What invalidates the fast
There are seven things that invalidate a person's fast:
1. Intercourse
2. Masturbation - reaching climax or ejaculating without intercourse. Wet dreams are excluded as a person has no control over these.
3. Eating and drinking - if food or drink reaches the stomach via the mouth or nose. This includes chewing gum or anything else that may ultimately reach the stomach.
4. Anything that is regarded as coming under the same heading as eating and drinking - such as smoking, receiving a blood transfusion, pills or medicine that is swallowed, or nourishment by way of intravenous drip etc.
5. Letting blood flow by means of cupping and the like - cupping is a practice performed for medicinal purposes in Islam whereby some blood is extracted from the base of the back of the head. Anything that has a similar effect, such as donating blood, invalidates the fast. However, nose bleeds and minor bleeding from surgery, blood tests etc do not invalidate the fast.
6. Vomiting deliberately
7. Menstruation and bleeding following childbirth - if blood is seen at any moment during the hours of fasting the woman's fast is invalid.
Except for 7., three conditions must be met in order that the fast is invalidated:
1. The person was aware of the ruling and not ignorant of it
2. The person did the action knowingly and not out of forgetfulness
3. The person did it by choice and was not forced to do it
"If he forgets, and eats and drinks, then let him complete his fast, for Allah has fed him and given him to drink."
(Hadith - Bukhari)
If a person accidentally
drinks or eats because they forgot they were fasting, they should complete
their fast and they do not need to repeat the day.
Among things that do NOT invalidate the fast are: Eye drops, eardrops,
enemas, asthma inhalers, fillings, tooth extractions, toothpaste (as long
as none is swallowed), swallowing one's saliva (or that of another),
suppositories, vaccinations, insulin injections, hugging, kissing and
looking at one's husband/wife, creams, make-up and other such things
applied to the skin or hair. This list is not exhaustive!
Rinsing the mouth and nose carefully with water does not break the fast,
and is necessary for performing wudu (ablution) in any case. Care should
be taken (particularly when rinsing the nostrils) that no water enters the
throat. Any water left behind in the mouth after spitting the water out
does not break the fast, and one should not go to extremes by repeated
spitting to remove the wetness.
Outside of fasting hours (i.e. at night), the Muslim is free to eat, drink
and engage in intercourse with their spouse.
Note: The fast of a person is still valid if dawn comes and they are impure
from
intercourse during the night. So if a person intends to fast on a given
day and the time for beginning the fast comes (first light), and the
person has not yet made ghusl (full ablution) after having intercourse
during the night hours, the fast is still valid. However, the fasting person
will need to perform ghusl (full ablution) after first light in order to pray
the Fajr (dawn)
prayer.
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