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- 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?
- Travelers
- The
sick
- The
elderly
- Niyyah
(intention) in fasting
- When
to start and stop fasting
- Things
that break the fast
- Rulings
on fasting for women
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.
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 Ramadan. (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).
[
Index ]
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).
[
Index ]
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.
[Index
]
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.
[
Index ]
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)
[
Index ]
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.
[
Index ]
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).
[
Index ]
Who
is obliged to fast?
(10)
Fasting is an obligation on every adult, sane, settled
[i.e., not traveling] 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.
[ Index
]
Travelers
(16)
For a traveler to be allowed to break his fast, certain
conditions must be met. His journey should be lengthy,
or else be known as traveling (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 traveler
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 traveler 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 traveling, because something may happen to
prevent him from setting out on his journey. (Tafseer
al-Qurtubi, 2/278).
The
traveler 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 traveler 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
traveling, then he is not allowed to break his fast
or shorten his prayers. If nomadic Bedouins are traveling
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 traveler 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 traveled, 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)
[
Index ]
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).
[
Index]
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 traveling. 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.
[
Index ]
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).
[
Index ]
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.
[
Index]
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 Ramadan.]
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.
[Index]
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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