The things that break the fast
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His Eminence the Shaykh: I hope you will speak about the things that break the fast during the day in Ramadan, even if only in general terms?
The things that break the fast of the one fasting, in Ramadan and outside of Ramadan, are mentioned in the Qur'an; three of them are mentioned in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-Baqarah: 187] These three are: intercourse, eating, and drinking.
The apparent meaning of the noble verse is that there is no difference between the eating and drinking being beneficial, not beneficial, or harmful; because what is eaten and drunk is either beneficial, harmful, or neither beneficial nor harmful, and all of them break the fast. So if a person swallows a bead from a prayer string, he breaks his fast with it, even if it does not benefit him. And if he drinks smoke, he breaks his fast, even if it is harmful. And if he eats a date, he breaks his fast, even if it is beneficial.
The same is said regarding drinking.
The Sunnah came with vomiting. So if a person vomits, he breaks his fast. But if vomiting overcomes him, he does not break his fast.
The Sunnah came with cupping. So if a person is cupped while fasting and blood comes out of him, he breaks his fast. These are five of the things that break the fast.
The scholars have included with this what is in the meaning of eating and drinking, such as nourishing injections. And the nourishing ones are not those that stimulate the body or cure it,And the nourishing injections are: but those that replace eating and drinking. Accordingly, all injections that do not replace eating and drinking do not break the fast, whether they are in the vein, the thigh, or any other place.
Also, the emission of semen through desire breaks the fast of the one fasting. The evidence is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Qudsi hadith about Allah, Mighty and Majestic: (He leaves His food and drink and His desire for My sake) And semen is from desire—there is no doubt.By the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): (And in the intercourse of one of you is charity. They said: Or if one of us fulfills his desire, does he have a reward in it?He said: Yes.
Did you not see that if he placed it in the forbidden, would he have a sin? So likewise, if he placed it in the lawful, he has a reward) And what is placed is the semen; the man places it in the womb of the woman;For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to saying: (Did you not see that if he placed it) when they said: (Or if one of us fulfills his desire) Accordingly, the emission of semen through desire breaks the fast of the one fasting. As for kissing the woman, even with desire, or the pre-seminal fluid, even intentionally; it does not break the fast of the one fasting, because that has not been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The principle is that the fast is valid until it is established by a Shari'ah path that it is defective,Therefore, if someone were to say to us: this thing breaks the fast of the one fasting.
We tell him: Bring the evidence?And otherwise, every person who does not like something would say: This breaks the fast, and this does not break the fast.
These things that break the fast that we mentioned are general for the man and the woman.
As for the coming out of menstrual blood and post-natal bleeding, this is specific to the woman. If menstrual blood comes out of her, even one minute before sunset, she breaks her fast. And likewise post-natal blood. But if menstrual blood comes out after sunset, even for a moment, she does not break her fast.
And these things that break the fast do not break the fast except with three conditions: The first condition: knowledge.
And the second condition: Remembrance.
And the third condition: Choice.
The first: Knowledge: And the opposite of knowledge is ignorance. So if a person eats while he thinks that the dawn has not appeared, then it becomes clear that it has appeared, his fast is valid; because he did not know that the dawn had appeared. And if the sky was cloudy and it was likely in his opinion that the sun had set, and he ate and drank, then it became clear that it had not set, his fast is valid; because he was not aware that it had not set.
The second: Remembrance: Likewise, if he was forgetful, he does not break his fast, and forgetfulness is the opposite of remembrance. So if he ate or drank while forgetful, his fast is valid, by the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Whoever forgets while he is fasting and eats or drinks, let him complete his fast, for it is Allah who has fed him and given him drink) .
The third: That he is intending—Meaning: what he did. So if he was forced, as if a man forced his wife to have intercourse, and he had intercourse with her while she was fasting; then her fast is valid.
The questioner: What is the ruling on incense?The Shaykh: Incense does not break the fast, but do not inhale it.
The things that break the fast of the one fasting, in Ramadan and outside of Ramadan, are mentioned in the Qur'an; three of them are mentioned in 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
فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُواThe apparent meaning of the noble verse is that there is no difference between the eating and drinking being beneficial, not beneficial, or harmful; because what is eaten and drunk is either beneficial, harmful, or neither beneficial nor harmful, and all of them break the fast. So if a person swallows a bead from a prayer string, he breaks his fast with it, even if it does not benefit him. And if he drinks smoke, he breaks his fast, even if it is harmful. And if he eats a date, he breaks his fast, even if it is beneficial.
The same is said regarding drinking.
The Sunnah came with vomiting. So if a person vomits, he breaks his fast. But if vomiting overcomes him, he does not break his fast.
The Sunnah came with cupping. So if a person is cupped while fasting and blood comes out of him, he breaks his fast. These are five of the things that break the fast.
The scholars have included with this what is in the meaning of eating and drinking, such as nourishing injections. And the nourishing ones are not those that stimulate the body or cure it,And the nourishing injections are: but those that replace eating and drinking. Accordingly, all injections that do not replace eating and drinking do not break the fast, whether they are in the vein, the thigh, or any other place.
Also, the emission of semen through desire breaks the fast of the one fasting. The evidence is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Qudsi hadith about Allah, Mighty and Majestic: (He leaves His food and drink and His desire for My sake) And semen is from desire—there is no doubt.By the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): (And in the intercourse of one of you is charity. They said: Or if one of us fulfills his desire, does he have a reward in it?He said: Yes.
Did you not see that if he placed it in the forbidden, would he have a sin? So likewise, if he placed it in the lawful, he has a reward) And what is placed is the semen; the man places it in the womb of the woman;For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to saying: (Did you not see that if he placed it) when they said: (Or if one of us fulfills his desire) Accordingly, the emission of semen through desire breaks the fast of the one fasting. As for kissing the woman, even with desire, or the pre-seminal fluid, even intentionally; it does not break the fast of the one fasting, because that has not been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The principle is that the fast is valid until it is established by a Shari'ah path that it is defective,Therefore, if someone were to say to us: this thing breaks the fast of the one fasting.
We tell him: Bring the evidence?And otherwise, every person who does not like something would say: This breaks the fast, and this does not break the fast.
These things that break the fast that we mentioned are general for the man and the woman.
As for the coming out of menstrual blood and post-natal bleeding, this is specific to the woman. If menstrual blood comes out of her, even one minute before sunset, she breaks her fast. And likewise post-natal blood. But if menstrual blood comes out after sunset, even for a moment, she does not break her fast.
And these things that break the fast do not break the fast except with three conditions: The first condition: knowledge.
And the second condition: Remembrance.
And the third condition: Choice.
The first: Knowledge: And the opposite of knowledge is ignorance. So if a person eats while he thinks that the dawn has not appeared, then it becomes clear that it has appeared, his fast is valid; because he did not know that the dawn had appeared. And if the sky was cloudy and it was likely in his opinion that the sun had set, and he ate and drank, then it became clear that it had not set, his fast is valid; because he was not aware that it had not set.
The second: Remembrance: Likewise, if he was forgetful, he does not break his fast, and forgetfulness is the opposite of remembrance. So if he ate or drank while forgetful, his fast is valid, by the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Whoever forgets while he is fasting and eats or drinks, let him complete his fast, for it is Allah who has fed him and given him drink) .
The third: That he is intending—Meaning: what he did. So if he was forced, as if a man forced his wife to have intercourse, and he had intercourse with her while she was fasting; then her fast is valid.
The questioner: What is the ruling on incense?The Shaykh: Incense does not break the fast, but do not inhale it.