Islamic Legal Rulings On Fasting
Fasting
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Islamic Legal Rulings on
Fasting (Siyam)
The Legal ruling on Fasting
Fasting the month of Ramadan is
one of the five pillars of Islam, as
the Prophet (may the blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said,
“Islam is based on five
(principles): to testify that none
has the right to be worshipped but
Allah and Muhammad is Allah's
Messenger, to establish the
(obligatory) prayers dutifully and
perfectly, to pay Zakah (i.e.
obligatory charity), to perform
Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Makkah),
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to observe fast during the month
of Ramadan.” [Agreed upon: 8, 16].
Sawm or fast is the act of
abstinence from food, drink, sex
and all other things that vitiate fast,
right from dawn to sunset, with the
intention of getting closer to Allah
the Most High. Its obligation is
unanimously agreed upon by
learned scholars in view of the
saying of Allah the Most High,
So whoever of you sights (the
crescent on the first night of) the
month (of Ramadan i.e. is
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present at his home), he must
observe Sawm (fasts) that
month. [Al-Baqarah: 185].
It is compulsory on every sane and
adult Muslim. Adulthood occurs at
the attainment of puberty, which is
at the age of fifteen or the growth
of pubic hair or the discharge of
semen through dreams or
otherwise. Females have an
additional sign, which is menstrual
discharge. Whenever any of these
signs occur, a person is considered
to have attained adulthood.
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Virtues of the Month of
Ramadan
Allah has singled out the month of
Ramadan with many virtues, and
these virtues are specific to the
month of Ramadan. These include:
1. The angels seek forgiveness
on behalf of those fasting until
they break their fast.
2. In this month, recalcitrant
devils are put to shackles.
3. It contains Lailatul-Qadr
(night of power or decree) which is
better than a thousand nights.
4. People observing fast are
granted forgiveness at the last
night of the month of Ramadan.
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5. Every night in Ramadan Allah
redeems some people from the
Hellfire.
6. Performing ‘Umrah in
Ramadan is equivalent to a Hajj.
Moreover, regarding the virtue of
this noble month, Abu Hurairah
(May Allah be pleased with him)
reported the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)
to have said, “Whoever fasts
Ramadaan out of faith and in the
hope of reward, his previous sins
will be forgiven.” [Agreed upon:
38, 760].
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In another tradition, the Messenger
of Allah (May the blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said,
“Every deed of the son of Adam
will be multiplied for him,
between ten and seven hundred
times for each merit. Allah said:
'Except for fasting, for it is for Me
and I shall reward for it.'”
[Agreed upon: 5927, 1151].
Confirmation of the
Beginning of Ramadan
The following two methods
confirm the month of Ramadan:
1. The sighting of the crescent of
Ramadan. When the crescent is
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sighted, it becomes compulsory to
fast. The Prophet (May the
blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said, “When you see
the crescent then fast, and when
you see it (at the end of the
month), then stop fasting.”
[Agreed upon: 1900, 1080].
The sighting of one trustworthy
and adult Muslim is adequate to
prove and confirm the month of
Ramadan. However, the
confirmation of the sighting of the
crescent of the month of Shawwal
must be through the testimony of
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two trustworthy and adult
Muslims.
2. If the crescent is not sited the
night before the 30th of Sha’ban,
then we complete the month of
Sha’ban thirty days. When it is
completed, the thirty-first day
becomes the first day of the month
of Ramadan due to the saying of
the Messenger of Allah (may the
blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), “If the new moon is
obscured from you (i.e. if it is
cloudy), then complete a full
thirty days.” [Agreed upon: 1907, 1081].
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Those permitted not to
observe fast:
1. Someone who is sick with a
non-chronic illness, but fasting is
too difficult for him is permitted to
not fast and to make up the days he
did not fast. The one who is ill
with a chronic illness that does not
permit him to fast is not obliged to
fast. However, he should feed a
needy person giving a kilogram
and a half of rice or any other food
per person. He may also prepare
food and invite needy people
according to the number of days he
did not fast.
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2. A traveler is allowed not to
fast right from when he leaves his
home until he returns as long as he
did not intend residing there.
3. Likewise, a pregnant or
nursing woman is allowed to break
fast if she fears for herself or her
baby. However, when this excuse
is over, she should make up for the
days she did not fast.
4. An elderly person who finds
fasting very difficult is allowed not
to fast. He does not need to make
up missed days. He only needs to
feed a needy person for every day
he did not fast.
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That which invalidates
the Fast
1. Deliberate eating or drinking.
Eating out of forgetfulness does
not affect one's fast, as the Prophet
said, “Whoever forgets that he is
fasting, and eats or drinks, is to
complete his fast..." [Sahih Muslim:
1155 ].
Nullifications of the fast include
when water reaches the abdomen
through the nose, the act of taking
drips via the veins and injecting
blood. All these invalidate the fast
because they are means of
nutrition for the fasting person.
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2. Engaging in sexual
intercourse: when a fasting person
has sexual intercourse, his fast
becomes invalid and he must make
up that day, as well as perform a
specific expiation for it. The
expiation is to free a slave. If he
cannot find one, he should fast for
two months consecutively. During
these two months, he is not
allowed to break the fast except for
a legal excuse such as the days of
the two Eids, Tashreeq (the
11th,12th, 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) or
for some perceivable excuse like a
sickness or a journey that is not
meant just for the purpose of
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breaking the fast. If he breaks his
fast even for a day without any
legal reason, he should begin the
fast again to achieve the
consecutiveness. However, if he is
unable to fast for two consecutive
months, he should feed sixty needy
people.
3. Premeditated discharge of
semen through kissing or
masturbation or any other means.
All these invalidate the fast and he
must make up for those days.
There is no expiation for such an
act, but he must repent to Allah. A
wet dream does not invalidate the
fast.
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4. Extracting blood from the
body through cupping or for
donation invalidates the fast,
though. Extracting little blood for
clinical test does not invalidate the
fast. Similarly is the unintentional
emission of blood like in the case
of a nose bleed or wound, or
doffing of a tooth. Such does not
invalidate fast.
5. Deliberate vomiting. If
someone vomits unintentionally,
there is no problem.
None of these invalidators renders
one's fast invalid except when he
does them knowingly and
intentionally. If he is ignorant of
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their legal ruling or ignorant of the
time, such as when he thinks that
the dawn has not yet broken or
thinks that the sun has set and the
like, then his fast remains valid.
Similarly, when he forgets, his fast
remains valid.
It is only when he intends breaking
the fast that the fasting becomes
invalid. However, if he is obliged
or compelled, his fasting remains
valid and he does not have to make
it up.
6. Invalidators of the fast also
include the emission of menstrual
blood or postpartum bleeding.
Whenever a woman notices the
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blood, her fast becomes invalid.
Moreover, it is prohibited for her
to fast in the state of menstruation
or postnatal bleeding but she must
make up for those days after the
month of Ramadan.
Things That Do Not
Invalidate the Fast
1. Showering, swimming and
cooling oneself with water.
2. Eating, drinking or having
sexual intercourse at night (after
sunset) until the break of dawn is
verified.
3. Using a siwaak or tooth
stick.This does not affect fasting at
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any time of the day. It is rather a
desirable act.
4. Receiving any medical
treatment that does not provide
nutrients to the body. It is
permissible to take non-nutritious
injections, or eye or nose drops,
even if it leaves a taste in the
throat, though postponing such a
treatment to a time when one is not
fasting is better. It is allowed to
use the inhaler for asthma. One's
fast does not become invalid by
tasting food if it is not swallowed.
There is no problem with rinsing
the mouth and inhaling water into
the nostrils, but it should not be
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done excessively, to avoid water
getting into the abdomen.
Perfumes and scents are also
permissible and do not break the
fast.
5. Women who are menstruating
and women who are experiencing
postpartum bleeding, and it ends
before dawn, or men or women in
the state of janabah (sexuallycaused
impurity) may delay taking
the ritual bath until after the dawn
has broken.
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Important Points
1. If a non-Muslim embraces
Islam during the day of Ramadan,
he must abstain from food, drink
and the like for the rest of the day,
but he would not have to make up
for that day.
2. One must make an intention to
fast at any time in the night before
dawn before making up an
obligatory fast or a voluntary but
time-restricted fast, such as the six
days of Shawwal, the Day of
Arafah, and Day of ‘Ashura. The
intention for the fasts that are not
time-restricted, such as fasting
three days every month, can be
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made after the dawn has broken,
even if it is after the sun has risen
high in the sky, as long as he has
not committed any invalidator of
the fast.
3. It is desirable for the one
fasting to make any supplication of
his choice upon breaking the fast.
This is based on the saying of the
Prophet (may the blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him),
“When the fasting person breaks
his fast, his supplication is not
rejected.” [Transmitted by Ibn
Majah: 1743].
Some of the recorded invocations
include:
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Dhahabath-thama-o wabtallatil-
'urooq, wathabatal-ajru in sha’
Allah–
Meaning: “The thirst has gone
and the veins are quenched, and
the reward is confirmed, if Allah
wills.” [Abu Dawud: 2010].
4. Anyone who realizes that the
beginning of the month of
Ramadan has begun during the day
must abstain from eating, drinking
and the like, and should make up
that day.
5. It is desirable for anyone
liable of making up some days of
Ramadan to hasten to do that,
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although he may delay that, but it
is not permissible for him to delay
that until the next Ramadan
without a valid excuse.
Supererogatory elements
(Sunan) of fasting
1. The pre-dawn meal (suhoor).
This is based on the saying of the
Prophet (May the blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him), “Eat
the suhoor (predawn meal).
Surely, there is a blessing in
suhoor.” [Agreed upon: 1923,
1095].
The established practice of the
Prophet (may the blessings and
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peace of Allah be upon him) is to
delay eating suhoor until the last
part of the night according to the
tradition: “My nation will remain
well, so long as it hastens to break
the fast and delay the dawn meal
(suhoor).” [Sahih Al-Jami': 2835]
2. Hastening to break the fast
when sunset is verified. The
sunnah is to break the fast with
fresh dates. If one cannot get fresh
dates, he can eat dry dates. If he
cannot get dry dates, it’s better to
break the fast with water.
However, if he could not get any
of the above, he should break his
fast with anything that is available.
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3. Supplicating while fasting
particularly while breaking the
fast, due to the saying of the
Prophet (may the blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him),
“Three supplications are
accepted: The supplication of the
fasting person, the supplication of
the oppressed, and the
supplication of the traveler.”
[Transmitted by Al-Bayhaqi and
others].
It is also necessary for the one
fasting to observe taraweeh
(voluntary night prayers during
Ramadan) according to the saying
of the Messenger of Allah, “He
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who observes the voluntary night
prayer (taraweeh) throughout
Ramadan out of sincerity of faith
and in the hope of earning
reward, will have his past sins
pardoned.” [Agreed upon: 2009,
759].
A Muslim should complete the
taraweeh prayers with the imam
due to the saying of the Prophet
(may the blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), “Whoever
stands (praying) with the imam
until he finishes, it would be
recorded for him that he prayed
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the whole night.” [Transmitted by
the transmitters of Sunan].
It is also greatly encouraged for
him to give a lot in charity during
the month of Ramadan. He should
strive to recite the Glorious Qur'an,
because the month of Ramadan is
the month of Qur'an. Every reciter
of the Glorious Qur'an will be
rewarded with a good deed for
each letter he recites, and a good
deed is multiplied ten times.
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The Taraweeh Prayer
Taraweeh is the night prayer
(qiyamullail) observed in
congregation during Ramadan
from after the ‘isha prayer until
dawn. The Prophet (May the
blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) has enjoined night
prayer during Ramadan. The
sunnah is to observe eleven
rak'ahs, making tasleem at the end
of each two rak'ahs. However,
there is no problem if he adds up to
the eleven rak'ahs. Part of the
sunnah practices of taraweeh
prayer is to observe it with
deliberation and elongationthat
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does not cause hardship to the
worshipers. There is nothing
wrong if women attend Taraweeh
prayers as long as their temptation
is averted and secured on condition
that they attend it bashfully with
decency and without adornment
nor application of perfume.
Supererogatory fast
The Messenger of Allah (May the
blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) enjoined and
encouraged fasting the following
days:
1. The six days of the month of
Shawwal according to his saying
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(may the blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), “Whoever
fasts during the month of
Ramadan and then follows it with
six days of Shawwal will be
(rewarded) as if he had fasted the
entire year.” [Transmitted by
Muslim: 1164].
2. On Mondays and Thursdays.
3. Three days every month. It is
good if he fasts them on the
“white” (full-moon) days (13th,
14th and 15th of every month).
4. The day of ‘Ashura (10th of
Muharram). It is desirable to fast
one day before or after it in order
to be different from the Jews. Abu
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Qatadah narrated that the
Messenger of Allah (may the
blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said, “Fasting the day
of ‘Ashura’, I hope, will expiate
for the sins of the previous year.”
[Transmitted by Muslim: 1162].
5. The day of ‘Arafah: It is the
(9th day of Dhul-Hijjah) based on
the Hadith: “Fasting on the Day
of ‘Arafah, I hope from Allah that
it expiates for the sins of the year
before it and the year after.”
[Transmitted by Muslim: 1162].
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Days in Which Fasting is
Prohibited
1. The two days of Eid: Eid Al-
Fitr (1st of Shawal) and Eid Al-
Adha (10th of Dhul-Hijjah).
2. The three days of Tashreeq
(the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-
Hijjah). However, one performing
Hajj Qiran or Tamattu' is
exempted from this, if he cannot
afford to slaughter the hadi
(sacrificial animal).
3. The days of menstruation and
postpartum bleeding for a woman.
4. For a woman to observe
supererogatory fast in the presence
of her husband without his prior
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permission. This is based on the
saying of the Prophet (May the
blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), “A woman should not
fast (optional fasts) except with
her husband's permission if he is
at home (staying with her).”
[Agreed upon: 5192, 1026].
