Acts
That are Permissible
During the Fast
(1)
Pouring water over
one's self and submerging
one's self in water
Abu
Bakr ibn 'Abdurrahman
reported from a number
of companions that
they had seen Allah's
Messenger pour water
over his head while
he was fasting due
to thirst or extreme
heat. [Ahmad, Malik
and Abu Dawud; Sahih].
Al-Hasan al-Basri
said: "There is no
harm in rinsing the
mouth and cooling
ones body with cold
water when fasting".
Similarly, one can
have a bath or swim
without invalidating
his fast.
(2)
Applying Kohl(*) or
eye-drop or anything
to the eyes
It
is the Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allah
(S) to apply Kohl
to his eyes (unfortunately
this practice has
been abandoned by
Muslim men of this
age). There are reports
of many Sahaba applying
Kohl while fasting,
among them Anas who
did not see any harm
in use of Kohl for
the fasting person.
[Bukhari].
Similar is wearing
or smelling perfumes.
(*)A black substance
applied to the rims
of the eyelids
(3)
Kissing and foreplay
for one who has the
ability to control
himself
`Aishah (R) said :"
The Prophet (S) would
kiss and embrace [his
wives] while he was
fasting, for he had
the most control of
all of you over his
desires" [Bukhari
and Muslim]
Aisha said, "Allah's
Apostle used to kiss
some of his wives
while he was fasting,"
and then she smiled.
[Bukhari]
Zainab (daughter of
Ummu Salama) reported
that her mother said,
"While I was (lying)
with Allah's Messenger
underneath a woolen
sheet, I got the menstruation,
and then slipped away
and put on the clothes
(which I used to wear)
in menses. He asked,
"What is the matter?
Did you get your menses?"
I replied in the affirmative
and then entered underneath
that woolen sheet.
I and Allah's Messenger
used to take a bath
from one water pot
and he used to kiss
me while he was fasting."
[Bukhari]
Umar asked the Messenger
of Allah (peace_be_upon_him):
Should one observing
fast kiss (his wife)?
The Messenger of Allah
(S) said to him: Ask
her (Ummu Salamah).
She informed him that
the Messenger of Allah
(S) did that, whereupon
he said: Messenger
of Allah, Allah pardoned
you all your sins,
the previous and the
later ones. Upon this
the Messenger of Allah
(S) said: By Allah,
I am the most God-conscious
among you and I fear
Him most among you.
[Muslim]
This is permissible
even if it led to
some pre-seminal fluid
secretions. Jabir
said: "The person
who gets discharge
after casting a look
(on his wife) should
complete his fast."
[Bukhari].
However, young men
or women are discouraged
to kiss or have foreplay
as it may lead to
loss of control.
Abdullah Ibn `Amr
Ibn al-`Aas said:
"We were with the
Prophet (S) when a
youth came and said:
'May I kiss [my wife]
while I am fasting?'
He (the Prophet (S))
said: 'No'. Then an
old man came and said:
'May I kiss [my wife]
while I am fasting?'
He said: 'Yes'. So
we began looking at
one another, so Allah's
Messenger (S) said:
'The old man is able
to control himself'.
[Ahmad; Hasan]
(4)
Injections, eye and
ear drops
Medically
required injections,
eye and ear drops
and medications placed
on wounds, as long
as they are not for
nourishing purposes
they do not invalidate
the fast even if one
finds a taste in the
throat as Ibn Taymiyyah
and Ibn al-Qayyim
observed.
(5)
Cupping (Hijaamah)
and blood-letting
[or donation] for
medical purposes
This
used to be an act
that breaks the fast.
The Prophet (S) said
"The cupper [al-Hajim]
and the cupped [al-Mahjoum]
have broken the fast"
[Sahih al-Jami`].
However, this was
abrogated later as
the The Prophet (S)
did it while fasting.
Ibn Abbas said: "The
Prophet was cupped
while he was in the
state of Ihram, and
also while he was
observing a fast."
[Bukhari]
Anas Ibn Malik was
asked whether they
disliked the cupping
for a fasting person.
He replied in the
negative and said,
"Only if it causes
weakness." [Bukhari]
Vivisection follows
the same ruling as
cupping as well as
nose or throat bleeding,
or bleeding caused
by pulling a tooth.
(6)
Rinsing the mouth
and nose
These
acts are allowed in
general, but it is
disliked to exaggerate
(that is, use a lot
of water and put the
water deep into the
mouth or nose while
fasting).
Laqit Ibn Sabra reported
that the Prophet said:
"Exaggerate when rinsing
your nose unless you
are fasting." [an-Nasa'i,
Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi
and Ibn Majah; Sahih].
(7)
Those things which
one could not protect
one's self from
Such
as swallowing one's
saliva [or sputum],
the dust of the road,
sifting flour and
so on are all overlooked:
Ibn 'Abbas ruling
is that: "There is
no problem with tasting
liquid food or something
you wish to purchase."
Similarly one can
taste food (when cooking)
with the tongue without
swallowing.
(8)
The fasting person
can eat, drink, and
have sexual intercourse
until fajr
If
someone has food in
his mouth when fajr
is beginning, he should
spit it out. If he
is having intercourse
(with his wife) at
that time, he should
immediately stop.
If he does so, his
fast will still be
valid. If he continues
in these actions at
that time, he will
have broken his fast.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim
record from Aishah
that the Prophet said:
"Bilal makes the call
to prayer while it
is still night; therefore,
eat and drink until
Ibn Umm Maktum makes
the call to prayer."
(9)
It is permissible
for the fasting person
to be Junub (sexually
defiled or having
had intercourse or
a wet dream) at the
time of Fajr (that
is, a person is not
required to perform
ghusl before fajr)
Umm
Salamah [the wife
of the Prophet (S)]
narrated that AbuBakr
ibn AbdurRahman reported
that Marwan sent him
to Umm Salamah to
ask whether a person
should observe fast
who is in a state
of junaba and the
dawn breaks upon him,
whereupon she said
that the Messenger
of Allah (S) (was
at times) junub on
account of intercourse
and not due to sexual
dream, and the dawn
broke upon him, but
he neither broke the
fast nor recompensed.
[Muslim]
(10)
Delaying the purifying
ghusl (bath) from
menstruation till
after fajr (dawn)
If
the blood of a menstruating
woman or of a woman
with post-childbirth
bleeding stops during
the night, she can
delay ghusl until
Fajr.
(11)
Involuntary actions
Involuntary
actions such as ejaculation
in a wet dream or
involuntary vomiting
do not invalidate
the fast [the case
of vomiting has already
been indicated in
the hadith concerning
intentional vomiting].
