeh, not feeling tired during the middle ten days of the

month, seeking Laylat al-Qadr, reading the entire Qur’aan time after time,

trying to weep and trying to understand what you are reading. ‘Umrah

during Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj, and charity given during this

virtuous time is multiplied, and I’tikaaf (retreat in the mosque for

worship) is confirmed (as part of the Sunnah).

(*) There is nothing wrong with congratulating one another at the

beginning of the month. The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be

upon him) used to tell his Companions the good news of the onset of

Ramadaan, and urge them to make the most of it. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah

be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘There has come to you Ramadaan, a blessed

month. Allaah has made it obligatory on you to fast (this month). During

it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are locked, and

the devils are chained up. In it there is a night that is better than a

thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is deprived

indeed.’” (Reported by al-Nisaa'i, 4/129; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/490)

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Some of the ahkaam (rulings) on fasting

(6) There is the kind of fasting that must be done on consecutive days,

like fasting in Ramadaan, or fasting to expiate for killing someone by

mistake, divorcing one’s wife by zihaar [a jaahili form of divorce in

which a man says to his wife, “You are to me as the back of my mother” –

Translator], or having intercourse during the day in Ramadaan. Also, one

who makes a vow to fast consecutive days must fulfil it.

There is also the other kind of fasting which does not have to be done on

consecutive days, such as making up days missed in Ramadaan, fasting ten

days if one does not have a sacrifice, fasting for kafaarat yameen

(according to the majority), fasting to compensate for violating the

conditions of ihraam (according to the most correct opinion), and fasting

in fulfilment of a vow in cases where one did not have the intention of

fasting consecutive days.

(7) Voluntary fasts make up for any shortfall in obligatory fasts.

Examples of voluntary fasts include ‘Aashooraa, ‘Arafaah, Ayyaam al-Beed

[the 13th, 14th and 15th of the hijri months – Translator], Mondays and

Thursdays, six days of Shawwaal, and fasting more during Muharram and

Sha’baan.

(8) It is not permitted to single out a Friday for fasting (al-Bukhaari,

Fath al-Baari, no. 1985), or to fast on a Saturday, unless it is an

obligatory fast (reported and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi, 3/111) –

what is meant is singling it out without a reason. It is not permitted to

fast for an entire lifetime, or to fast for two days or more without a

break, i.e., to fast two or three days without a break in between.

It is haraam to fast on the two Eid days, or on the Ayyaam al-Tashreeq,

which are the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhoo’l-Hijjah, because these are the

days of eating and drinking and remembering Allaah, but it is permissible

for the one who does not have a sacrifice to fast them (Ayyaam

al-Tashreeq) in Mina.

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How the onset of Ramadaan is determined

(9) The onset of Ramadaan is confirmed by the sighting of the new moon, or

by the completion of thirty days of Sha’baan. Whoever sees the crescent of

the new moon or hears about it from a trustworthy source is obliged to

fast.

Using calculations to determine the onset of Ramadaan is bid’ah, because

the hadeeth of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

clearly states: “Fast when you see it (the new moon) and break your fast

when you see it.” If an adult, sane, trustworthy, reliable Muslim who has

good eyesight says that he has seen the crescent with his own eyes, then

we should take his word for it and act accordingly (i.e., start fasting).

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Who is obliged to fast?

(10) Fasting is an obligation on every adult, sane, settled [i.e., not

travelling] Muslim who is able to fast and has nothing such as hayd

[menstruation] or nifaas [post-natal bleeding] to prevent him or her from

doing so.

A person is deemed to have reached adulthood when any one of the following

three things occur: emission of semen, whether in a wet dream or

otherwise; growth of coarse pubic hair around the private parts;

attainment of fifteen years of age. In the case of females, there is a

fourth, namely menstruation; when a girl reaches menarche (starts her

periods), she is obliged to fast even if she has not yet reached the age

of ten.

(11) Children should be instructed to fast at the age of seven, if they

are able to, and some scholars said that a child may be smacked at the age

of ten if he does not fast, just as in the case of salaah. (See al-Mughni,

3/90). The child will be rewarded for fasting, and the parents will be

rewarded for bringing him up properly and guiding him to do good.

Al-Rubay’ bint Mu’awwidh (may Allaah be pleased with her) said, speaking

about Ramadaan when it was made obligatory: “We used to make our children

fast, and we would make them a toy made out of wool. If any one of them

started to cry for food, we would give them that toy to play with until it

was time to break the fast.” (al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 1960). Some people do

not think it is important to tell their children to fast; indeed, a child

may be enthusiastic about fasting and may be capable of doing it, but his

father or mother may tell him not to fast, out of so-called “pity” for

him. They do not realize that true pity and compassion consist of making

him get used to fasting. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O

you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (hell)

whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern

(and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive

from Allaah, but do that which they are commanded.” [al-Tahreem 66:6].

Extra attention must be paid to the matter of a girl’s fasting when she

has just reached maturity, because she may fast when she has her period,

out of shyness, and then not make up the fast later.

(12) If a kaafir becomes Muslim, or a child reaches puberty, or an insane

person comes to his senses during the day, they should refrain from eating

for the rest of the day, because they are now among those who are obliged

to fast, but they do not have to make up for the days of Ramadaan that

they have missed, because at that time they were not among those who are

obliged to fast.

(13) The insane are not responsible for their deeds (their deeds are not

being recorded), but if a person is insane at times and sane at other

times, he must fast during his periods of sanity, and is excused during

his periods of insanity. If he becomes insane during the day, this does

not invalidate his fast, just as is the case if someone becomes

unconscious because of illness or some other reason, because he had the

intention of fasting when he was sane. (Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan by Ibn

‘Uthaymeen, p.28). A similar case is the ruling governing epileptics.

(14) If someone dies during Ramadaan, there is no “debt” on him or his

heirs with regard to the remaining days of the month.

(15) If someone does not know that it is fard (obligatory) to fast

Ramadaan, or that it is haraam to eat or have sexual intercourse during

the day in this month, then according to the majority of scholars, this

excuse is acceptable, as is also the case for a new convert to Islam, a

Muslim living in Daar al-Harb (non-Muslim lands) and a Muslim who grew up

among the kuffaar. But a person who grew up among the Muslims and was able

to ask questions and find out, has no excuse.

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Travellers

(16) For a traveller to be allowed to break his fast, certain conditions

must be met. His journey should be lengthy, or else be known as travelling

(although there is a well-known difference of opinion among the scholars

on this matter), and should go beyond the city and its suburbs. (The

majority of scholars say that he should not break his fast before he

passes the city limits. They say that a journey has not really begun until

a person passes the city limits, and a person who is still in the city is

“settled” and “present”. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “…

So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month

(of Ramadaan, i.e., is present at his home), he must observes sawm (fasts)

that month…” [al-Baqarah 2:185]. He is not counted as a traveller until he

has left the city; if he is still within the city, he is regarded as one

who is settled, so he is not permitted to shorten his prayers). His

journey should also not be a journey for sinful purposes (according to the

majority of scholars), or for the purpose of trying to get out of having

to fast.

(17) The traveller is allowed to break his fast, according to the

consensus of the ummah, whether he is able to continue fasting or not, and

whether is it difficult for him to fast or not. Even if his journey is

easy and he has someone to serve him, he is still permitted to break his

fast and shorten his prayers. (Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa, 25/210).

(18) Whoever is determined to travel in Ramadaan should not have the

intention of breaking his fast until he is actually travelling, because

something may happen to prevent him from setting out on his journey.

(Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 2/278).

The traveller should not break his fast until he has passed beyond the

inhabited houses of his town; once he has passed the city limits, he may

break his fast. Similarly, if he is flying, once the plane has taken off

and has gone beyond the city limits, he may break his fast. If the airport

is outside his city, he can break his fast there, but if the airport is

within his city or attached to it, he should not break his fast in the

airport because he is still inside his own city.

(19) If the sun sets and he breaks his fast on the ground, then the plane

takes off and he sees the sun, he does not have to stop eating, because he

has already completed his day’s fasting, and there is no way to repeat an

act of worship that is finished. If the plane takes off before sunset and

he wants to complete that day’s fasting during the journey, he should not

break his fast until the sun has set from wherever he is in the air. The

pilot is not permitted to bring the plane down to an altitude from which

the sun cannot be seen just for the purposes of breaking the fast, because

this would just be a kind of trickery, but if he brings the plane down

lower for a genuine reason, and the disk of the sun disappears as a

result, then he may break his fast. (From the fataawa of Shaykh Ibn Baaz,

issued verbally).

(20) Whoever travels to a place and intends to stay there for more than

four days must fast, according to the majority of scholars. So if a person

travels to study abroad for a period of months or years, then according to

the majority of scholars – including the four imaams – he is regarded as

one who is “settled” there and so he has to fast and pray his prayers in

full.

If a traveller passes through a city other than his own, he does not have

to fast, unless his stay there is longer than four days, in which case he

must fast, because the rulings that apply to those who are settled apply

also to him. (See Fataawa al-Da’wah by Ibn Baaz, 977).

(21) Whoever begins fasting while he is “settled” then embarks on a

journey during the day is allowed to break his fast, because Allaah has

made setting out in general a legitimate excuse not to fast. Allaah says

(interpretation of the meaning): “… and whoever is ill or on a journey,

the same number [of days on which one did not observe sawm must be made

up] from other days…” [al-Baqarah 2:185]

(22) A person who habitually travels is permitted not to fast if he has a

home to which he returns, such as a courier who travels to serve the

interests of the Muslims (and also taxi drivers, pilots and airline

employees, even if their travel is daily – but they have to make up the

fasts later). The same applies to sailors who have a home on land; but if

a sailor has his wife and all he needs with him on the ship, and is

constantly travelling, then he is not allowed to break his fast or shorten

his prayers. If nomadic Bedouins are travelling from their winter home to

their summer home, or vice versa, they are allowed to break their fast and

shorten their prayers, but once they have settled in either their summer

home or their winter home, they should not break their fast or shorten

their prayers, even if they are following their flocks.(See Majmoo’

Fataawa Ibn Taymiyah, 25/213).

(23) If a traveller arrives during the day, there is a well-known dispute

among the scholars as to whether he should stop eating and drinking.

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/212). But to be on the safe side, he should stop

eating and drinking, out of respect for the month, but he has to make the

day up later, whether or not he stops eating and drinking after his

arrival.

(24) If he starts Ramadaan in one city, then travels to another city where

the people started fasting before him or after him, then he should follow

the ruling governing the people to whom he has travelled, so he should

only end Ramadaan when they end Ramadaan, even if it means that he is

fasting for more than thirty days, because the Prophet  (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast when everyone is fasting, and

break your fast when everyone is breaking their fast.” If it means that

his fast is less than twenty-nine days, he must make it up after Eid,

because the hijri month cannot be less than twenty-nine days. (From

Fataawa al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz: Fataawa al-Siyaam, Daar

al-Watan, pp. 15-16)

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The sick

(25) In the event of any sickness that makes people feel unwell, a person

is allowed not to fast. The basis for this is the aayah (interpretation of

the meaning): “… and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of

days on which one did not observe sawm must be made up] from other days…”

[al-Baqarah 2:185]. But if the ailment is minor, such as a cough or

headache, then it is not a reason to break one's fast.

If there is medical proof, or a person knows from his usual experience, or

he is certain, that fasting will make his illness worse or delay his

recovery, he is permitted to break his fast; indeed, it is disliked

(makrooh) for him to fast in such cases. If a person is seriously ill, he

does not have to have the intention during the night to fast the following

day, even if there is a possibility that he may be well in the morning,

because what counts is the present moment.

(26) If fasting will cause unconsciousness, he should break his fast and

make the fast up later on. (al-Fataawa, 25/217). If a person falls

unconscious during the day and recovers before Maghrib or after, his fast

is still valid, so long as he was fasting in the morning; if he is

unconscious from Fajr until Maghrib, then according to the majority of

scholars his fast is not valid. According to the majority of scholars, it

is obligatory for a person who falls unconscious to make up his fasts

later on, no matter how long he was unconscious. (Al-Mughni ma’a al-Sharh

al-Kabeer, 1/412, 3/32; al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaytiyyah, 5/268).

Some scholars issued fatwaas to the effect that a person who falls

unconscious or takes sleeping pills or receives a general anaesthetic for

a genuine reason, and becomes unconscious for three days or less, must

make up the fasts later on, because he is regarded as being like one who

sleeps; if he is unconscious for more than three days, he does not have to

make up the fasts, because he is regarded as being like one who is insane.

(From the fataawa of Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, issued verbally).

(27) If a person feels extreme hunger or thirst, and fears that he may die

or that some of his faculties may be irreparably damaged, and has rational

grounds for believing this to be so, he may break his fast and make up for

it later on, because saving one’s life is obligatory. But it is not

permissible to break one's fast because of bearable hardship or because

one feels tired or is afraid of some imagined illness. People who work in

physically demanding jobs are not permitted to break their fast, and they

must have the intention at night of fasting the following day. If they

cannot stop working and they are afraid that some harm may befall them

during the day, or they face some extreme hardship that causes them to

break their fast, then they should eat only what is enough to help them

bear the hardship, then they should refrain from eating until sunset, and

they have to make the fast up later. Workers in physically demanding jobs,

such as working with furnaces and smelting metals, should try to change

their hours so that they work at night, or take their holidays during

Ramadaan, or even take unpaid leave, but if this is not possible, then

they should look for another job, where they can combine their religious

and worldly duties. “And whoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him,

He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will

provide him from (sources) he could never imagine.” [al-Talaaq 65:2-3 –

interpretation of the meaning]. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/233,

235)

Students’ exams are no excuse for breaking one’s fast during Ramadaan, and

it is not permissible to obey one’s parents in breaking the fast because

of having exams, because there is no obedience to any created being if it

involves disobedience to the Creator. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,

10/241).

(28) The sick person who hopes to recover should wait until he gets

better, then make up for the fasts he has missed; he is not allowed just

to feed the poor. The person who is suffering from a chronic illness and

has no hope of recovery and elderly people who are unable to fast should

feed a poor person with half a saa’ of the staple food of his country for

every day that he has missed. (Half a saa’ is roughly equivalent to one

and a half kilograms of rice). It is permissible for him to do this all at

once, on one day at the end of the month, or to feed one poor person every

day. He has to do this by giving actual food, because of the wording of

the aayah – he cannot do it by giving money to the poor (Fataawa al-Lajnah

al-Daa’imah, 10/198). But he can give money to a trustworthy person or

charitable organization to buy food and distribute it to the poor on his

behalf.

If a sick person does not fast in Ramadaan, waiting to recover so that he

can make the days up later, then he finds out that his sickness is

chronic, he has to feed a poor person for every day that he did not fast.

(From the fataawa of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen). If a person is waiting to

recover from his illness and hopes to get better, but then dies, there is

no “debt” owed by him or his heirs. If a person’s sickness is considered

to be chronic, so he does not fast and feeds the poor instead, then

advances in medical science mean that there is now a cure, which he uses

and gets better, he does not have to make up the fasts he has missed,

because he did what he had to do at the time. (Fataawa al-Lajnah

al-Daa’imah, 10/195)

(29) If a person is sick, then recovers, and is able to make up the missed

fasts but does not do so before he dies, then money should be taken from

his estate to feed a poor person for every day that he missed. If any of

his relatives want to fast on his behalf, then this is OK, because it was

reported in al-Saheehayn that the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies owing some fasts, let

his heir fast on his behalf.” (From Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, volume

on Da’wah, 806).

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The elderly

(30) The very elderly who have lost their strength and are getting weaker

every day as death approaches, do not have to fast, and they are allowed

not to fast so long as fasting would be too difficult for them. Ibn

‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say, concerning the aayah

(interpretation of the meaning), “And as for those who can fast with

difficulty (e.g., an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast

or) to feed a poor person (for every day)” [al-Baqarah 2:184]: “This has

not been abrogated. It refers to the old man and the old woman who cannot

fast, so they should feed a poor person for every day.” (Al-Bukhaari,

Kitaab al-Tafseer, Baab Ayaaman Ma’doodaat…)

Those who have become senile and confused do not have to fast or do

anything else, and their family does not have to do anything on their

behalf, because such people are no longer counted as responsible. If they

are of sound mind sometimes and confused at other times, they have to fast

when they are OK and they do not have to fast when they are confused. (See

Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan by Ibn ‘Uthyameen, p. 28).

(31) For those who are fighting an enemy or are being besieged by an

enemy, if fasting would make them too weak to fight, they are allowed to

break the fast, even if they are not travelling. If they need to break

their fast before fighting, they can break their fast. The Prophet  (peace

and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to his Companions once, before

fighting: “In the morning you are going to meet your enemy and not fasting

will make you stronger, so do not fast.” (Reported by Muslim, 1120, ‘Abd

al-Baaqi edn. This is also the preferred opinion of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn

Taymiyah. The scholars of Damascus also issued fatwas to the same effect

when their city was attacked by the Tatars)

(32) If a person’s reason for not fasting is obvious, such as illness,

there is nothing wrong with him eating or drinking openly, but if the

reason is hidden, such as menstruation, it is better to eat and drink in

secret, so as not to attract accusations and the like.

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Niyyah (intention) in fasting

(33) Niyyah (intention) is a required condition in fard (obligatory)

fasts, and in other obligatory fasts such as making up missed fasts or

fasts done as an act of expiation (kafaarah), because the Prophet  (peace

and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no fast for the

person who did not intend to fast from the night before.” (Reported by Abu

Dawood, no. 2454. A number of the scholars, such as al-Bukhaari,

al-Nisaa'i, al-Tirmidhi and others thought it was likely to be mawqoof.

See Talkhees al-Hubayr, 2/188)

The intention may be made at any point during the night, even if it is

just a moment before Fajr. Niyyah means the resolution in the heart to do

something; speaking it aloud is bid’ah (a reprehensible innovation), and

anyone who knows that tomorrow is one of the days of Ramadaan and wants to

fast has made the intention. (Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam, 25/215). If

a person intends to break his fast during the day but does not do so, then

according to the most correct opinion, his fast is not adversely affected

by this; he is like a person who wants to speak during the prayer but does

not speak. Some of the scholars think that he is not fasting as soon as he

stops intending to fast, so to be on the safe side, he should make up that

fast later on. Apostasy, however, invalidates the intention; there is no

dispute on this matter.

The person who is fasting Ramadaan does not need to repeat the intention

every night during Ramadaan; it is sufficient to have the intention at the

beginning of the month. If the intention is interrupted by breaking the

fast due to travel or sickness – for example – he has to renew the

intention to fast when the reason for breaking the fast is no longer

present.

(34) Making the intention the night before is not a condition of general

nafl (supererogatory) fasts, because of the hadeeth narrated by ‘Aa’ishah

(may Allaah be pleased with her), who said: “The Messenger of Allaah

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon me one day and

said, ‘Do you have anything [food]?’ We said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘In that case

I am fasting.’” (Reported by Muslim, 2/809, ‘Abd al-Baaqi). But in the

case of specific nafl fasts such as ‘Arafaah and ‘Aashooraa’, it is better

to be on the safe side and make the intention the night before.

(36) If a person embarks on an obligatory fast, such as making up for a

day missed in Ramadaan, or fulfilling a vow, or fasting as an act of

expiation (kafaarah), he must complete the fast, and he is not permitted

to break it unless he has a valid excuse for doing so. In the case of a

naafil fast, “the person who is observing a voluntary fast has the choice

either to complete the fast or to break it” (reported by Ahmad, 6/342) –

even if there is no reason to break it. The Prophet  (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him) got up fasting one morning, then he ate. (As

reported in Saheeh Muslim, in the story of the al-hais (a type of food)

that was given to him as a gift when he was in ‘Aa’ishah’s house; no.

1154, ‘Abd al-Baaqi). But will the person who breaks his fast for no

reason be rewarded for the fasting that he has already done? Some of the

scholars say that he will not be rewarded (al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah,

28/13), so it is better for the person who is observing a voluntary fast

to complete it, unless there is a valid, pressing reason for him to stop

fasting.

(36) If a person does not know that Ramadaan has started until after dawn,

he has to stop eating and drinking for the rest of the day, and he has to

make that day up later on, according to the majority of scholars, because

the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is

no fasting for the one who does not have the intention to fast from the

night before.” (Reported by Abu Dawood, 2454).

(37) If a prisoner or captive knows that Ramadaan has begun by sighting

the moon himself or by being told by a trustworthy person, he has to fast.

If he does not know when the month is beginning, he must try to work it

out for himself (ijtihaad) and act according what he thinks is most

likely. If he later finds out that his fasting coincided with Ramadaan,

this is fine according to the majority of scholars, and if his fasting

came after Ramadaan, this is fine according to the majority of fuqahaa’,

but if his fasting came before Ramadaan, this is not acceptable, and he

has to make up the fast. If part of his fasting coincided with Ramadaan

and part of it did not, what coincided with it or came after it is fine,

but what came before is not OK. If the matter never becomes clear to him,

then his fasting is fine because he did the best he could, and Allaah

burdens not a person beyond his scope. (Al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 28/84).

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When to start and stop fasting

(38) Once the entire disk of the sun has disappeared, the fasting person

should break his fast, and not pay any attention to the red glow that

remains on the horizon, because the Prophet  (peace and blessings of

Allaah be upon him) said: “Once night comes from there and the day

disappears from there, and the sun has set, the fasting person should

break his fast.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 1954; the issue is

also mentioned in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/216).

The Sunnah is to hasten in breaking the fast. The Prophet  (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not pray Maghrib until he had

broken his fast, if only with a sip of water. (Reported by al-Haakim,

1/432; al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 2110). If a fasting person cannot find

anything with which to break his fast, he should have the intention in his

heart to break his fast, and he should not suck his finger, as some of the

common people do. He should beware of breaking the fast before the correct

time, because the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw

some people hanging from their hamstrings with blood pouring from the

corners of their mouths, and when he asked about them, he was told that

they were people who broke their fast before it was time to do so.” (The

hadeeth is in Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1986, and in Saheeh al-Targheeb,

1/420). If a person is certain, or thinks it most likely, or is not sure

whether he broke the fast before the proper time, he should make up the

fast later on, because the basic principle is that the day is still there

and has not ended. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/287). He should

beware of relying on the word of small children or untrustworthy sources,

and he should also beware of the time differences between different cities

and villages when he hears the adhaan on the radio and so on.

(39) When the dawn comes – which is the white light coming across the

horizon in the East – the fasting person must stop eating and drinking

straightaway, whether he hears the adhaan or not. If he knows that the

muezzin calls the adhaan at dawn, he has to stop eating and drinking as

soon as he hears his adhaan, but if the muezzin calls the adhaan before

Fajr, he does not have to stop eating and drinking when he hears it. If he

does not know the muezzin’s usual practice, or there are differences among

the muezzins, and he cannot determine the time of dawn for himself – as is

usually the case in cities because of lighting and buildings – he should

take the precaution of referring to a printed timetable, so long as he is

sure that the calculations on which it is based are not incorrect.

The idea of being on the safe side by stopping eating and drinking a

certain time before Fajr, such as ten minutes before, is bid’ah. On some

timetables you can see one heading for “imsaak” (stopping eating and

drinking) and another for Fajr; this is something that is contrary to

Islam.

(40) The Muslims living in cities where there is a distinct alternation of

night and day in every twenty-four hour period are obliged to fast, no

matter how long the day is, so long as that distinction between night and

day is there. In some places there is no such distinction between night

and day; Muslims in these places should fast according to the times in the

nearest city in which there is a distinct alternation of night and day.

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Things that break the fast

(41) Apart from hayd (menstruation) and nifaas (post-natal bleeding),

other things that can break the fast are only considered to do so if the

following three conditions apply: if a person knows that it breaks the

fast and is not ignorant; if he is aware of what he is doing and has not

forgotten that he is fasting; if he does it of his own free will and is

not forced to do it.

Among the things that break the fast are actions that involves the

expulsion of bodily fluids, such as intercourse, vomiting, menstruation

and cupping, and actions that involve ingesting matter, such as eating and

drinking. (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/148)

(42) Among the things that break the fast are things that are classified

as being like eating or drinking, such as taking medicines and pills by

mouth, or injections of nourishing substances, or blood transfusions.

Injections that are not given to replace food and drink but are used to

administer medications such as penicillin and insulin, or tonics, or

vaccinations, do not break the fast, regardless of whether they are

intra-muscular or intravenous. (Fataawa Ibn Ibraaheem, 4/189). But to be

on the safe side, all these injections should be given during the night.

Kidney dialysis, whereby the blood is taken out, cleaned, and put back

with some chemicals or nourishing substances such as sugars and salts

added, is considered to break the fast. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,

10/190).

According to the most correct view, suppositories, eye-drops, ear-drops,

having a tooth extracted and treating wounds do not break the fast.

(Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam, 25/233, 25/245).

Puffers used for asthma do not break the fast, because this is just

compressed gas that goes to the lungs – it is not food, and it is needed

at all times, in Ramadaan and at other times.

Having a blood sample taken does not break the fast and is permissible

because it is something that is needed. (Fataawa al-Da’wah: Ibn Baaz, no.

979).

Medicines used by gargling do not break the fast so long as they are not

swallowed. If a person has a tooth filled and feels the taste of it in his

throat, this does not break his fast. (From the fataawa of Shaykh ‘Abd

al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, issued verbally).

The following things do NOT break the fast:

Having the ears syringed; nose drops and nasal sprays – so long as one

avoids swallowing anything that reaches the throat.

Tablets that are placed under the tongue to treat angina and other

conditions - so long as one avoids swallowing anything that reaches the

throat.

Anything inserted into the vagina, such as pessaries, douches, scopes or

fingers for the purpose of a medical examination.

Insertion of a scope or intra-uterine device (IUD or “coil”) and the like

into the uterus.

Insertion into the urethra – for males or females – of a catheter, opaque

dye for diagnostic imaging, medication or solutions for cleansing the

bladder.

Dental fillings, tooth extractions, cleaning of the teeth, use of siwaak

or toothbrush - so long as one avoids swallowing anything that reaches the

throat.

Rinsing, gargling or applying topical mouth sprays - so long as one avoids

swallowing anything that reaches the throat.

Subcutaneous, intramuscular or intravenous injections – except for those

used to provide nourishment.

Oxygen.

Anaesthetic gases – so long as the patient is not given nourishing

solutions.

Medications absorbed through the skin, such as creams and patches used to

administer medicine and chemicals.

Insertion of a catheter into veins for diagnostic imaging or treatment of

blood vessels in the heart or other organs.

Use of a laparoscope (instrument inserted through a small incision in the

abdomen) to examine the abdominal cavity or to perform operations.

Taking biopsies or samples from the liver or other organs – so long as

this is not accompanied by the administration of solutions.

Gastroscopy – so long as this is not accompanied by the administration of

solutions or other substances.

Introduction of any instrument or medication to the brain or spinal column.

(43) Anyone who eats and drinks deliberately during the day in Ramadaan

with no valid excuse has committed a grave major sin (kabeerah), and has

to repent and make up for that fast later on. If he broke the fast with

something haraam, such as drinking alcohol, this makes his sin even worse.

Whatever the case, he has to repent sincerely and do more naafil deeds,

fasting and other acts of worship, so as to avoid having any shortfall in

his record of obligatory deeds, and so that Allaah might accept his

repentance.

(44) “If he forgets, and eats and drinks, then let him complete his fast,

for Allaah has fed him and given him to drink.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari,

Fath, no. 1933). According to another report, “He does not have to make

the fast up later or offer expiation (kafaarah).”

If a person sees someone else who is eating because he has forgotten that

he is fasting, he should remind him, because of the general meaning of the

aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “… Help one another in

righteousness and piety…” [al-Maa’idah 5:2], and the hadeeth, “if I

forget, remind me”; and because of the principle that this is an evil

action (munkar) that must be changed. (Majlis Shahr Ramadaan, Ibn

‘Uthaymeen, p.70)

(45) Those who need to break their fast in order to save someone whose

life is in danger, may break their fast and should make it up later on.

This applies in cases where someone is drowning, or when fires need to be

put out.

(46) If a person is obliged to fast, but he deliberately has intercourse

during the day in Ramadaan, of his own free will, where the two

“circumcised parts” (genitals) come together and the tip of the penis

penetrates either the front or back passage, his fast is broken, whether

or not he ejaculates, and he has to repent. He should still fast for the

rest of the day, but he has to make up the fast later on, and offer

expiation (kafaarah), because of the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may

Allaah be pleased with him): “Whilst we were sitting with the Messenger of

Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), a man came to him and

said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I am doomed!’ He said, ‘What is the matter

with you?’ He said, ‘I had intercourse with my wife whilst I was fasting.’

The Messenger of Allaah  said, ‘Do you have a slave whom you could set

free?’ He said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Can you fast for two consecutive months?’

He said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Do you have the wherewithal to feed sixty poor

people?’ He said, ‘No’…” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 4, no. 1936).

The same ruling also applies in cases of zinaa (adultery or fornication),

homosexuality and bestiality.

[Translator's Note: Having Intercourse from the back passage, adultery,

homosexuality, and bestiality are major sins in Islam and are magnified if

done during the day of Ramadhan.]

If a person has intercourse during the day on more than one day during

Ramadaan, he must offer expiation for each day, as well as repeating the

fast for each day. Not knowing that kafaarah is obligatory is no excuse.

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/321).

(47) If a man wants to have intercourse with his wife but he breaks his

fast by eating first, his sin is more serious, because he has violated the

sanctity of the month on two counts, by eating and by having intercourse.

It is even more certain in this case that expiation is obligatory, and if

he tries to get out of it, that only makes matters worse. He must repent

sincerely. (See Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/262).

(48) Kissing, hugging, embracing, touching and repeatedly looking at one’s

wife or concubine, if a man is able to control himself, is permissible,

because it is reported in al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be

pleased with her) that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon

him) used to kiss and embrace his wives whilst he was fasting, but he was

the most in control of his desire. With regard to the hadeeth qudsi, “he

keeps away from his wife for My sake”, this is referring to intercourse.

But if a person get aroused quickly and is unable to control himself, then

it is not permissible for him to kiss or embrace his wife, because that

will lead to him breaking his fast, as he cannot be sure that he will be

able to avoid ejaculating or having intercourse. Allaah says in a hadeeth

qudsi: “and he leaves his desire for My sake.” The Islamic guideline is

that anything that leads to haraam is also haraam.

(49) If a person is engaged in the act of intercourse and dawn comes, he

is obliged to withdraw, and his fast will be valid even if he ejaculates

after withdrawal, but if he continues having intercourse until after dawn,

he has broken his fast, and he must repent, make the fast up later, and

offer expiation.

(50) If morning comes and a person is in a state of janaabah (impurity

following sexual intercourse), this does not affect his fasting. He or she

is permitted to delay doing ghusl, whether it is for janaabah or following

menstruation or post-natal bleeding, until after the sun has come up, but

it is better to hasten to do ghusl so that one can pray.

(51) If a person who is fasting sleeps and experiences a wet dream, this

does not break his fast, according to scholarly consensus (ijmaa’), so he

should complete his fast. Delaying doing ghusl does not break the fast,

but he should hasten to do ghusl so that he can pray and so that the

anegls will draw close to him.

(52) If a person ejaculates during the day in Ramadaan because of

something that he could have refrained from, such as touching or

repeatedly looking at a woman, he must repent to Allaah and fast for the

rest of the day, but he also has to make up that fast later on. If a

person starts to masturbate but then stops, and does not ejaculate, then

he has to repent but he does not have to make the fast up later on,

because he did not ejaculate. The person who is fasting must keep away

from everything that may provoke his desire, and he must repel any bad

thoughts that come to him. However, according to the most correct opinion,

if he emits prostatic fluid (madhiy), this does not break his fast.

The emission of wadiy, a thick sticky substance that comes out after

urination, with no sense of physical pleasure, does not break the fast,

and a person does not have to do ghusl, but he does have to do istinjaa’

(clean his private parts) and do wudoo’. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,

10/279)

(53) “Whoever vomits unintentionally does not have to make up the fast

later on, but whoever vomits on purpose does have to make up the fast.”

(Saheeh hadeeth narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3/89). A person who vomits

deliberately, by sticking his finger down his throat or applying pressure

to his stomach, or deliberately smelling a repulsive odour, or looking at

something that could make him vomit, is obliged to make up the fast later

on. If he feels that he is about to vomit, but then it subsides by itself,

this does not break his fast, because it is not something that he can

control, but if the vomit comes into his mouth and he swallows it back

down, this does break the fast. If a person feels sick in his stomach, he

does not have to suppress the urge to vomit, because this could cause him

harm. (Majaalis Sharh Ramadaan, Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 67).

If a person unintentionally swallows something that is stuck between his

teeth, or if it is so small that he could not tell it was there or spit it

out, this is counted as being part of his saliva and it does not break his

fast. But if it is big enough to spit out, he should spit it out. If he

spits it out, this is OK, but if he swallows it, this breaks his fast. If

it can be diluted in the mouth, in whole or in part, and it has an added

taste or sweetness, it is haraam for him to chew it. If any of this

substance reaches the throat, this breaks the fast. If a person spits out

water after rinsing his mouth, his fast is not affected by any moisture or

wetness that is left behind, because he cannot help it.

If a person suffers from a nosebleed, his fast is still valid, because

this is something that is beyond his control. (Fataawa al-Lajnah

al-Daa’imah, 10/264).

If he has gum ulcers or his gums bleed after using the siwaak (tooth

stick), it is not permissible for him to swallow the blood; he has to spit

it out. However, if some blood enters his throat by accident, and he did

not mean for that to happen, there is no need to worry. Similarly, if

vomit rises in his throat then goes back down to his stomach without him

intending for this to happen, his fast is still valid. (Fataawa al-Lajnah

al-Daa’imah, 10/254).

With regard to mucus coming from the head (nose and sinuses) and phlegm

coming from the chest by coughing and clearing the throat, if it is

swallowed before it reaches the mouth, this does not break a person’s

fast, because it is a problem which all people have; but if it is

swallowed after it reaches the mouth, this does break the fast. However,

if it is swallowed unintentionally, it does not break the fast.

Inhaling water vapours, as may happen to people working in desalination

plants, does not break the fast. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/276).

It is disliked (makrooh) to taste food unnecessarily, because this carries

the risk that the fast may be broken. Examples of cases where it is

necessary to taste food include a mother chewing food for an infant when

she has no other way to feed him, tasting food to make sure that it is OK,

and tasting something when making a purchase. It was reported that Ibn

‘Abbaas said: “There is nothing wrong with tasting vinegar or anything

that one wishes to buy.” (Classed as hasan in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 4/86; See

al-Fath, commentary on Baab Ightisaal al-Saa’im, Kitaab al-Siyaam).

(54) Using siwaak is Sunnah for the one who is fasting at all times of the

day, even if it is wet. If a person who is fasting uses a siwaak and

detects some heat or other taste from it and swallows it, or if he takes

the siwaak out of his mouth and sees saliva on it then puts it back in his

mouth and swallows the saliva, this does not break his fast. (al-Fataawa

al-Sa’diyyah, 245). He should avoid any substance that can be diluted,

such as the green siwaak, or siwaak that has any extra flavour added to

it, like lemon or mint. He should spit out any small pieces that come off

the siwaak in his mouth; he should not swallow them deliberately, but if

he swallows them accidentally, there is no harm done.

(55) If a fasting person is injured or suffers a nosebleed, or gets water

or petrol in his mouth by accident, this does not break his fast. If he

gets dust, smoke or flies in his mouth by accident, this does not break

his fast either. Things that one cannot avoid swallowing, like one’s own

saliva, or dust from grinding flour, do not break the fast. If a person

gathers a lot of saliva in his mouth then swallows it on purpose, this

does not break the fast, according to the most correct opinion. (al-Mughni

by Ibn Qudaamah, 3/106).

If tears reach one’s throat, or if a person applies oil to his hair or

moustache, or uses henna, and then detects the taste of it in his throat,

this does not break his fast. Using henna, kohl or oil does not break the

fast. (See Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/233, 25/245). This also applies to

creams used to moisturize and soften the skin.

There is nothing wrong with smelling pleasant fragrances, using perfume or

applying scented creams and the like. There is nothing wrong with a

fasting person using bukhoor (incense), so long as he does not use it as

snuff. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/314).

It is better not to use toothpaste during the day, and to leave it till

night-time, because it is too strong. (Al-Majaalis, Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 72).

(56) To be on the safe side, it is better for the fasting person not to be

treated with cupping (hijaamah). There is a strong difference of opinion

on this matter. Ibn Taymiyah suggested that the one who has cupping done

breaks his fast, but the one who does it does not break his fast.

(57) Smoking breaks the fast, and it cannot be used as an excuse not to

fast. How can a sin be taken as an excuse?!

(58) Immersing oneself in water or wrapping oneself in wet clothes in

order to cool down does not break the fast. There is nothing wrong with

pouring water over one’s head to obtain relief from heat and thirst.

Swimming is disliked, because it might make one break the fast (by

swallowing water). If a person’s work involves diving and he can be sure

that he will not get water in his mouth, there is nothing wrong with this.

(59) If a person eats, drinks or has intercourse, thinking that it is

still night, then he realizes that dawn has already broken, there is no

harm done, because the aayah clearly states that it is permissible to do

these things until one is sure that dawn has come. ‘Abd al-Razzaaq

reported with a saheeh isnaad going back to Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be

pleased with him) that he said: “Allaah has permitted you to eat and drink

so long as there is any doubt in your mind.” (Fath al-Baari, 4/135; this

is also the opinion of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmoo’ al-Fataawa,

29/263).

(60) If a person breaks his fast, thinking that the sun has already set

when it has not, he must make up the fast later on (according to the

majority of scholars), because the principle is that it is still day, and

a fact that is certain cannot be rejected in favour of something doubtful.

(Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah thought that it was not necessary for a

person in this situation to make up the fast).

If dawn breaks and a person has food or drink in his mouth, the fuqaha’

are agreed that he should spit it out, and his fast is valid. This is like

the ruling on one who eats or drinks because he forgets, then remembers he

is fasting – if he hastens to spit out the food or drink in his mouth, his

fast is still valid.

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Rulings on fasting for women

(62) A woman who has reached the age of puberty, but is too shy to tell

anyone, so she does not fast, has to repent and make up the days she has

missed, as well as feeding a poor person for each day, as an act of

expiation for delaying her fast, if the following Ramadaan comes and she

has not yet made up those days. Her case is like that of a woman who fasts

the days of her period out of shyness, and does not make them up later.

If a woman does not know exactly how many days she has missed, she should

fast until she is fairly certain that she has made up the days she had

missed and not made up from previous Ramadaans, and offer the expiation

for delaying for each day. She can do this at the same time as fasting or

separately, depending on what she is able to do

(63) A woman should not fast – except during Ramadaan – if her husband is

present without his permission, but if he is travelling then it does not

matter.

(64) When a menstruating woman sees the white substance – which is

discharged by the uterus when the period is finished – by which a woman

knows that she has now become taahir (pure), she should have the intention

to fast from the night before and should fast. If she does not have a time

when she knows she is taahir, she should insert a piece of cotton or

something similar, and if it comes out clean, she should fast, and if she

starts to bleed again, she should stop fasting, whether the blood is a

flow or just spotting, because it breaks the fast as long as it comes at

the time of the period. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/154).

If the cessation of bleeding continues until Maghrib, and she has fasted

with the intention from the night before, then her fast is valid. If a

woman feels the movement of menstrual blood inside her, but is does not

come out until after the sun has set, her fast is valid and she does not

have to make the day up later.

If a woman’s period or post-natal bleeding ceases during the night, and

she makes the intention to fast, but dawn comes before she is able to do

ghusl, according to all the scholars her fast is valid. (al-Fath, 4/148)

(65) If a woman knows that her period will come tomorrow, she should still

continue her intention and keep fasting; she should not break her fast

until she actually sees the blood.

(66) It is better for a menstruating woman to remain natural and accept

what Allaah has decreed for her by not taking any medication to prevent

her from bleeding. She should be content with what Allaah accepts from her

of breaking her fast during her period and making those days up later.

This is how the Mothers of the Believers and the women of the salaf were.

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/151). Moreover, there is medical

evidence to prove that many of the things used to prevent bleeding are in

fact harmful, and many women have suffered from irregular periods as a

result of taking them. However, if a woman does that and takes something

to stop the bleeding, then fasts, this is OK.

(67) Istihaadah (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) does not have any effect

on the validity of the fast.

(68) If a pregnant woman miscarries and the foetus is formed or has a

discernible outline of any part of the body, such as a head or hand, then

her blood is nifaas; if, however, she passes something that looks like a

blood clot (‘alaq) or a chewed piece of meat that has no discernible human

features, her bleeding is istihaadah and she has to fast, if she is able,

otherwise she can break her fast and make it up later on. (Fataawa

al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/224). Once she becomes clean after having an

operation to clean the womb (D&C), she should fast. The scholars stated

that the embryo is considered to start taking shape after 80 days of

pregnancy.

If a woman becomes clean from nifaas before forty days, she should fast

and do ghusl so that she can pray. (al-Mughni ma’a al-Sharh al-Kabeer,

1/360). If the bleeding resumes within forty days after the birth, she

should stop fasting, because this is still nifaas. If the bleeding

continues after the fortieth day, she should make the intention to fast

and do ghusl (according to the majority of scholars), and any bleeding

beyond the fortieth day is considered to be istihaadah (non-menstrual

bleeding) – unless it coincides with the usual time of her period, in

which case it is hayd (menstrual blood).

If a breastfeeding woman fasts during the day and sees a spot of blood

during the night, although she was clean during the day, her fast is still

valid. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/150)

(69) According to the most correct opinion, a woman who is pregnant or

breastfeeding is regarded as being like one who is ill, so she is

permitted not to fast, and she only has to make up the days that she

missed, whether she fears for herself or for her child. The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has lifted the

obligation of fasting and part of the prayer from the traveller, and He

has lifted the obligation of fasting from the pregnant and breastfeeding

woman.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3/85; he said (it is a) hasan hadeeth).

If a pregnant woman fasts and experiences some bleeding, her fast is still

valid; this does not affect her fast at all. (Fataawa al-Lajnah

al-Daa’imah, 10/225).

(70) In the case of a woman who is obliged to fast, if her husband has

intercourse with her during the day in Ramadaan with her consent, then the

ruling that applies to him also applies to her. If, however, he forces her

to do that, she should do her best to resist him, and she does not have to

offer expiation. Ibn ‘Aqeel (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “In the

case of a man who has intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadaan

whilst she is sleeping, she does not have to offer expiation.” But to be

on the safe side, she should make up that fast later on. (Shaykh al-Islam

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was of the opinion that this

did not invalidate her fast at all).

A woman who knows that her husband cannot control himself should keep away

from him and not adorn herself during the day in Ramadaan.

Women have to make up the fasts that they miss during Ramadaan, even

without their husbands’ knowledge. It is not a condition for an obligatory

fast for a woman to have the permission of her husband. If a woman starts

to observe an obligatory fast, she is not allowed to break it except for a

legitimate reason. Her husband is not permitted to order her to break her

fast when she is making up a day that she has missed; he is not allowed to

have intercourse with her when she is making up a missed fast, and she is

not allowed to obey him in that regard. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,

10/353).

In the case of voluntary fasts, a woman is not permitted to start a

non-obligatory fast when her husband is present without his permission,

because of the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased

with him), according to which the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah

be upon him) said: “No woman should fast when her husband is present

except with his permission.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4793).

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In conclusion, this is what I was able to write about issues concerning

fasting. I ask Allaah to help us to remember Him, thank Him and worship

Him properly, and to end our Ramadaan with forgiveness, and to save us

from the Fire.

May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad, and his family and companions, and

grant them peace.