All About Fasting

[Saif ul Haq]

Requirements for the validity of a fast

There are a few requirement that one must meet in order for his fast to be valid. One must notice that these are requirements for the validity of a fast and not conditions for fasting to be obligatory on a person.

a. Islaam – Islaam is required for a person's fast to be valid and accepted. Even when a group of kuffar (non-muslims) decide to fast with other muslims for an event like Fast A Thon or when a police chief in the community fasts to show solidarity and they break their fast with the muslims, they will not be rewarded by Allaah for this.

b. End of menstrual or post-natal bleeding – She cannot be in these states in order to fast. If this is the case for any woman then she cannot pray the salawaat (prayers) nor can she fast during this period.

c. Pre-maturity (age of rushd) – Children of this age usually around seven, who are physically able are to be ordered to fast by their parents to become accustomed to fasting. This is not the age when a person is obligated to do it rather this is the age when if one does it then the fast is still valid. So when he reaches the age of buloogh and it is obligatory upon him, then it isn't as tough upon him because he has done this before and knows what to expect. The Prophet (sall Allaahu' alayhi wa sallam) said, "Order your children to fast at seven and punish them for not doing it at ten"

d. Sanity – An insane person cannot and is not required to perform any acts of worship. When he regains his sanity he is required to fast again, until then the fast is not valid.

e. Intention from the night – Merely being aware any time in the night that one is fasting is sufficient to make the following days fast valid. As mentioned earlier this is for the obligatory fasts. The Prophet (sall Allaahu' alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever does not intend to fast from before dawn, there is no fast for him (i.e., his fast does not count)." [Abu Dawood, 2454; al-Tirmidhi, 730]. This is an authentic hadith but there are certain complications surrounding it. This hadith doesn't seem to apply to voluntary fasting because there are incidents with the Prophet (sall Allaahu' alayhi wa sallam) when he would ask his wives whether they have food to eat and they would say that they had nothing to eat. So the Prophet (sall Allaahu' alayhi wa sallam) would say that he is fasting. So from this we can deduce that it doesn't apply to voluntary fasting and we can safely say that you can start a voluntary fast after you have started the next day.

One doesn't have to pronounce the intention verbally unless there is evidence present in the sunnah of the Prophet (sall Allaahu' alayhi wa sallam) saying that a verbal intention is required for the act. Having intention in the heart is sufficient. And in Ramadaan we have the intention at all times that we will be fasting until the end of the month.

Also, eating something at night with intention that one is doing so because he/she will be fasting the next day is enough.

Conditional intention is accepted before knowledge of the status of the next day. When one goes to sleep on the 29th of Ramadaan, having not sighted the moon or have information regarding it, not knowing whether or not tomorrow will be the last of Ramadaan or Eid, first of Shawwal. So the intention would be if tomorrow is Shawwal I will not fast and if tomorrow is Ramadhaan I will fast.

[Saif ul Haq]

Things That Break the Fast


Every Muslim must know the actions that break the fast in order to avoid them. These actions can be divided into eight types:


If one has the intention, while he is fasting to break his fast before sunset, he in effect has voided his fast even if he does not actually eat anything after having that intention. This is because the intention is one of the pillars of fasting.



Sexual intercourse
When a fasting person makes sexual intercourse, his fast is not just invalidated but an atonement (Kaffarah) is imposed on him. In such a case the atonement is one of the following things with the given order of priority: He should first free a Muslim slave, if that is not possible then he should fast two consecutive months without interruption. If he cannot do this, then he should feed 60 poor persons. If he cannot do this, because he is poor, then he is exempt from the atonement.
Abu Hurairah reported that a person came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, I am ruined. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "What has brought about your ruin?" He said: I have had intercourse with my wife during the month of Ramadan. Upon this the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Can you find a slave to set him free?" He said: No. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Can you observe fast for two consecutive months?" He said: No. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Can you provide food for 60 poor people?" He said: No, and he sat down. In the meanwhile, there was brought to the Apostle of Allah a basket which contained dates. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Give these dates in charity." He said: Am I to give to one who is poorer than I? There is no family poorer than mine between the two lava plains of Madinah. The Prophet (pbuh) laughed so that his molar teeth became visible and said: "Go and give it to your family to eat." Related by Muslim.



Ejaculation of sperm
Ejaculation of sperm voids the fast even if it was just due to kissing, hugging or masturbation. In the Hadith Qudsi, Allah says: "The fasting person leaves his food, drink and desire for Me." Related by Bukhari.


Kissing that does not lead to ejaculation is allowed for those who can control themselves. In Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, Aisha (RA) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) kissed while he was fasting but he was the best among people to control himself. On the other hand, if the fasting person knows that if he starts kissing his wife, he may not be able to control himself and it may lead to ejaculation, then it becomes unlawful for him to kiss her.




Intentional eating or drinking
The intake of any kind of food or drink that reaches the stomach invalidates the fast. If one eats due to forgetfulness, a mistake, or coercion, then his fast is right. Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Whoever forgets he is fasting and eats or drinks is to complete his fast, as it was Allah Who fed him and gave him something to drink." Related Bukhari and Muslim.



Intentional intake of any thing that has the same effect as eating or drinking
Everything that plays the same role as eating or drinking invalidates the fast. For example, any injection that has nourishment in it and acts like food would break one's fast. Other types of injections that do not contain nourishing agents do not invalidate the fast even if they are taken through the veins.




Hijamah
Hijamah is the taking out of blood by scarification or by opening a vein. Hijamah invalidates the fast according to the Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) where he said: "The person whom the Hijamah is made for and the person who made the Hijamah have broken their fast." Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud and al*Bukhari said: There is no Hadith in this subject that is more authentic than this one.


Taking out blood by any other means invalidates the fast if it causes weakness of the body. Otherwise, the little blood that comes out due to teeth brushing, or teeth removal or the blood that comes out of the nose does not invalidate the fast.




Intentional vomiting
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Whoever is overcome and vomits is not to make up the day. Whoever vomits intentionally must make up the day," related by Ahmad, Abu*Dawud, and al*Hakim, the later called it Sahih.




The menses and post*childbirth bleeding
Appearance of menstruation or post*childbirth blood invalidates the fast even if such bleeding begins just before sunset.


The first seven types of actions mentioned above will invalidate the fast only in the case that the following three conditions are satisfied:


First: The fasting person should be aware of the rule and the time. Therefore, if a fasting person vomits intentionally believing that this does not break his fasting, his fast will not be broken, because he did not know the rule. Similarly, if the fasting person eats or drinks after dawn, believing that it is not dawn yet, his fast will not be invalid because he did not know the correct time.


Second: The fasting person should be aware of what he is doing, but if he does an action out of forgetfulness then his fast is not broken. For example, if a person eats or drinks forgetting that he is fasting, then his fast will not be broken.


Third: The fasting person should not be acting against his free will. If he is forced to do it then his fast is not broken. For example, if a fasting person is forced to eat or drink, then his fast is not broken.


Ibn Abbas, narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Allah forgives my nation things that they do by mistake, by forgetfulness and things that they do by coercion." Authentic Hadith related by Ibn Majah and Al*Baihaqui.