There are some rules you must abide by while fasting otherwise your fast will be invalidated. These rules are the same irrespective of when you are fasting - in Ramadan or any other time of the year. Again, these regulations do not change depending on what type of sawm it is. Whether you are observing Farj, sunnah, or nafl fasts, you must take note of these and adhere to them. So let's take a look at these rules below.
What Breaks the Fast?
Fasting means you do not eat, drink, or have sexual intercourse during fasting hours. Hence, if you do any of these, then your fast becomes invalid.
Allah says in the Quran-
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنْكُمْ ۖ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
"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 knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah Hath ordained for you, 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 ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah: Approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint."
[Quran 2:187]
From here, we can see that three things are prohibited during fasting - eating, drinking, and engaging in sexual activities. The other things that break the fast can be found in Hadiths.
There are 7 fast invalidators-
- Sexual Intercourse
- Masturbation
- Eating and Drinking
- Actions that can be taken as Eating and Drinking
- Cupping and other bloodletting actions
- Vomiting deliberately
- Menstruation and Postpartum Bleeding
Let's get into details-
1. Sexual Intercourse
During fasting hours, you are strongly prohibited from being engaged in sexual intercourse. If you don't abstain from it, your fast will be invalidated. And you will need to give kaffarah for breaking your fast.
A hadith Narrated Abu Huraira:
While we were sitting with the Prophet (PBUH) a man came and said, "O Allah's Messenger (PBUH)! I have been ruined." Allah's Messenger (PBUH) asked what was the matter with him. He replied "I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting." Allah's Messenger (PBUH) asked him, "Can you afford to manumit a slave?" He replied in the negative. Allah's Messenger (PBUH) asked him, "Can you fast for two successive months?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet (PBUH) asked him, "Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet (PBUH) kept silent and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet (PBUH) . He asked, "Where is the questioner?" He replied, "I (am here)." The Prophet (PBUH) said (to him), "Take this (basket of dates) and give it in charity." The man said, "Should I give it to a person poorer than I? By Allah; there is no family between its (i.e. Medina's) two mountains who are poorer than I." The Prophet (PBUH) smiled till his premolar teeth became visible and then said, 'Feed your family with it."
[Sahih al-Bukhari 1936]
2. Masturbation
When someone intentionally ejaculates while fasting, their fasting is nullified. But involuntary ejaculation due to wet dreams does not affect fasts at all because you are not awake at that time.
3. Eating & Drinking
Fasting means restricting yourself from taking any food or drinks from sunrise to sunset. Hence, if you eat or drink during fasting hours it invalidates your fast.
4. Actions that can be taken as Eating and Drinking
If something enters your stomach through your mouth or nose, it is counted as eating or drinking. Taking supplements or taking something that nourishes you falls in this criterion as well. For instance, taking a nutritional injection through veins will invalidate your fast. But if you are taking an insulin injection, your fast won't break.
Does taking Insuline break your fast? No, if you are a diabetic person who is prescribed to take insulin, then it will not break your fast. However, there are other opinions that suggest scheduling the dose during night time to avoid any confusion.
Does injection break fast? If the injection is for gaining nutritional value then it will break your fast. However, anesthesia for surgery, vaccination are permitted and do not break fast.
Does Inhaler invalidate your fast? Many scholars side with the view that people who are prescribed to use an inhaler, can use them while fasting without any implications on their fasting.
5. Cupping and Other Blood Letting Actions
Cupping is a type of healing process that involves removing blood from the body. Hence, it invalidates your fast. Other such actions also invalidate fasting. However, there are some disputes regarding the cupping process being a fast invalidator.
A hadith narrated Thawban:
The Prophet (PBUH) said: A man who cupped and a man who has himself cupped broke their fast. The narrator Shayban said in his version: AbuQilabah told me that AbuAsma' ar-Rahbi told him that Thawban, the client of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), told him that he heard the Prophet (PBUH) say this.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 2367]
Kidney dialysis also breaks your fast as blood enters the body.
Blood donation does not invalidate your fasting, according to the majority of scholars.
Blood test - If you give blood work, only a little blood is taken from the body. It is permissible and does not break the fast.
Minimal bleeding due to injury, wound, or nose bleed also does not invalidate your fast.
6. Vomiting deliberately
Vomiting deliberately will nullify your efforts of fasting. And you must repent for breaking your fast. It is said that when you vomit mouthfully, it breaks your fast. A hadith narrated AbuHurayrah:
"The Prophet (PBUH) said: if one has a sudden attack of vomiting while one is fasting, no atonement is required of him, but if he vomits intentionally he must make atonement."
[Sunan Abi Dawud 2380]
7. Menstruation and Postpartum Bleeding
These are also among fast invalidators. If the bleeding starts right before Iftar, the fast will be broken. A hadith Narrated Abu Sa`id:
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Isn't it true that a woman does not pray and does not fast on menstruating? And that is the defect (a loss) in her religion."
[Sahih al-Bukhari 1951]
Conditions Of Fast Invalidation
But what if you do any of the fast invalidating actions forgetfully? It doesn't break your fast!
So the fast breaks when -
- You know it breaks the fast, you still do it
- You haven't forgotten that you are fasting and
- You were not forced to do it.
These are true for all the fast invalidators except for menstruation and postpartum bleeding.
If for any reason your fast is broken, you need to make up for it. You have to give kaffarah if your fast breaks due to doing sexual activities and fidya for all the other fast invalidators.
FAQ
1: Does brushing teeth break fast?
No, it doesn't break your fast if you brush your teeth. But you should be careful not to ingest any water during the process.
2: Does swearing invalidate fasting?
Not really. But fasting is all about self-discipline. Hence, you should not cuss or swear during fasting hours. It is highly discouraged.