Liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al Sistani (L.M.H.L) in London, Europe, North and South America.
1581. There are nine acts which invalidate fast:
Eating and drinking
Sexual intercourse
Masturbation (Istimna) which means self abuse, resulting in ejaculation
Ascribing false things to Almighty Allah, or his Prophet or to the
successors of the Holy Prophet
Swallowing thick dust
Immersing one's complete head in water
Remaining in Janabat or Haidh or Nifas till the Adhan for Fajr prayers
Enema with liquids
Vomiting
Eating and drinking
1582. If a person eats or drinks something intentionally, while being
conscious of fasting, his fast becomes void, irrespective of whether the thing
which he ate or drank was usually eaten or drunk (for example bread with water)
or not (for example earth or the juice of a tree) and whether it is more or
less; even if a person, who is fasting, takes the tooth brush (Miswak) out of
his mouth and then puts it back into his mouth, swallowing its liquid, his fast
will be void, unless the moisture in the tooth brush mixes up with the saliva in
such a way that it may no longer be called an external wetness.
1583. If while eating and drinking, a person realises that it is Fajr,
he should throw the food out of his mouth, and if he swallows it intentionally,
his fast is void, and according to the rules which will be mentioned later, it
also becomes obligatory on him to give Kaffarah.
1584. If a person who is fasting eats or drinks something forgetfully,
his fast does not become invalid.
1585. There is no objection to an injection which anaesthetises one's
limb or is used for some other purpose being given to a person, who is observing
fast, but it is better that the injections which are given as medicine or food
are avoided.
1586. If a person observing fast intentionally swallows something
which remained in between his teeth, his fast is invalidated.
1587. If a person wishes to observe a fast, it is not necessary for
him to use a toothpick before the Adhan of Fajr prayers. However, if he knows
that some particles of food which have remained in between his teeth, will go
down into his stomach during the day, then he must clean his teeth with
toothpick.
1588. Swallowing saliva does not invalidate a fast, although it may
have collected in one's mouth owing to thoughts about sour things etc.
1589. There is no harm in swallowing one's phlegm or mucous from head
and chest as long as it does not come upto one's mouth. However, if it reaches
one's mouth, the obligatory precaution is that one should not swallow it.
1590. If a person observing fast becomes so thirsty that he fears that
he may die of thirst or sustain some harm or extreme hardship, he can drink as
much water as would ensure that the fear is averted. However, his fast becomes
invalid, and if it is the month of Ramadhan, as an obligatory precaution, he
should not drink more than that, and then for the rest of the day, refrain from
all acts which would invalidate the fast.
1591. Chewing food to feed a child or a bird and tasting food etc.
which does not usually go down the throat, will not invalidate the fast, even if
it happens to reach there inadvertently. However, if a person knows beforehand
that it will reach the throat, his fast becomes void, and he should observe its
qadha and it is also obligatory upon him to give Kaffarah.
1592. A person cannot abandon fast on account of weakness. However, if
his weakness is to such an extent that fasting becomes totally unbearable, there
is no harm in breaking the fast.
Sexual intercourse
1593. Sexual intercourse invalidates the fast, even if the penetration
is as little as the tip of the male organ, and even if there has been no
ejaculation.
1594. If the penetration is less than the tip of the male organ, so
that it cannot be said that intercourse has taken place, also if no ejaculation
takes place, the fast does not become invalid. This applies to both, circumcised
and uncircumcised men.
1595. If a person commits sexual intercourse intentionally and then
doubts whether penetration was upto the point of circumcision or not his fast,
as an obligatory precaution, becomes invalid, and it is necessary for him to
observe its qadha. It is not, however, obligatory on him to give Kaffarah.
1596. If a person forgets that he is observing fast and commits sexual
intercourse or he is compelled to have sexual intercourse in a manner that makes
him helpless, his fast does not become void. However, if he remembers (that he
is observing fast) or ceases to be helpless during sexual intercourse, he should
withdraw from the sexual intercourse at once, and if he does not, his fast
becomes void.
Istimna (Masturbation)
1597. If a person, who is observing fast, performs masturbation
(Istimna), his fast becomes void (The explanation of istimna has been given in
rule 1581/iii).
1598. If semen is discharged from the body of a person involuntarily,
his fast does not become void.
1599. Even if a person observing fast knows that if he sleeps during
the day time he will become Mohtalim (i.e. semen will be discharged from his
body during sleep) it is permissible for him to sleep, even if he may not be
inconvenienced by not sleeping. And if he becomes Mohtalim, his fast does not
become void.
1600. If a person who is observing fast, wakes up from sleep while
ejaculation is taking place, it is not obligatory on him to stop it.
1601. A fasting person who has become Mohtalim can urinate even if he
knows that by urinating the remaining semen will flow from his body.
1602. If a fasting person who has become Mohtalim, knows that some
semen has remained in his body and if he does not urinate before taking Ghusl,
it will come out after Ghusl, he should on the basis of recommended precaution,
urinate before taking Ghusl.
1603. A person who indulges in courtship with an intention to allow
semen to be discharged, will complete his fast and also observe its qadha, even
if semen is not discharged.
1604. If a fasting person indulges in courtship without the intention
of allowing the semen to be discharged, and also, if he is sure that semen will
not be discharged, his fast is in order, even if semen may be discharged
unexpectedly. However, if he is not sure about the discharge and it takes place,
then his fast is void.
Ascribing lies to Allah and His Prophet
1605. If a person who is observing fast, intentionally ascribes
something false to Allah and the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and his vicegerents (a.s.),
verbally or in writing or by making a sign, his fast becomes void, even if he
may at once retract and say that he has uttered a lie or may repent for it. And,
as a recommended precaution, he should refrain from imputing lies to Bibi Fatema
Zahra (a.s.) and all the Prophets and their successors.
1606. If a person observing fast wishes to quote something about which
he has no authority or he does not know whether it is true or false, he should,
as an obligatory precaution, give a reference of the person who reported it, or
of the book in which it is written.
1607. If a person quotes something as the word of Allah or of the Holy
Prophet with the belief that it is true, but realises later that it is false,
his fast does not become void.
1608. If a person ascribes something to Almighty Allah or the Holy
Prophet knowing it to be false and understands later that it was true, as an
obligatory precaution, he should complete his fast and should also observe its
qadha.
1609. If a person intentionally ascribes to Allah or the Holy Prophet
or the successors of the Holy Prophet a falsehood fabricated by some other
person, his fast becomes void. However, if he quotes the person who has
fabricated that falsehood, his fast will not be affected.
1610. If a person who is observing fast, is asked whether the Holy
Prophet said such and such thing and he intentionally says 'No' where he should
say 'Yes' or intentionally says 'Yes' where he should say 'No', his fast becomes
void, as an obligatory precaution.
1611. If a person quotes a true word of Allah or of the Holy Prophet,
and later says that he had uttered a lie, or if he ascribed something false to
them at night, and says on the following day when he is observing fast, that
what he said on the previous night was true, his fast becomes void, except when
his intention is to convey his newly acquired information.
Letting dust reach one's throat
1612. On the basis of obligatory precaution, allowing thick dust to
reach one's throat makes one's fast void, whether the dust is of something which
is halal to eat, like flour, or of something which is haraam to consume like
dust or earth.
1613. Allowing thin dust to reach one's throat will not invalidate the
fast.
1614. If thick dust is whipped up by the wind and if a person does not
take care in spite of taking notice of it, allowing the dust to reach his
throat, his fast becomes void on the basis of obligatory precaution.
1615. As an obligatory precaution, a person who is observing fasts,
should not allow the smoke of cigarettes, tobacco, and other similar things to
reach his throat.
1616. If a person does not take care to prevent dust, smoke, etc. from
entering his throat, and if he was quiet sure that these things would not reach
his throat, his fast is in order; but if he only felt that they might not reach
his throat, it is better that he should observe that fast again as qadha.
1617. If a person forgets that he is fasting and does not exercise
care, or if dust or any other similar thing enters his throat involuntarily, his
fast does not become void.
Immersing one's head in water
1618. If a fasting person intentionally immerses his entire head in
the water, his fast is known to be void, even if the rest of his body remains
out of water. But this act does not invalidate the fast; it is a Makrooh act,
and as a measure of precaution, should be avoided.
1619. If a person immerses half of his head in the water once, and the
other half the second time, his fast is not affected.
1620. If the entire head is immersed under the water, leaving some
hair out, the rule applied will be that mentioned above in 1618.
1621. There is no harm in immersing one's head in liquids other than
water like, in milk. Similarly, fast is not affected by immersing one's head in
mixed water that is, Mudhaaf.
1622. If a fasting person falls into the water involuntarily, and his
entire head goes into the water, or if he forgets that he is fasting and
immerses his head in the water, his fast is not affected.
1623. If a person throws himself into the water thinking that his
entire head will not go down into the water, and water covers his entire head,
his fast remains in order.
1624. If a person forgets that he is fasting and immerses his head in
the water, and he remembers under the water that he is fasting, it is better
that he takes his head out of water at once, but if he does not do so, his fast
will not be void.
1625. If a person is pushed into water and his head is immersed in
water, the fast is not affected at all. But if the fellow who pushed him and
forced his head under water releases him, it is better that he raises his head
out of water immediately.
1626. If a fasting person immerses his head under water with the
Niyyat of Ghusl, both his fast and Ghusl will be in order.
1627. If a person dives headlong in the water to save some one from
drowning, although it may be obligatory to save that person, as a recommended
precaution, he should give qadha for that fast.
Remaining in Janabat or Haidh or Nifas till Fajr time
1628. If a person in Janabat does not take Ghusl intentionally till
the time of Fajr prayers, his/her fast becomes void. And if a person whose
obligation is to do tayammum, wilfully does not do it, his/her fast will be also
void. This rules apply to the qadha of the fasts of Ramadhan, also.
1629. If a person in Janabat does not take Ghusl intentionally till
the time of Fajr prayers, for obligatory fasts other than those of the month of
Ramadhan and their qadha, those fasts which have fixed days, like those of
Ramadhan, his/her fast will be in order.
1630. If a person enters the state of Janabat during a night in the
month of Ramadhan, and does not take Ghusl intentionally till the time left
before Adhan is short, he/she should perform tayammum and observe the fast.
However, it is a recommended precaution that its qadha is also given.
1631. If a person in Janabat in the month of Ramadhan forgets to take
Ghusl and remembers it after one day, he should observe the qadha of the fast of
that day. And if he remembers it after a number of days he should observe the
qadha of the fasts of all those days, during which he is certain to have been in
Janabat. For example, if he is not sure whether he was in Janabat for three days
or four, he should observe the qadha of three days.
1632. If a person who does not have time for Ghusl or performing
tayammum in a night of Ramadhan gets into state of Janabat, his fast will be
void and it will be obligatory upon him to give qadha of that fast, as well as
Kaffarah.
1633. If a person investigates whether or not he has enough time at
his disposal, and believing that he has time for Ghusl, goes into state of
Janabat and when he learns later that actually the time was short, he performs
tayammum, his fast will be in order. And if he presumes without any
investigation that he has enough time at his disposal and gets into Janabat and
when he learns later that the time was short, keeps the fast with tayammum, he
should, as a recommended precaution, observe the qadha of that fast.
1634. If a person is in Janabat during a night in Ramadhan and knows
that if he goes to sleep he will not wake up till Fajr, he should not sleep
before Ghusl and if he sleeps before Ghusl and does not wake up till Fajr, his
fast is void, and qadha and Kaffarah become obligatory on him.
1635. When a person in Janabat goes to sleep in a night of Ramadhan
and then wakes up, the obligatory precaution is that if he is not sure about
waking up again, he should not go to sleep before Ghusl, even if he has a faint
hope that he might wake up before Fajr if he sleeps again.
1636. If a person in Janabat in the night of Ramadhan feels certain
that if he goes to sleep he will wake up before the time of Fajr prayers, and is
determined to do Ghusl upon waking up, and oversleeps with that determination
till the time of Fajr prayers, his fast will be in order. And the same rule
applies to a person who, though not absolutely certain, is hopeful about waking
up before the time of Fajr prayers.
1637. If a person in Janabat in a night of Ramadhan is certain or
reasonably hopeful that if he sleeps he will wake up before the time of Fajr
prayers but he is not heedful of the fact that after waking up he would do Ghusl
, if he oversleeps till the time of Fajr prayers, the qadha of that fast will be
obligatory on him as a precaution.
1638. If a person in Janabat in a night of Ramadhan is sure or fairly
hopeful that if he sleeps he will wake up before the time of Fajr prayers, but
he does not intend to do Ghusl then, or is undecided about it , his fast is
void.. And if he sleeps and does not wake up the qadha and Kaffarah will be
obligatory on him.
1639. If a person in Janabat sleeps and wakes up during a night of
Ramadhan and is certain or fairly hopeful that if he sleeps again, he will wake
up before the time of Fajr prayers, with full determination to do Ghusl after
waking up, and oversleeps till the time of Fajr, he should observe the qadha of
the fast of that day.
And if he goes to sleep for the third time and does
not wake up till the time of Fajr prayers, it is obligatory on him to observe
the qadha as well as give the kaffarah, as a recommended precaution.
1640. When a person becomes Mohtalim during sleep, the first, second
and third sleep means the sleep after waking up; and the sleep in which he
became Mohtalim will not be reckoned to be the first sleep.
1641. If a person observing fast becomes Mohtalim during day time, it
is not obligatory on him to do Ghusl at once.
1642. When a person wakes up in the month of Ramadhan after the Fajr
prayers and finds that he has become Mohtalim his fast is in order, even if he
knows that he became Mohtalim before the Fajr prayers.
1643. When a person who wants to observe the qadha of Ramadhan,
remains in Janabat intentionally till the time of Fajr prayers, he cannot fast
on that day. And if it was not intentional, he can fast, but as a precaution, it
should be avoided.
1644. If a person wants to observe the qadha of Ramadhan and wakes up
after the time of Fajr prayers finding himself Mohtalim, and knows that he
became Mohtalim before the time Fajr prayers, he can fast on that day with the
niyyat of qadha.
1645. If a person remains in Janabat intentionally till the time of
Fajr prayers in an obligatory fast which does not have fixed days, like, the
fast of Kaffarah, apparently his fast is in order, but it is better that he
should observe fast on some other day.
1646. If a woman becomes Pak from Haidth or Nifas before the time of
Fajr prayers in the month of Ramadhan or, as a precaution, on a day she wants to
give qadha of Ramadhan, and does not do Ghusl - or in the case of time being
short, tayammum - intentionally, her fast will be void.
And if it is not the
fast of Ramadhan or its qadha, her fast will be in order, but as a precaution,
she should do Ghusl. And if the obligation of a woman is tayammum instead of
Ghusl for Haidth or Nifas and she does not do it intentionally, in the month of
Ramadhan or for its qadha, before the time of Fajr prayers, her fast is void.
1647. If a woman becomes Pak from Haidh or Nifas before the time of
Fajr prayers in the month of Ramadhan and she has no time to do Ghusl, she
should perform tayammum. But it is not necessary for her to remain awake till
the time of Fajr prayers. The same rule applies to a person whose obligation is
tayammum after getting into the state of Janabat.
1648. If a woman gets Pak from Haidh or Nifas just near the time of
Fajr prayers in the month of Ramadhan, and has no time left for Ghusl or
tayammum, her fast is valid.
1649. If a woman gets Pak from Haidh or Nifas after the Fajr or if
Haidh or Nifas begins during the day though just near the Maghrib time, her fast
is void.
1650. If a woman forgets to do Ghusl for Haidh or Nifas and remembers
it after a day or more, the fasts that she has observed will be valid.
1651. If a woman gets Pak from Haidh or Nifas before the time of Fajr
prayers in the month of Ramadhan but neglects her obligation and does not do
Ghusl before Fajr, nor does she resort to tayammum as time becomes short, her
fast will be void. But if she is not negligent, like when she waits for her turn
in a public bath, then even if she sleeps three times without doing Ghusl till
Fajr, her fast will be valid if she does not ignore tayammum.
1652. If a woman is in a state of excessive Istihadha, her fast will
be valid even if she does not carry out the rules of Ghusls as explained in rule
no. 402. Similarly, her fast will be in order if she does not do the Ghusls
prescribed for medium Istihadha.
1653. A person who has touched a dead body (i.e. has brought any part
of his own body in contact with it) can observe fast without having done Ghusl
for touching a dead body, and his fast does not become void even if he touches
the dead body during the fast.
Enema
1654. If liquid enema is taken by a fasting person, his fast becomes
void even if he is obliged to take it for the sake of treatment.
Vomiting
1655. If a fasting person vomits intentionally his fast becomes void,
though he may have been obliged to do so on account of sickness. However, the
fast does not become void, if one vomits forgetfully or involuntarily.
1656. If a person eats something at night knowing that it will cause
vomiting during the day time, the recommended precaution is that he should give
the qadha of that fast.
1657. If a fasting person can stop vomiting without causing any harm
or inconvenience to himself, he should exercise restraint.
1658. If a fly enters the throat of a fasting person, it will not be
necessary to throw it out if it has gone deep down the gullet, and his fast will
be valid. But if it has not descended deep down, it must be coughed out, even by
vomiting, if it is not harmful to do so. If one does not do so, fast will be
void.
1659. If a person swallows something by mistake and remembers before
it reaches the stomach that he is fasting, it is not necessary for him to throw
it out, and his fast is in order.
1660. If a fasting person is certain that if he belches, something
will come out from the throat, he should not, as a precaution, belch
intentionally, but there is no harm in his belching if he is not certain about
it.
1661. If a fasting person belches and something comes from his throat
or into the mouth, he should throw it out, and if it is swallowed
unintentionally, his fast is in order.
Rules regarding things which invalidate a Fast
1662. If a person intentionally and voluntarily commits an act which
invalidates fast, his fast becomes void, but if he does not commit such an act
intentionally, there is no harm in it (i.e. his fast is valid). However, if a
person in Janabat sleeps and does not do Ghusl till the time of Fajr prayers, as
detailed in rule no. 1639, his fast is void.
Similarly, if a person due to
utter ignorance of the rule that a certain act will invalidate the fast, or due
to reliance upon some authority which he thought was genuine, unhesitatingly
commits an act which invalidates the fast, his fast will not be void, except in
the cases of eating, drinking and sexual intercourse.
1663. If a fasting person forgetfully commits an act which invalidates
fast and thinking that since his fast has become void, commits intentionally
another act which invalidates fast, his fast will be void.
1664. If something is dropped forcibly down the throat of a fasting
person, his fast does not become void. But, if he is compelled to break his fast
by intimidation, like, if he is warned that his life or wealth would be at
stake, and he willingly breaks the fast to ward off the danger, his fast will be
void.
1665. A fasting person should not go to a place where he knows that
something will be put down his throat or that he will be compelled to break his
fast by his own hands. And if he goes there and he is compelled to commit an act
by his own hands which invalidates a fast, his fast will be void. The same will
apply, as an obligatory precaution, if something is forcibly put down his
throat.