Fasting is intention (niyyah) and abandonment (tark). It is the intention to draw closer to Allāh with fasting through the abandonment of certain actions during the day (dawn to sunset). There are numerous things that break and invalidate the fast.

What Breaks the Fast

The things that corrupt and invalidate the fast are:^[1]

01  Eating. Due to the statement of Allāh (عز وجل): ( وَكُلُوا وَٱشۡرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡخَيْطُ ٱلۡأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلۡخَيْطِ ٱلۡأَسۡوَدِ مِنَ ٱلۡفَجْرِۖ ), "And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinguished for you from the black thread." (2:187).

02  Drinking. Due to the same verse above.

03  What is conceptually the same as eating or drinking. This includes injections or intravenous drips containing what provides nutrition to the body. As for what does not provide nutrition to the body, then it does not break the fast.

04  Nose drops that reach the stomach. Because it enters into the meaning of what has preceded.

05  Sexual intercourse. Due to the statement of Allah (عز وجل): ( أُحِلَّ لَكُمۡ لَيْلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَاۤىِٕكُمۡۚ ), "Lawful unto you on the night of the fast is sexual relations with your women." (2:187). It being prohibited during the day of the fast.

06  Emission of seminal fluid (المني) which occurs through desire. The evidence for this is the saying of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), relating from His Lord: (عبدي ترك شهوتَه وطعامَه وشرابَه ابتغاءَ مرضاتي), "My servant abandons his desire, his food and his drink seeking My pleasure."^[2] As for the clear fluid (المذي),^[3] then this does not break the fast, even if it occurs due to thoughts of desire or activity other than intercourse.

07  Vomiting deliberately. Due to the ḥadīth: (مَنْ ذَرَعَهُ الْقَيْءُ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ قَضَاءٌ ، وَمَنْ اسْتَقَاءَ عَمْدًا فَلْيَقْضِ), "The one overcome by vomiting does not have to make up the fast and the one who made himself vomit must make up the fast."^[4]

08  Extracting blood through cupping (in one view among scholars). Their evidence is the ḥadīth: (أفْطَر الحاجِم والمَحْجوم), "The cupper and the one cupped break their fast."^[5] Shaykh Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn (رحمه الله) is of the view that cupping breaks the fast and that if one desires to get cupped, it should be during the night time. Others are of the view that this was abrogated by the action of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in getting cupped while fasting.

09  Menstrual or post-natal bleeding. This is due to the ḥadīth regarding the woman and her deficiency in religion: (أليس إذا حاضت لم تصلِّ ولم تَصُم), “Is it not so that when she menstruates, she does not pray nor fast?.”^[6] The Muslim scholars are united that fasting by a menstruating woman and a woman in post-natal bleeding is not valid.

10  Having a firm intention to break the fast. Since fasting is a combination of intention (النية) and abandonment (الترك), the intention to draw near to Allāh and abandoning the things that break the fast, then if a person holds a firm intention to break his fast while he is fasting, then this invalidates the fast as the intention has been nullified. In such a case, a person must continue to avoid the things that break the fast and make up the fast later.

Required conditions for the above

The abovementioned things do not break the fast unless three conditions are fulfilled:

01  That he had knowledge of the Islāmic ruling, that this thing breaks the fast, and that he had knowledge of the time (that it was still the time of fasting).

This is due to general evidences indicating that forgetfulness, error, and that which is done without deliberate intent are overlooked. Refer to (2:286) and (33:5).

This is indicated in the Sunnah in relation to fasting in particular.

The companionʿAdiy bin Ḥātim (رضي الله عنه) misunderstood the verse that states that one can eat and drink until the white thread can be distinguished from the black thread (2:187).

He thought this meant the rope used to tie camels. So he ate and drank until there was enought light to enable him to distinguish between the two ropes. He informed the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) who told him that this is not the interpretation of the verse and that the verse was referring to the white thread of dawn becoming distinct from the darkness above it across the horizon. However, he did not command ʿAdiyy (رضي الله عنه) to make up his fast, because he was ignorant of the ruling.^[7]

As for knowledge of the time, then Asmā bint Abī Bakr (رضي الله عنها) relates that once they broke the fast on a cloudy day thinking the time had passed for breaking the fast, but then the sun appeared through the clouds. However, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did not command them to make up the fast.^[8] This is due to being ignorant of the time, thinking that the time for breaking the fast had arrived when it had not. Similarly, if one was to wake up in the morning and eat and drink, thinking it was still night without knowing that dawn had already appeared, then he does not have to make up the fast because he was ignorant of the time.

02  That he was not forgetful. Meaning that he was mindful of what he was doing, and had not forgotten that he was fasting. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: (من نسِي وهو صائمٌ فأكل وشرب فليتمَّ صومَه ، فإنَّما أطعمه اللهُ وسقاه), “Whoever forgot while he was fasting and ate and drank, let him complete his fast, for indeed it was Allāh who fed him and gave him to drink.” ^[9]

03  That he was not compelled but did so out of choice. Meaning that he had intent or desire (قصد) for this action that invalidates his fast, he chose to do it. If however, he did not do it voluntarily, then his fast remains valid, irrespective of whether he was compelled or not.

The evidence for this is the fact that Allāh (عز وجل) made an exception for those who are compelled to disbelief, in speech or deed, while their hearts remain firm upon īmān: ( مَن كَفَرَ بِٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ إِيمَـٰنِهِۦۤ إِلَّا مَنۡ أُكۡرِهَ وَقَلۡبُهُۥ مُطۡمَىِٕنُّۢ بِٱلۡإِيمَـٰنِ ), “Whoever disbelieves in Allāh after his belief, except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure with faith…” (16:106)

If the judgement of disbelief is remitted in the case of force and compulsion, then what is less than that is even more worthy of remission. Also, the ḥadīth: (إنَّ اللهَ تعالى وضع عن أُمَّتي الخطأَ ، و النسيانَ ، و ما اسْتُكرِهوا عليه), “Verily Allāh the Exalted has relieved my ummah from [being accountable for] error, forgetfulness and what they have been forced to do.”^[10]

Thus, anyone forced to take food or drink, his fast remains valid, because this was not out of choice. Similarly, if a person while asleep during the fast was to have a wet dream and have an emission, this would not invalidate his fast, because this was not out of choice, it was without intent. Likewise, if a man was to force his wife to have sexual relations, her fast would remain valid, because she did not choose this act.

What results from having intercourse during the day in Ramaḍān

There are five things that result from this act if it is done while the fasting is obligatory upon him (which excludes the traveller, see below):

—Sinfulness,
—The obligation to continue the fast for the rest of the day,
—Invalidation of the fast itself,
—Obligation to make up the fast, and
—Expiation for breaking the fast.

Further, it is not a condition that he must have knowledge of what is obligatory upon him (of making expiation) for it to become an obligation upon him. He deliberately and wilfully corrupted and invalidated his fast, and the above five affairs result from this deliberate intent.

This is based on the ḥadīth^[11] in which a man came to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and said, “O Messenger of Allāh, I am ruined.” He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “What has ruined you?” He said: “I had intercourse with my wife in Ramaḍān while I was fasting.” So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) ordered him to make an expiation for it and the man was not aware before this that he had to make an expiation.

The expiation for intercourse during the day in Ramaḍān, after repentance, is to free a slave, and if he is not able, then to fast two consecutive months, and if he is not able, then to feed sixty needy people with the equivalent of between a kilo to a kilo and a half measure of food per person.

As for the traveller who travels with his wife, then if he chose to fast, and then has intercourse with his wife during the fast, he is not required to make expiation. This is because he has the choice, as a traveller, to keep the fast or to break the fast.

Footnotes