Actions
Which Nullify the Fast
The following acts,
when done knowingly
and deliberately in
the days of Ramadhan,
will invalidate the
fast. In addition to
being considered great
sins, a person committing
one of these acts will
have to continue fasting
the rest of the day
that he/she committed
it, and he/she is also
required to take certain
measures of reconciliation
as indicated below.
1-Intentional
eating, drinking
Allah
says [in the meaning
of]: "Eat and drink
until the white thread
becomes distinct to
you from the black thread
of the dawn. Then strictly
observe the fast until
nightfall." [al-Baqara,
2:187].
This applies to the
one who does so consciously.
However, if a person
eats or drinks forgetfully
or accidently or is
forced to do it, the
fasting is intact, the
day is not to be made
up and the person should
continue fasting.
Abu Hurairah reported
that the Prophet (S)
said:"Whoever forgets
he is fasting, and eats
or drinks is to complete
his fast, as it is Allah
who fed him and gave
him something to drink."
[Bukhari, Muslim and
others]
Ibn Abbas reported that
the Prophet (S) said:"
Allah has excused for
my Ummah mistakes, forgetfulness
and what they are forced
to do". [Tahawee, al-Hakim
and Daraqutni; Sahih].
Similar to eating and
drinking is smoking
[besides being prohibited
in itself] and letting
any substance into the
stomach.
However, if a person
eats or drink out of
forgetfulness, then
he/she should continue
fasting and the day
fasted is valid and
counted and does not
need to make up the
day. This is based on
the hadith of Abu Huraira
in Sahih al-Bukhari:
The Prophet said, "If
somebody eats or drinks
forgetfully then he
should complete his
fast, for what he has
eaten or drunk, has
been given to him by
Allah.".
Similarly if a person
breaks the fast before
the actual maghrib (sunset)
or after fajr because
of a mistake in time
recognition, he is not
to make up the day.
2-Sexual
intercourse
Just
like eating and drinking
Allah has forbidden
sexual intercourse during
the days of Ramadan;
"Permitted
to you, on the night
of the fasts, is the
approach to your wives.
They are your garments
and ye are their garments.
Allah knows what you
used to do secretly
among yourselves; but
He turned to you and
forgave you; so now
associate (i.e. have
sexual intercourse)
with them, and seek
what Allah Hath ordained
for you (i.e. offspring),
and eat and drink, until
the white thread of
dawn appear to you distinct
from its black thread;
then complete your fast
till the night appears;
but do not associate
with your wives while
you are in seclusion
(I`tikaf) in the mosques.
Those are Limits (set
by) Allah. Approach
not nigh thereto. Thus
does Allah make clear
His Signs to men: that
they may learn self-restraint.
[al-Baqara; 2:187]
The `ulama' [Scholars]
differ about stimulating
oneself [whether alone
or with his wife or
vise versa], without
intercourse, to the
point of ejaculation.
Some of them treat it
as complete intercourse,
while others say that
it does not invalidate
the fast even though
it causes a loss of
its rewards.
3-Intentional
vomiting
Abu
Hurairah reported that
the Prophet (S) said
:"Whoever is overcome
and vomits is not to
make up the day. Whoever
vomits intentionally
must make up the day."
[Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmithi
and Ibn Majah; Sahih]
4-Poor
Intentions
Failing
to intend (i.e. with
the heart) to fast from
before the dawn of the
day of fast. (Note:
voluntary or nafl fasting
is excepted from this
requirement)
Intending to stop fasting
at any moment during
the day of fast. These
last two actions are
actions of the heart
and are related to the
intention which has
been shown as being
an essential element
[or pillar] of fasting.
These actions void the
fast even if the person
does not actually eat
anything. This is because
the intention is one
of the pillars of the
fast and, if one changes
his/her intention, he/she
has nullified his/her
fast.
Except intercourse,
a day invalidated by
such an action cannot
be atoned by even fasting
the whole life. Thus,
in addition to the qadha'
[making up the day],
the only way to atone
such an act is by true
and sincere repentance
and strong determination
never to do it.
The only action, according
to most scholars, which
requires that both the
day be made up and the
act of expiation be
performed is having
sexual intercourse during
a day of Ramadan.
Abu Hurairah reported
that a man came to the
Messenger of Allah and
said: "I am destroyed,
0 Messenger of Allah!"
The Prophet asked: "What
has destroyed you?"
He said, "I had intercourse
with my wife during
a day of Ramadan." The
Prophet asked: "Are
you able to free a slave?"
He said, "No". The Prophet
asked: "Is it possible
for you to fast for
two consecutive months?"
He said, "No." The Prophet
asked: "Is it possible
for you to feed sixty
poor people?" He said,
"No." The Prophet said:
"Then sit." A basket
of dates was brought
to the Prophet and he
said to the man: Give
this in charity. The
man said: "To someone
poorer than us? There
is no one in this city
who is poorer than us!"
The Prophet laughed
until his molar teeth
could be seen and said:
"Go and feed your family
with it." [Bukhari,
Muslim and others]
Most scholars say that
both men and women have
to perform the acts
of expiation (Kaffarah)
if they intentionally
have intercourse during
a day of Ramadan on
which they had intended
to fast.
5-Injections
containing nourishment
Though
this type of action
is committed intentionally
and thus falls under
intentional eating and
drinking, it is not
considered as a sin
if given to a sick person
in need of it. All what
is needed is to make
up the day later. These
injections are meant
to give nourishment
intravenously so that
it reaches the intestines,
with the intention of
nourishing the sick
person. Also if the
injection reaches the
blood-stream then it
likewise breaks the
fast since it is being
used in place of food
and drink. Similar is
the use of drips containing
glucose and saline solutions,
and inhalers used by
people sick of asthma.
May Allah relieve all
sick believers.
Involuntarily
events that break the
fast
The
fast is disrupted (and
there is no point or
reward then in continuing
to fast) when a woman
sees the blood caused
by either of:
1-Menstruation
2-post-childbirth bleeding
Even if such bleeding
begins just before the
sunset, the fast of
that day is rendered
invalid. A woman in
this case will have
to fast a day later
(qadha') for every day
(or part of day) that
she missed.
If a menstruating woman
becomes Tahira (ceases
bleeding) before dawn,
then she takes her Ghusl
(purifying shower) and
intends to fast the
next day. However, if
she becomes Tahira after
fajr then she takes
her ghusl, and starts
praying as usual and
the day has to made
up after Ramadan. She
may eat and drink during
that day as it is an
invalid day as Shaikh
Ibn Otheimin observed.
The Prophet (S) said:
"Is it not that when
she [the woman] menstruates,
she does not pray nor
fast?" We said : Yes
indeed. He said: "That
is the deficiency in
her Deen [religion].
In another narration:
"She remains not praying
at night and refraining
from fasting in Ramadan,
that is the deficiency
in her Deen".[Muslim]
The order to make up
for the days of menstruation
is reported in the lesson
`Aishah gave to Mu`aathah
who came and asked her
"Why is it that the
menstruating woman has
to make up her fasts
but not the prayers?"
`Aisha said: "Are you
a Harooree(*) woman?"
I (Mu`aathah) said:
"I am not a Harooree
woman, but I wish to
ask". `Aisha said: "That
used to come upon us
and so we were ordered
to make up the fasts
and were never ordered
to make up the prayers"
[Bukhari and Muslim]
(*)Haroorees are the
people of Haroora near
Koofa [Iraq]. They had
the belief of Khawarij
who fought Ali radhiya
Allahu `anh. They make
it obligatory on the
woman to make up her
prayers if she menstruates.
`Aisha feared that Mu`aathah
was among them.
