Does nocturnal emission invalidate fasting during the day of Ramadan?
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The Shaykh : The questioner says: I am a young man who was sleeping in Ramadan. When I woke up, I found that I had had a nocturnal emission. Does this invalidate my fast or not? And do I have to make it up?
The answer is that a nocturnal emission does not invalidate the fast. This is because a nocturnal emission occurs without the sleeper’s choice. Any of the things that break the fast that occur without the fasting person’s choice does not break his fast. For this reason, it was mentioned to us earlier that three conditions are required for breaking the fast with the things that break it. I hope you pay attention to this. A fasting person does not break his fast with the things that break it except with three conditions. The first condition is that he must be aware. The second condition is that he must be mindful. The third condition is that he must intend this thing that breaks the fast and choose it.
As for the first condition, which is that he must be aware, its opposite is ignorance. If a person consumes something that breaks the fast while ignorant, his fast is valid and he does not have to make it up, whether the ignorance is regarding the time or regarding the ruling. An example of ignorance regarding the time is if a person eats at the end of the night, thinking that the Fajr prayer time has not yet arrived, either because his clock misled him or for some other reason. He eats and drinks thinking that the night is still there, and then it becomes clear to him that the Fajr prayer time has arrived. In that case, his fast is complete and he does not have to make it up. This is ignorance regarding the time. An example of ignorance regarding the ruling is a man who performs cupping, thinking that cupping does not break the fast, because he did not know about it. In that case, his fast is complete and he does not have to make it up, because he was ignorant of the ruling. If someone asks, “What is your evidence for this? How do you make the fast of one who ate during the day in Ramadan complete, when he ate intentionally?”
We say that the evidence for this is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Ahzab 33:5]. His saying “what you did by mistake” includes every mistake made by a fasting person and by one who is not fasting as well. If a person makes a mistake in doing something forbidden, he is not sinful, as Allah the Exalted mentioned. Similarly, His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:286]. It is established in Sahih Muslim that Allah the Exalted said, “I have done it.” This is a general indication that if a person makes a mistake and is ignorant of the matter or ignorant of the ruling, he owes nothing.
There is a specific evidence regarding fasting itself. The evidence for ignorance regarding the time and that it does not affect the fast is the hadith of Asma’ bint Abi Bakr, which is in Sahih al-Bukhari. She said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1959. She did not mention that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to make it up, and this was not reported from anyone else. If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had ordered them to make it up, it would have been transmitted to us, because the words of Allah are preserved and must remain until the Day of Resurrection. Since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to make it up, it is known that it is not obligatory. If it had been obligatory, he would have ordered them to do so, because it is not permissible to delay clarification until the time of need. Therefore, this is clear evidence that if a person makes a mistake regarding the time and eats or drinks, his fast is valid and he does not have to make it up.
As for the one who is ignorant of the ruling, the evidence is the hadith of 'Adi ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him). He intended to fast and was reciting the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:187]. What did he do (may Allah be pleased with him)? He was ignorant of the ruling in this verse, so he placed two ropes under his pillow, which are used to tie up camels. One was black and the other was white. He would eat and look at these two ropes. Every time he looked at them and could not distinguish the white from the black, he would continue eating. He kept doing this until the white thread became distinct from the black thread. When morning came, he went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him that he had done this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: . The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to make it up. If making it up had been obligatory, he would have ordered him to do so. We required that the person be mindful, and its opposite is forgetfulness. If a person eats or drinks while forgetful, even if he becomes full or quenched his thirst while forgetful of his fast, his fast is complete and there is no deficiency in it. The evidence for this is the previous noble verse from our Lord: [Al-Baqarah 2:286]. And what is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1155. This is a blessing from Allah upon us, and praise be to Allah.
We required that the person intend it, and the opposite of one who intends is one who does not intend. This means that the thing that breaks the fast occurs without his choice. For example, if a man rinses his mouth and water goes into his stomach during the rinsing without his choice, he does not have to make it up and his fast is complete. Similarly, the man who has a nocturnal emission in his sleep does not have to make it up, because a person has no choice in having a nocturnal emission in his sleep. I hope it is understood by everyone that the conditions for breaking the fast with the things that break it are three: that he be aware, that he be mindful, and that he intend. If these three conditions, or one of them, are not met, the fasting person does not have to make it up, because Allah the Exalted has been lenient with His servants and did not[Al-Hajj 22:78]. The questioner asks: Is it permissible for a woman who intends to perform 'Umrah to wear gloves on her hands while performing the 'Umrah?
The answer is that a nocturnal emission does not invalidate the fast. This is because a nocturnal emission occurs without the sleeper’s choice. Any of the things that break the fast that occur without the fasting person’s choice does not break his fast. For this reason, it was mentioned to us earlier that three conditions are required for breaking the fast with the things that break it. I hope you pay attention to this. A fasting person does not break his fast with the things that break it except with three conditions. The first condition is that he must be aware. The second condition is that he must be mindful. The third condition is that he must intend this thing that breaks the fast and choose it.
As for the first condition, which is that he must be aware, its opposite is ignorance. If a person consumes something that breaks the fast while ignorant, his fast is valid and he does not have to make it up, whether the ignorance is regarding the time or regarding the ruling. An example of ignorance regarding the time is if a person eats at the end of the night, thinking that the Fajr prayer time has not yet arrived, either because his clock misled him or for some other reason. He eats and drinks thinking that the night is still there, and then it becomes clear to him that the Fajr prayer time has arrived. In that case, his fast is complete and he does not have to make it up. This is ignorance regarding the time. An example of ignorance regarding the ruling is a man who performs cupping, thinking that cupping does not break the fast, because he did not know about it. In that case, his fast is complete and he does not have to make it up, because he was ignorant of the ruling. If someone asks, “What is your evidence for this? How do you make the fast of one who ate during the day in Ramadan complete, when he ate intentionally?”
We say that the evidence for this is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended.
وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَا أَخْطَأْتُم بِهِ وَلَٰكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْOur Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَاThere is a specific evidence regarding fasting itself. The evidence for ignorance regarding the time and that it does not affect the fast is the hadith of Asma’ bint Abi Bakr, which is in Sahih al-Bukhari. She said:
We broke our fast during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) on a cloudy day and then the sun appeared.
أفطرنا في عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم. يوم غيم ثم طلعت الشمسAs for the one who is ignorant of the ruling, the evidence is the hadith of 'Adi ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him). He intended to fast and was reciting the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allah has decreed for you. And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]
فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِIndeed, your pillow is wide. If you had widened the white and black threads, it would have been that: the whiteness of the day and the darkness of the night.
إن وسادك لعريض أن وسع الخيط الأبيض والأسود، إنما ذلك بياض النهار وسواد الليل،do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred
لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَاIf anyone forgets that he is fasting and eats or drinks he should complete his fast, for it is only Allah Who has fed him and given him drink.
من نسي وهو صائم فأكل أو شرب فليتم صومه فإنما أطعمه الله وسقاهWe required that the person intend it, and the opposite of one who intends is one who does not intend. This means that the thing that breaks the fast occurs without his choice. For example, if a man rinses his mouth and water goes into his stomach during the rinsing without his choice, he does not have to make it up and his fast is complete. Similarly, the man who has a nocturnal emission in his sleep does not have to make it up, because a person has no choice in having a nocturnal emission in his sleep. I hope it is understood by everyone that the conditions for breaking the fast with the things that break it are three: that he be aware, that he be mindful, and that he intend. If these three conditions, or one of them, are not met, the fasting person does not have to make it up, because Allah the Exalted has been lenient with His servants and did not
placed upon you in the religion any difficulty
جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 5 - 17 - دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام للعام 1403 هـ - الدرس الخامس - الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين — youtube.com (1:20:30)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.
