The Duties and the Rulings of Fasting

Rulings of Fasting

The Duties and the Rulings of Fasting

The Sighting of the New Moon

The Intention

Category of Fasting

The Criteria for fasting being compulsory

Those who are Unable to Fast

Acts which invalidate the Fast

On the acts that invalidates fasting

Conditions where only Quadha is compulsory

Actions which require Quadha as well as Kaffarah

Actions that would call for Quadha as well as all the Kaffarahs

The Traveller

Undesirable Acts for the Fasting Individual

The Quadha for missed fasting days

Zakatal -Fitrah

The Sighting of the New Moon

The beginning of the holy month of Ramadhan (as with any other month) is established by sighting the crescent of the new moon of the new month. This is established by:

To sight the crescent oneself, even if not seen by others.
For the sighting of the new crescent to become common knowledge.
After 30 days of Sha'bahn.
Two known faithful to testify that they have sighted the new crescent.
If a religious authority announces the sighting of the new crescent.

The Intention

It is obligatory to make the intention to fast, during the month of Ramadahn, before dawn break. For example he says ‘I fast tomorrow seeking nearness to Allah'. One could also make the intention for the whole month.
(If one was fasting) but did know that the next day was Ramadahn (and therefore did not make the intention for fasting for fasting for Ramadahn) and then it became evident before noon that it is the first day of Ramadahn, then one can still make the intention.
In voluntary fasting the time for making the intention extends to just before sunset.
If it was not certain whether it is the end of Sha'bahn or the first Ramadahn, and if one fasted with the intention of the end of Sha'bahn or with any other intention, but later became clear that that day was the first of Ramadahn, that fast is valid and need not be repeated (Quadha). Quadha means to perform prayers, fasting, etc. to compensate for any missed obligatory duty.

Category of Fasting

There are four categories of fasting:

The obligatory fasting, such as fasting during the holy month of Ramadahn.
The forbidden fasting such as fasting on the Eid of end of Ramadahn and the Eid of Pilgrimage.
The desirable fasting, on various occasions such as on the Day of Ghadeer.
The undesirable fasting such as fasting on the Day of Ashura.

The Criteria for fasting being compulsory

Fasting is only compulsory when the following are met:

Adolescence.
Soundness of mind.
(In the case of women) Being free from the menstruation monthly or postpartum periods.
If fasting proves to be harmful to certain individual.
Not being on a journey requiring the prayer to be shortened.
Not being unconscious.

Those who are Unable to Fast

Old people who cannot fast, they must give to charity (to the poor and the destitute) a measure of Mudd of wheat (for each day of Ramadahn they do not fast). One Mudd is equivalent to around three-quarters of one kilogram.
One who suffers from the condition of excessive thirst, to the extent that would not be able to fast without causing harm to himself. For each day, he must give one Mudd of wheat to charity. If he was cured from that condition during the current year, he must do the Quadha for the missed days.
A pregnant woman who's labour is due, or a woman who is breast-feeding and her milk level is low. If fasting poses any harm to the mother or the child, the mother may not fast and instead must give one Mudd of wheat for each day she did not fast. The woman must also do the Quadha for those days, if the causes for concern are no longer present during that year.
If someone travelling on a journey did not know that he should not fast when travelling and did so, his fast is valid. In the case of women, they must break their fast immediately if they notice signs of the start of the monthly menstruation period.

Acts which invalidate the Fast

The acts that 'break' or invalidate the Fast are ten:

Eating
Drinking
Injection of drips
Sexual intercourse
Masturbation
To stay in the state of Junub until dawn break. [One is defined to be in the state of Junub after sexual intercourse or, in the case of men, after ejaculation.]
To inhale thick smoke or dust
To vomit (intentionally)
To attribute lies to Allah, His Messenger and the infallible Imams
To submerge totally in water.

On the acts that invalidates fasting

Sexual intercourse would invalidate the fast of both the husband and the wife, whether or not ejaculation takes place.
If, after sexual intercourse, or after ejaculation while asleep (Ehtelam), water were not available for doing the compulsory Ghusl bathing in time before the dawn break, and Tayammum is done instead, her/his fast would be valid.
During the month of Ramadahn one should not bet into the state of Junub if there would not be enough time to do either the Ghusl bathing or Tayammum before dawn break. If one gets into the state of Junub (either through sexual intercourse or by "Ehtelam") and is not able to do the Ghusl bathing due to lack of time before dawn break, one must do the Tayammum instead.
If Ehtelam occurred during the day, his fast would not be invalidated and he only needs to do Ghusl bathing for prayers.
Not to do the Ghusl bathing for those who are clear of the menstruation monthly or postpartum periods in time for dawn break is of the same ruling as that of the Junub case.
Any kind of smoking invalidates the Fast.
If someone ate or drank something, forgetting that s/he is fasting, her/his fast is not invalidated, but one must remove any remnants of food from mouth.
Any remnants of food, between the teeth, may not be swallowed as this invalidates the fast.
Gargling, tasting of food, etc. does not invalidate the fast provided nothing is swallowed.
Injection of drugs etc. using syringe is permissible except for drips etc. Also administering drops in ears or the eyes does not invalidate the fast.
If the fast was broken and the fast becomes invalid, one should still refrain from eating and drinking until Maghreb.

Conditions where only Quadha is compulsory

If the fasting person commits one of the following, s/he must offer the Quadha for it.

To forget to do Junub Ghusl.
To break one's fast for a valid reason, such as travelling, illness, etc.
If one uses one of the items that break the fast without checking the time of dawn break and then it becomes clear that the time was past the dawn break.
If one uses one of the items that break the fast on the basis of someone reporting that it is not yet dawn break whereas it would later prove to the contrary.
If one uses one of the items that break the fast despite jokingly reports that it is dawn break and it becomes clear that the latter was correct.
If one was informed by a person that it is Maghreb time (i.e. after the sun has set), and therefore breaks his fast, but later he realises that the information was inaccurate.
If one breaks his fast believing that it is time to break the fast but it becomes evident to the contrary. But if the sky was cloudy and it was believed that the sun had set, it is not necessary to do the Quadha for it.
If one used water to gargle, but some water was swallowed, unless this (gargle) was in preparation for Wudhu for obligatory prayers.
If, after fondling and foreplay with spouse, ejaculation takes place, provided that this was not intended, nor it is a frequent practice.

Actions which require Quadha as well as Kaffarah

If a fasting person broke his/her fast through one of the ten categories mentioned earlier, it is obligatory for him/her to offer the Quadha (of fasting) for the day in which he broke his fast. In most cases s/he must also pay the Kaffarah (compensation/penalty) for breaking the fast [with no good reason]. The Kaffarah is one of the following:

Fasting for sixty consecutive days.
Giving meal to sixty poor or destitute individuals.
Free a Muslim slave.

Actions that would call for Quadha as well as all the Kaffarahs

If a fasting person breaks his fast during the day by committing a forbidden act such as committing adultery, sodomy, or drink alcohol (may God forbid), it is compulsory for him to perform the Quadha and also offer all the three Kaffarahs mentioned above collectively. This is in addition to that he must repent as well as receive the punishment as defined in Islamic law (the Hadd).

If a fasting man coerces his fasting wife to sexual intercourse, he would have to do the Quadha as well as offer two Kaffarahs and must face two sets of punishments as defined by the judge [This kind of punishment is known as Ta'zeer.] This is because he is responsible for a Kaffarah and a Ta'zeer for himself as well as his wife for making his wife to do something forbidden while she is fasting. However if the wife consented to that act, then each of them must give Kaffarah, face the Ta'zeer punishment and do the Quadha.

The Traveller

If a fasting person went on a journey before noon and did not come back to his hometown before noon, he must break his fast.
If one travelled after noon, he must continue and complete his fast.
If one came back to his hometown before noon and he had broken his fast during his journey, he could use food and drink, and must offer Quadha for the day he travelled.
If one came back from his journey in the afternoon, he must break his fast.

He must perform the Quadha for that day. The traveller must break his fast if meets the criteria of shortening his prayers as mentioned in the Fiqh books.

Undesirable Acts for the Fasting Individual

To kiss or fondle with one's spouse.
To use Kohl, Musk for the eyes or applying anything that might be swallowed.
To give blood or do Hejamah (cupping) that could bring about weakness in the body of the fasting person.
To take shower etc. which may make one to get tired.
To snuff relevant snuffing substance.
To smell flower, but it is desirable for the fasting person to use perfume (on one's garment, skin, etc.)
To soak a garment in water and wear it.
To taste food even if not swallowed.
For woman to partially submerge herself in water for a period of time.
To pull wisdom tooth, especially if this leads to bleeding.

The Quadha for missed fasting days

It is compulsory to offer the Quadha of fasting for the following:

One who missed to fast one or more of the days of Ramadahn due to intoxication whether because of the unlawful act of drinking alcohol or due to receiving medical treatment.
Traveller
A woman, during the menstruation monthly period or postpartum period.
A woman who is breast-feeding and does not produce sufficient milk.
The sick [if the sickness does not continue to the following year]
One who broke his fast intentionally
The apostate [for the duration of his apostasy]

If the above do not offer their Quadha between the current and the Ramadhan, they must also offer Fedyah, which is one Mudd for each day.

As for the days when a person is underage, insane, unconscious and a disbeliever, there is not Quadha for the missed days because of the respective reasons.

Zakat al-Fitrah

Zakat al-Fitrah, also known as purifier of the bodies, is obligatory upon those who meet the following criteria:

Adolescence
Sound Mind
Freedom
Financial ability

The Zakat is not obligatory upon the child, the insane, the slave, and the person who cannot make his ends meet.

If an individual meets the above criteria, then the Zakat al-Fitrah becomes obligatory upon himself and those he is responsible for, including a visitor who arrives in his house just before sunset on the eve of the Eid. Also if a baby is born just before sunset, then the Zakat due for the baby is obligatory for the parent of or the guardian.

The amount of Zakat al-Fitrah is three kilograms of the most common stable diet (such as wheat, barley, dates, raisins, etc.). This is given to the poor and the destitute or used for such causes. This must be paid out or set-aside before noontime of the day of Eid. If this was not done by then it must be done with the intention of seeking nearness to Allah.

Back to Ramadahn Page