The blessed month of Ramadan is the best month of the year and the highest in status with Muslims. The believers approach it with their hearts and souls as it is the month of forgiveness, mercy, and freedom from the Fire, because it gives us a great opportunity to purify souls, refine hearts, and elevate the spirit to the highest of the high. Abstaining from food, drink, and desires helps you in strengthening your will and determination to abstain from all that Allah has forbidden from words, actions, and behavior.
As a result of some wrong actions and behaviors, your fasting may be invalidated and your efforts may go to waste. These actions conflict with the rulings, conditions, and etiquette of fasting. Therefore, you must abstain from those nullifiers and prohibitions and adhere to the Sharia rulings and observed rules. In this article, you will learn in detail What breaks your fast in the month of Ramadan?
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What Breaks Your Fast in the Month of Ramadan?
To answer the question, “What Breaks Your Fast in the Month of Ramadan?”, we must realize that the nullifiers of fasting are many and varied during the day of Ramadan. Eating and drinking deliberately and intentionally are considered among the most famous and common nullifiers of fasting. Vomiting deliberately, cases of postpartum bleeding, menstruation, intercourse, and apostasy from Islam also invalidate fasting.
We will talk about each of them in detail later as scholars point out that there are many differences about the issue of cupping and being cupped. Therefore, you must take caution and be careful not to do any of those nullifiers during the days of the blessed month of Ramadan in adherence to the command of Allah SWT and obedience to Him in His saying:
“كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ”
Kutiba ‘alaykumus-siyāmu kamā kutiba ‘alalladhīna min qablikum la’allakum tattaqūn.
Decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
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Types of Nullifiers of Fasting in Ramadan
There are many nullifiers in the holy month of Ramadan that cause your fasting to be invalidated and your reward and recompense to be nullified, because they violate the rulings of fasting that Allah SWT has imposed on Muslims. Among the most important nullifiers of fasting are the following:
Menstruation, Postpartum Bleeding, and Childbirth
Fasting is invalidated by the outflow of menstrual or postpartum blood as Scholars agree that a woman’s fasting is invalidated as soon as the menstrual cycle or postpartum bleeding occurs, even if it is a moment before sunset, that is, before the Maghrib prayer. It was mentioned in the hadith of the Prophet PBUH:
“أليس إذا حاضت المرأة لم تصل ولم تصم؟”
“Is it not the case that when a woman menstruates, she does not pray or fast?”
And the hadith of Muadha when she asked Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about the menstruating woman making up for fasting without prayer, she said:
«كان يصيبنا على عهد رسول الله ﷺ فنؤمر بقضاء الصوم ولا نؤمر بقضاء الصلاة»
“This used to happen to us at the time of the Messenger of Allah PBUH, and we were ordered to make up for fasting and were not ordered to make up for prayer.”
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Deliberately Vomiting
Fasting is invalidated if the fasting person deliberately causes vomiting from his mouth and throat. Fasting is also invalidated if he deliberately returns something of the vomit to his stomach. If he is overcome by vomiting and it comes out without deliberate or choice from him, the fasting is not invalidated and it does not affect it in anything. Vomiting does not affect fasting if it is the result of forgetfulness or coercion.
What reaches the stomach deliberately
Fasting is invalidated by everything that reaches the stomach deliberately and intentionally, such as eating, drinking, or what enters from the mouth, nose, ear, or any other way, such as a vitamin injection, medicine, or anything else. It is required that this be by the choice of the fasting person, that is, with his will and knowledge. While something entering the stomach without deliberation, intent, or choice, such as swallowing saliva or phlegm reaching without intent, does not invalidate fasting and does not harm it.
Apostasy
When talking about what breaks your Ramadan fast, we must mention Apostasy as it is returning from the true Islamic religion to disbelief and misguidance by an explicit and clear act of disbelief that invalidates the fast and makes it as if it never happened.
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Insanity, Fainting, and Drunkenness
Fasting loses its validity and legitimacy if insanity befalls the fasting person, even if it is for a short time or a fleeting moment. It is invalidated by fainting if it continues throughout the day, but if he wakes up during part of the day, he can resume and complete his fasting. Deliberate drunkenness invalidates fasting if it continues throughout the day. Sleep does not affect the validity of fasting and does not harm it in anything.
Deliberately Ejaculating Semen
Ejaculating semen in a direct way with desire is a nullifier of fasting as it must be mentioned when talking about what breaks your fast during ramadan. Ejaculation as a result of nocturnal emission during sleep or thinking does not invalidate the fast and does not affect it.
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Intercourse
Fasting is invalidated by engaging in intercourse between spouses during the day of Ramadan. It is one of the greatest major sins. The person must continue to abstain for the rest of the day and make up for the day that he has invalidated. He is required to perform severe expiation, such as freeing a slave, fasting two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people.
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When Is It Permissible to Break the Fast in Ramadan?
It is permissible to break the fast in the month of Ramadan in the following cases that are permitted by Islamic law:
- If the fasting person is sick with a disease that harms the fast and increases the severity of his disease, delays his recovery, or causes him severe hardship, it is permissible for him to break the fast.
- If the fasting person is traveling for a long distance that permits him to break the fast in Islamic law, he has the right to break the fast during the day of Ramadan.
- The pregnant or breastfeeding woman if there is a real and confirmed harm to her fetus or infant due to fasting, it is permissible for her to break the fast.
- In emergency and necessary cases that require urgent intervention, such as surgeries and rescuing from drowning or fire, it is permissible for the Muslim to break the fast.
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Expiations for Breaking the Fast with an Excuse
After knowing what breaks your fasting in Ramadan, you must know that expiations for breaking the fast with a legitimate excuse in the holy month of Ramadan differ depending on the type of excuse that led to breaking the fast. The most important of these expiations are the following:
- Expiation for the sick: If the disease is temporary and occurred and then the patient was cured of it after Ramadan, he must make up for the days that he broke his fast after his recovery.
- Expiation for the traveler: The traveler must make up for the days that he broke his fast after the end of Ramadan, if the travel is permissible in Islamic law, that is, the distance that he has traveled permits him to break the fast.
- The pregnant or breastfeeding woman: If the pregnant or breastfeeding woman breaks her fast for fear for herself, her fetus, or her infant, she must make up for all the days that she has broken her fast during the month of Ramadan.
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Ruling on Breaking the Fast Without a Legitimate Excuse
If the Muslim proceeds to break the fast on one of the days of the blessed month of Ramadan without a legitimate excuse that permits him to do so, he must repent to Allah, seek forgiveness, and regret what he has done. This act is considered a major sin that requires sincere repentance.
He must make up for the days that he has broken his fast after the end of the month of Ramadan, because breaking the fast in the month of Ramadan without a legitimate excuse is considered one of the major sins and requires the Muslim to make up for those days.
FAQs
Does Brushing Teeth Invalidate Fasting?
Brushing teeth in general does not invalidate fasting according to the majority of scholars as the basic issue lies in something entering the stomach. A toothbrush and toothpaste can be used while fasting, provided that you make sure to remove the toothpaste completely from the mouth and rinse well with water, to prevent anything from reaching inside the body. A person must have control and be careful while cleaning his teeth to avoid any materials from entering his throat.
Is It Permissible to Smoke After Breaking the Fast?
Smoking in itself is contrary to the Prophetic Sunnah in how to break the fast after fasting but it is Sunnah to break the fast with dates and water. Smoking is forbidden in Islamic law because of its many and serious health harms. If you smoke after the Maghrib prayer, your fasting remains valid and you do not bear any additional sin in that. However, you have violated the Sunnah in the style of breaking the fast.
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Do I Break My Fast If I Feel Weakness While Fasting?
In Islam, feeling weakness, fatigue, or exhaustion is not considered an accurate and specific reason for breaking the fast, unless this weakness is accompanied by other health problems that threaten the individual’s life or harm his health.
If you feel severe weakness that makes you unable to complete the fast or causes you physical harm, it is preferable to consult a specialist doctor to help in evaluating your health condition and providing appropriate advice for you. You can eat and drink if this is necessary to protect your health and safety, with the necessity of making up for those days after the end of the blessed month of Ramadan.
