Things that Invalidate Fasting

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Things that Invalidate Fasting

Muhammad bin Ibrahim At-Tuwaijry



1- Willful eating, drinking, or having sexual intercourse during the day in Ramadhan.
2- Menstrual or postnatal bleeding during the day,
3- Induced vomiting, masturbating, or ejaculating as a result of fondling with one's wife, or any discharge after sexual activities during the day in Ramadhan.
4- Willful cupping,[1] invalidates the fasting of both the cupped and the cupper.
5- lntravenous feeding,[2]


* He who eats or drinks - while he is not certain it is dawn; - in case he is having the suhoor meal - or sunset -in case he is having the iftar - his fasting remains valid as long as he tried his best to verify the time of dawn or sunset.[3]


* The use of Kuhul, enema, treatment of wounds, incense, or eye-drops do not nullify fasting because they are not considered as food supplements. It is better, as a precaution, to use it during the night.


* Women may take pills or use other means to stop menstruation for the purpose of uninterrupted fasting during Ramadhan, or during the season of the Hajj it such procedure does not endanger her health.


* He who has an intercourse during the day in Ramadhan, he must make up that day and expiate for it if he did so knowingly. But if he did so forgetfully' his fast would remain valid.
* If the wife was ignorant of rulings concerning sexual intercourse while fasting, or forgot she was fasting, or was forced into it during the day in Ramadhan, her fast remains valid. If she was forced into it, she may make up for that day by observing fast of another day after Ramadhan. If she consented, then it would be incumbent upon her to make up that day and expiate.


* Expiation is not due on any reason other than sexual intercourse during the hours of fasting. The order of expiation is as follows:
1- Freeing a slave, if one is unable to do so, or a slave is unavailable, then
2- Observing fast of two consecutive months; if he cannot afford doing so, then
3- Feeding sixty needy Persons.
* If a husband sat between or above the thighs of his wife and ejaculated without insertion, he should make up for that day and repent to Allah.


* It is the Sunnah to make up the days missed out in Ramadhan soon as the month of Ramadhan is over, and consecutively. If the days to be observed were deferred until after the elapse of another Ramadhan without a valid excuse, such a person must observe the days he missed as well as feed a needy person for each day he missed.


* He who dies before fulfilling his vow of observing fasting, or to perform the Hajj, or I’tikaf, it is commended for his heir to observe it on his behalf.

[1] Cupping, drawing blood from the body by suction cups.

[2] Administering food by injection into the vein.

[3] This case applies to a person who does not have a watch or a clock, or a transient who is unaware of the prayer schedule of the place he is in.