Fasting Laws
1559. * It is not necessary for a person to
pass the niyyat for fasting through his mind or to say that he would be
fasting on the following day. In fact, it is sufficient for him to
decide that in obedience to the command of Allah he will not perform
from the time of Adhan for Fajr prayers up to Maghrib, any act which may
invalidate the fast. And in order to ensure that he has been fasting
throughout this time he should begin abstaining earlier than the Adhan
for Fajr prayers, and continue to refrain for some time after sunset
from acts which invalidate a fast.
1560. A person can make niyyat every night
of the holy month of Ramadhan that he would be fasting on the following
day, and it is better to make niyyat on the first night of Ramadhan that
he would fast throughout that month.
1561. * The last time for making niyyat to
observe a fast of Ramadhan for a conscious person, is moments before
Adhan of Fajr prayers. This means he must be intent upon fasting at that
time, even if he later became heedless of his intention due to sleep
etc.
1562. * As for Mustahab fast one can make
its niyyat at any time in the day, even moments before Maghrib -
provided he has not committed any such act which invalidates the fast.
1563. * If a person sleeps before Adhan for
Fajr prayers in Ramadhan or any other day fixed for an obligatory fast
without making a niyyat, and wakes up before Zuhr to make a niyyat of
fast, his fast will be in order. But if he wakes up after Zuhr, as a
precaution, he should continue with the abstinence with the niyyat of
Qurbat and then give its qadha also.
1564. * If a person intends to keep a fast
other than the fast of Ramadhan, he should specify that fast; for
example, he should specify it as the qadha fast or a fast to fulfil a
vow. On the other hand, it is not necessary that a person should specify
in his niyyat that he is going to observe a fast of Ramadhan. If a
person is not aware or forgets that it is the month of Ramadhan and
makes a niyyat to observe some other fast it will be considered to be
the fast of Ramadhan.
1565. * If a person knows that it is the
month of Ramadhan, yet intentionally makes an intention of observing a
fast other than the fast of the month of Ramadhan his fast will not be
reckoned a fast of the month of Ramadhan nor the fast of which he made
the niyyat.
1566. If a person observes fast with the
niyyat of the first day of the month and understands later that it was
the second or third of the month, his fast is in order.
1567. If a person makes an intention before
Adhan for dawn prayers to observe a fast and then becomes unconscious
and regains his senses during the day time, he should, on the basis of
obligatory precaution, complete the fast on that day, and if he does not
complete it, he should observe its qadha.
1568. If a person makes niyyat before the
Adhan for Fajr prayers to observe a fast and then gets intoxicated and
comes to senses during the day he should, on the basis of obligatory
precaution, complete the fast of that day and should also give its qadha.
1569. If a person makes a niyyat before the
Adhan for Fajr prayers to observe a fast, and then goes to sleep, and
wakes up after Maghrib his fast is in order.
1570. * If a person did not know or forgot
that it was the month of Ramadhan, and takes notice of this before Zuhr
and if he has performed some act which will invalidates a fast, his fast
is void. But, he should not perform any act till Maghrib which
invalidates a fast and should also observe qadha of that fast after
Ramadhan. The same rule applies if he learns after Zuhr that it is the
month of Ramadhan. But if he learns before Zuhr, and if he has not done
anything which would invalidate his fast, his fast will be valid.
1571. * If a child reaches the age of
puberty before the Adhan for Fajr prayers in the month of Ramadhan
he/she should keep fast and if he/she reaches the age of puberty after
the Fajr Adhan, the fast of that day is not obligatory for him/her
except if he/she intended to observe a Mustahab fast on that day, then
he/she should complete it as a precaution.
1572. * If a person who has been hired to
observe the fasts of a dead person or has fasts of Kaffarah upon him as
an obligation, observes Mustahab fasts, there is no harm in it. However,
if a person has his own qadha of fasts, he cannot observe Mustahab
fasts. If he forgets this and observes a Mustahab fast and remembers it
before Zuhr his Mustahab fast will be void and he can convert his
intention to the fast of qadha, and if he takes notice of the situation
after Zuhr his fast is void as a precaution, and similarly if he
remembers this after Maghrib, the validity of his fast is a matter if
Ishkal.
1573. * If it is obligatory for a person to
observe a specific fast other than the fast of the month of Ramadhan,
for example , if he has vowed that he would observe fast on a particular
day, and he does not make an intention purposely till the Adhan for Fajr
prayers, his fast is void. And if he does not know that it is obligatory
for him to fast on that day or forgets about it and remembers it before
midday, and if he has not performed any act which invalidates the fast
and makes an intention to fast, his fast is in order, and if he
remembers after Zuhr, he should follow the precaution applied to the
fast of Ramadhan.
1574. If a person does not make an intention
till near Zuhr for an obligatory fast which has no fixed time, like a
fast of Kaffarah, there is no harm in it. In fact, if he had decided
before making a niyyat that he would not fast, or was undecided as to
whether he should or should not fast, if he has not performed any act
which invalidates a fast, and decides before Zuhr to fast, his fast will
be in order.
1575. * If a non-Muslim embraces Islam in
the month of Ramadhan before Zuhr, he should, on the basis of obligatory
precaution, make an intention to fast, and complete it provided that he
had not committed any act which would make a fast void. And if he does
not observe fast on that day he should give its qadha.
1576. * If a patient recovers from his
illness in the middle of a day in the month of Ramadhan, before Zuhr,
and if he has not done anything to invalidate the fast, he should make
niyyat and fast. But if he recovers after Zuhr, it will not be
obligatory on him to fast on that day.
1577. * If one doubts whether it is the last
day of Sha'ban or the first day of Ramadhan then the fast on that day is
not obligatory. If however, somebody wants to observe fast on that day
he cannot do so with the intention of observing the Ramadhan fast, but
if he makes an intention that if it is Ramadhan then it is the Ramadhan
fast and if it is not Ramadhan then it is qadha fast or some other fast
like that, his fast will be valid. But it is better to observe the fast
with the intention of qadha fast or some other fast, and if it is known
later that it was Ramadhan then it will automatically be Ramadhan fast.
And even if he makes a niyyat of a natural fast, and later it becomes
known that it is Ramadhan, it will be sufficient (i.e. that fast will be
counted as the Ramadhan fast).
1578. If it is doubtful whether it is the
last day of Sha'ban or the first of Ramadhan, and a person observes a
qadha or a Mustahab fast or some other fast on that day, and later comes
to know the same day that it is the first of Ramadhan, then he should
convert the intention to the Ramadhan fast.
1579. * If somebody is undecided in his
niyyat whether to break or not an obligatory fixed fast, like that of
Ramadhan, or decides to do so, immediately his fast becomes invalid even
if he does not actually break it or is repentant of his intention.
1580. * If, while observing a Mustahab fast
or an obligatory fast the time of which is not fixed (e.g. a fast for
Kaffarah) a person intends to break the fast or wavers whether or not he
should do so, and if he does not break it, he should make a fresh niyyat
before Zuhr in the case of an obligatory fast, and before Maghrib in the
case of a Mustahab fast. That way his fast will be in order.
1581. * There are nine acts which invalidate
fast:
(i) Eating and drinking
(ii) Sexual intercourse
(iii) Masturbation (Istimna) which means
self abuse, resulting in ejaculation
(iv) Ascribing false things to Almighty
Allah, or his Prophet or to the
successors of the Holy Prophet
(v) Swallowing thick dust
(vi) Immersing one's complete head in water
(vii) Remaining in Janabat or Haidh or Nifas
till the Adhan for Fajr prayers
(viii) Enema with liquids
(ix) Vomiting
Details of these acts will be explained in
the following articles:-
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fasting (Part II of II)
1666. * Certain things are Makrooh for a
person observing fast, some of them are mentioned below :
(i) Using eyedrops and applying Surma if its
taste or smell reaches the throat.
(ii) Performing an act, which causes
weakness, like blood-letting (extracting the blood from the body) or
going for hot bath.
(iii) Inhaling a snuff if one is not aware
that it might reach the throat; and if one is aware that it will reach
the throat its use is not permissible.
(iv) Smelling fragrant herbs.
(v) For women, to sit in the water.
(vi) Using suppository, that is, letting
into rectum a stimulant for bowels.
(vii) Wetting the dress which one is
wearing.
(viii) Getting a tooth extracted or doing
something as a result of which there is bleeding in the mouth.
(ix) Cleaning the teeth with a wet
toothbrush.
(x) Putting water or any other liquid in the
mouth without a good cause.
It is also Makrooh for a fasting person to
court or woo his wife without the intention of ejaculation; or to do
something which excites him sexually. And if he does it with the
intention of ejaculation, and no ejaculation takes place, his fast, as
an obligatory precaution, will be deemed void.
1667. * In the following situations, both
qadha and Kaffarah become obligatory, provided these acts are committed
intentionally, voluntarily and without any force or pressure, during the
fasts of Ramadhan:
(i) Eating
(ii) Drinking
(iii) Sexual Intercourse
(iv) Masturbation
(v) Staying in the state of Janabat till the
time of Fajr prayers
And as a recommended precaution,
invalidating the fast due to reasons other than those mentioned above,
should also be recompensed with Kaffarah, besides the obligatory qadha.
1668. * If a person commits any of the
foregoing acts with an absolute certitude that it does not invalidate
fast, Kaffarah will not be obligatory on him.
1669. * The Kaffarah of leaving out a fast
of Ramadhan is to:
(a) free a slave, or (b) fast for two months
or (c) feed sixty poor to their fill or give one mudd (= 3/4 kg.) of
food-stuff, like, wheat or barley or bread etc. to each of them. And if
it is not possible for him to fulfil any of these, he should give Sadaqa
according to his means and seek Divine forgiveness. And the obligatory
precaution is that he should give Kaffarah as and when he is capable to
do so.
1670. A person who intends fasting for two
months as a Kaffarah for a fast of Ramadhan, should fast continuously
for one month and one day, and it would not matter if he did not
maintain continuity for completion of the remaining fasts.
1671. * A person who intends fasting for two
months as a Kaffarah for a fast of Ramadhan, should not commence fasting
at such time when he knows that within a month and one day, days like
Eid-ul-Azha will fall when it would be haraam to fast.
1672. If a person who must fast
continuously, fails to fast on any day in the period without any just
excuse, he should commence fasting all over again.
1673. * If a person who must fast
continuously, is unable to maintain the continuity due to an excuse
beyond control, like, Haidh or Nifas or a journey, which one is obliged
to undertake, it will not be obligatory on him/her after the excuse is
removed, to commence fasting again from the beginning. He/she should
proceed to observe the remaining fasts.
1674. * If a person breaks his fast with
something haraam, whether it is haraam in itself, like, wine or adultery
or has become haraam due to some reason like, any food which is normally
permissible but it is injurious to his health, or if he has sexual
intercourse with his wife during Haidth, he will have to observe all the
three Kaffarah, as a recommended precaution. It means that he should set
free a slave, fast for two months and also feed sixty poor to their
fill, or give one mudd of wheat, barley, bread etc. to each of them. If
it is not possible for him to give all the three Kaffarah, he should
perform any one Kaffarah which he can possibly give.
1675. * If a fasting person intentionally
imputes lies to Allah or the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), the recommended
precaution is that he should give all the three Kaffarah as detailed
above.
1676. * If a fasting person engages in
sexual intercourse several times a day during Ramadhan or commits
masturbation, one Kaffarah becomes obligatory on him. But, as a
recommended precaution, he should give a Kaffarah each time he engages
in sexual intercourse.
1677. * If a fasting person repeats an act
which invalidates fast of Ramadhan other than sexual intercourse and
masturbation, one Kaffarah will be sufficient for all.
1678. * If a fasting person commits an act
which invalidates a fast other than sexual intercourse, and then has
sexual intercourse with his wife, one Kaffarah will suffice for both the
acts.
1679. * If a fasting person commits a halal
act to invalidate a fast, like, if he drinks water and thereafter
commits another act which is haraam and invalidates a fast, like, if he
eats haraam food, one Kaffarah will suffice.
1680. * If a fasting person belches and
swallows intentionally that which comes in his mouth, his fast becomes
void, and he should give its qadha and Kaffarah also. And if the thing
which comes to his mouth is haraam to consume, like, blood or some food
which no more looks like food, and he swallows it intentionally, he will
give the qadha of that fast, and as a recommended precaution, give all
the three Kaffarah.
1681. If a person takes a vow that he would
fast on a particular day, and if he invalidates his fast intentionally
on that day, he should give Kaffarah, the one for which one becomes
liable upon breaking a vow. The details will come in the relevant
Chapter.
1682. If a fasting person breaks his fast
when someone unreliable informs him that Maghrib has set in, and he
later learns that Maghrib had not set in, or doubts whether it had set
in or not, it is obligatory on him to give qadha and Kaffarah.
1683. If a person who has intentionally
invalidated his fast travels after Zuhr or before Zuhr to escape the
Kaffarah, he will not be exempted from the Kaffarah. In fact, if he has
to proceed unexpectedly on a journey before Zuhr, even then it is
obligatory for him to give Kaffarah.
1684. If a person invalidates the fast
intentionally and then an excuse like Haidth, Nifas or sickness arises,
the recommended precaution is that he/she should give a Kaffarah.
1685. If a person was certain that it was
the first day of Ramadhan and invalidated his fast intentionally, and it
transpired later that it was the last day of Sha'ban it would not be
obligatory on him to give Kaffarah.
1686. If a person doubts whether it is the
last day of Ramadhan or the first day of Shawwal and invalidates his
fast intentionally, and it transpires later that it is the first day of
Shawwal, it will not be obligatory on him to give Kaffarah.
1687. * If a man who is fasting in the month
of Ramadhan has sexual intercourse with his wife who is also fasting and
if he has compelled her for that, he should give Kaffarah for his own
fast and as a precaution, also for his wife's. And if she had wilfully
consented to the sexual intercourse, a Kaffarah becomes obligatory on
each of them.
1688. If a woman compels her fasting husband
to have sexual intercourse with her, it is not obligatory on her to give
Kaffarah for her husband's fast.
1689. If a man who is fasting in Ramadhan
compels his wife for sexual intercourse, and if the woman expresses her
agreement during the intercourse, the man should, on the basis of
obligatory precaution, give two Kaffarah and the woman should give one
Kaffarah.
1690. If a man who is observing fast in
Ramadhan has sexual intercourse with his fasting wife who is asleep, one
Kaffarah becomes obligatory on him. But the wife's fast is in order and
she will not give any Kaffarah.
1691. If a man compels his wife or a woman
compels her husband to commit an act which makes the fast void, other
than the sexual intercourse, it will not be obligatory upon any of them
to give any Kaffarah.
1692. A man who does not observe fast due to
travelling or illness, cannot compel his fasting wife to have sexual
intercourse. But, if he compels her, Kaffarah will not be obligatory on
him either.
1693. One should not be negligent about
giving Kaffarah. But, it is not necessary to give it immediately.
1694. If Kaffarah has become obligatory on a
person and if he fails to fulfil it for some years, no increase in the
Kaffarah takes place.
1695. * When a person is required to feed
sixty poor by way of Kaffarah for one fast, and if he has access to all
of them, he cannot give to any one of them more than one mudd of food,
or feed a poor man more than once, calculating it as feeding more than
one person. However, he can give to a poor person one mudd of food for
each member of his family, even if they may be minors.
1696. * If a person offering qadha of a fast
of Ramadhan intentionally breaks his fast after Zuhr, he should give
food to ten poor persons, one mudd to each, and if he cannot do this, he
should observe fast for three days.
1697. * In the following cases it is
obligatory on a person to observe a qadha fast only and it is not
obligatory on him to give a Kaffarah:
(i) If a person is in Janabat during a night
of Ramadhan and as detailed in rule no. 1639 does not wake up from his
second sleep till the time of Fajr prayers.
(ii) If he does not commit an act which
invalidates a fast but did not make Niyyat to observe fast, or fasts to
show off intends not to fast at all, or decides to commit an act which
invalidates a fast, then as an obligatory precaution, he must give its
qadha.
(iii) If he forgets to do Ghusl of Janabat
during the month of Ramadhan and fasts for one or more days in the state
of Janabat.
(iv) If in the month of Ramadhan, a man
without investigating as to whether Fajr has set in or not commits an
act, which invalidates a fast, and it becomes known later that it was
Fajr, he should as a precaution and with the Niyyat of Qurbat, refrain
from committing any further acts which invalidate the fast, and give its
qadha also.
(v) If someone else informs that it is not
Fajr yet, and on the basis of his statement one commits an act which
invalidates a fast and it is later found out that it was Fajr.
(vi) If someone informs that it is Fajr and
not believing his word or thinking that the fellow is joking, he
commits, without investigating, an act which invalidates a fast and it
becomes known later that it was Fajr.
(vii) If a blind person, or any one like
him, breaks his fast relying on the statement of another person, and it
is known later that Maghrib had not set in.
(viii) When a person is certain that Maghrib
has set in, and breaks his feet accordingly, and later he learns that it
was not Maghrib, he must give qadha. But if he believed that Maghrib had
set in because of cloudy weather, and broke his fast, and later it
became evident that Maghrib had not set in, he will observe qadha of
that fast as a precautionary measure.
(ix) When one rinses his mouth with water
because it has dried due to thirst and the water uncontrollably goes
down one's throat, qadha has to be given. Similarly, as a recommended
precaution, one should give a qadha if the mouthwash was for a wudhu for
Mustahab prayers, and the water went down the throat. But if he forgets
that he has kept a fast, or if he does the mouthwash, not because of
thirst, but for a wudhu for an obligatory prayers and water is
uncontrollably swallowed, there will be no qadha.
(x) If a person breaks his fast due to
duress, helplessness or taqayyah, he will observe qadha of the fast, but
it is not obligatory on him to give a Kaffarah.
1698. If a fasting person puts something
other than water in his mouth and it goes down the throat involuntarily,
or puts water in his nose and it goes down involuntarily, it will not be
obligatory on him to observe qadha of the fast.
1699. It is Makrooh to do excessive mouth
washing for a fasting person, and after the mouthwash if he wishes to
swallow saliva, it is better that he spits it out three times before
doing so.
1700. * If a person knows or feels that if
he does a mouthwash water will seep down his throat involuntarily, he
should avoid it. And as an obligatory precaution, he should avoid the
mouthwash if he knows or feels that water may trickle down his throat
due to his own forgetfulness.
1701. * If in the month of Ramadhan, a
person becomes sure after investigation that it is not Fajr and commits
an act which invalidates a fast, and it is later known that it was Fajr
already, it will not be necessary for him to offer qadha of that fast.
1702. If a person doubts whether or not
Maghrib has set in, he cannot break his fast. But if he doubts whether
or not it is Fajr he can commit, even before investigation, an act which
invalidates a fast.
1703. If an insane recovers and becomes
sane, it will not be obligatory on him to offer qadha for the fasts
which he did not observe when he was insane.
1704. If an unbeliever becomes a Muslim, it
is not obligatory on him to offer qadha for the fasts of the period
during which he was an unbeliever. However, if a Muslim apostatises and
becomes Muslim again, he must observe qadha for the fasts of the period
during which he remained an apostate.
1705. A person must offer qadha for the
fasts left out due to being intoxicated, even if the intoxicant was
taken by him for the purpose of medical treatment.
1706. If a person did not fast on certain
days because of some excuse and later doubts about the exact date on
which the excuse was over, it will not be obligatory on him to offer
qadha basing his calculation on the higher number. For example, if a
person travelled before the commencement of the month of Ramadhan, and
now does not remember whether he returned on the 5th of Ramadhan or on
the 6th, or if he travelled in the last days of the month of Ramadhan
and returned after Ramadhan, and now does not remember whether he
travelled on the 25th of Ramadhan or on the 26th, in both the cases, he
can observe qadha based on the lesser number of days, that is, five
days. However, the recommended precaution is that he should offer qadha
for the higher number of days, that is, six days.
1707. If a person has to give qadha for
Ramadhan fasts of several years, he can begin with the qadha of Ramadhan
of any year as he likes. But, if the time for qadha fasts of the last
Ramadhan is short, like, if he has to observe five qadha fasts of the
last Ramadhan and only five days are left before the commencement of
approaching Ramadhan, it is better to observe qadha fasts of last
Ramadhan.
1708. If a person has qadha fasts of the
month of Ramadhan for several years, and while making Niyyat he does not
specify to which year the fasts belong, they will not be reckoned to be
the qadha of the last year.
1709. A person who observes a qadha for the
fast of Ramadhan can break his fast before Zuhr. However, if the time
for qadha fast is short, it is better not to break it.
1710. If a person observes qadha fast of a
dead person, it is better not to break the fast after Zuhr.
1711. * If a person does not observe the
fasts of the month of Ramadhan due to illness, Haidh or Nifas and dies
before he/she can give qadha in time, he/she will not have any qadha
liability.
1712. * If a person does not fast in the
month of Ramadhan due to illness and his illness continues till next
Ramadhan, it is not obligatory on him to observe qadha of the fasts
which he had not observed, but for each fast he should give one mudd of
food like, wheat, barley, bread etc. to poor. And if he did not observe
fast owing to some other excuse, like, if he did not fast because of
travelling and his excuse continued till next Ramadhan, he should
observe its qadha fasts, and the obligatory precaution is that for each
day he should give one mudd of food to poor.
1713. If a person did not fast in Ramadhan
due to illness, and his illness ended after Ramadhan, but there emerged
another excuse due to which he could not observe the qadha fasts till
next Ramadhan, he should offer qadha for the fasts which he did not
observe. Also, if he had an excuse other than illness during Ramadhan,
and that excuse ended after Ramadhan, but he then fell ill and could not
give qadha till next Ramadhan because of that illness, he will offer the
qadha for the fasts he did not observe and, on the basis of obligatory
precaution, he will give one mudd of food to poor for each day.
1714. If a person does not observe fasts in
the month of Ramadhan owing to some excuse and his excuse is removed
after Ramadhan, yet he does not observe the qadha fasts intentionally
till next Ramadhan, he has to give qadha of the fasts and should also
give one mudd of food to poor for each fast.
1715. * If a person deliberately ignores
observing qadha till the time left is short, and during that short time
he develops an excuse, he has to give qadha and as a precaution, give
one mudd of food to poor for each day. Similarly, if after the excuse is
over, he firmly decides to give qadha, but is unable to do so because of
some fresh excuse during that short time, he will follow the above rule.
1716. If the illness of a person continues
for very long, protracted over many years, he should, after being cured,
observe the qadha fasts of the last Ramadhan, and for each day of the
earlier years he should give one mudd of food to poor.
1717. A person who has to give one mudd of
food to poor for each day, can give food of Kaffarah of a few days to
one poor person.
1718. If a person delays observing qadha
fasts of the month of Ramadhan for a few years, he should give the qadha
and should on account of delay in the first year, give one mudd of food
to a poor person for each day. As for the delay in the subsequent years,
nothing is obligatory on him.
1719. * If a person does not observe fasts
of the month of Ramadhan intentionally, he should give their qadha and
for each day left out, he should observe fast for two months or feed
sixty poor persons or set a slave free, and if he does not observe the
qadha till next Ramadhan, he should also give one mudd of food for each
day as a Kaffarah.
1720. * If a person does not observe fast of
the month of Ramadhan intentionally, and commits sexual intercourse or
masturbation several times during the day, the Kaffarah does not
multiply together with it. Similarly, if he performs other acts which
invalidate the fast, like eating several times, one Kaffarah will
suffice.
1721. * After the death of a person his
eldest son, as an obligatory precaution, should observe his qadha fasts
as explained in connection with the prayers earlier.
1722. * If a father had not observed
obligatory fasts other than the fasts of the month of Ramadhan, like, a
fast of Nadhr, the recommended precaution is that his eldest son should
observe its qadha. However, if the father was hired for observing fasts
on behalf of a dead person, but he did not observe them, it is not
obligatory for the eldest son to offer them.
1723. A traveller for whom it is obligatory
to shorten a four Rak'ats prayers to two Rak'ats, should not fast.
However, a traveller who offers full prayers, like, a person who is a
traveller by profession or who goes on a journey for a haraam purpose,
should fast while travelling.
1724. There is no harm in travelling during
the month of Ramadhan, but it is Makrooh to travel during the month to
evade fasting. And similarly, it is Makrooh to travel before the 24th of
Ramadhan unless travelling is undertaken for the purpose of Hajj or
Umrah or for some important work.
1725. * If it is obligatory on a person to
observe a particular fast other than the fasts of Ramadhan, like, if he
has undertaken to fast on behalf of someone against payment, or if it is
the fast of the third day of I'tekaf, he cannot travel on that day, and
if he is already on journey then he should make a Niyyat to stay there
for ten days, if possible, and keep the fast. And if it is an obligatory
fast of Nadhr, travelling on that day is permissible, and it is not
necessary to make an intention of staying there for ten days. Though, it
is better not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary, and if he is
already on a journey, he should have the Niyyat to stay there for 10
days.
1726. If a person makes a vow to observe a
Mustahab fast and does not specify any day for it, he cannot keep the
fast while travelling. However, if he makes a vow that he will observe
fast on a particular day during a journey, he should observe that fast
during the journey. Also, if he makes a vow that he will observe a fast
on a particular day, whether he is journeying on that day or not, he
should observe the fasts on that day even if he travels.
1727. A traveller can observe Mustahab fasts
in Madinah for three days with the Niyyat of praying for the fulfilment
of his wish, and as a precaution, those three days be Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday.
1728. If a person does not know that the
fast of a traveller is invalid and observes fast while journeying, and
learns about the rule during the day, his fast becomes void, but if he
does not learn about the rule till Maghrib, his fast is valid.
1729. If a person forgets that he is a
traveller or forgets that the fast of a traveller is void, and observes
fast while journeying, is fast is invalid.
1730. * If a fasting person travels after
Zuhr, he should, as a precaution, complete his fast. If he travels
before Zuhr and had an intention from the previous night to do so, he
cannot fast on that day. As a precaution, he cannot fast on that day
even if he had no intention to travel from the previous night. In both
the cases, he cannot break the fast till he has reached the limit of
Tarakkhus. If he does, he will be liable to give Kaffarah.
1731. If a traveller in the month of
Ramadhan, regardless of whether he was travelling before Fajr, or was
fasting and then undertook the journey, reaches his hometown before Zuhr
or a place where he intends to stay for ten days, and if has not
committed an act which invalidates a fast, he should fast on that day.
But if he has committed such an act, it is not obligatory on him to fast
on that day.
1732. * If a traveller reaches his hometown
after Zuhr, or a place where he intends to stay for ten days, he cannot
fast on that day.
1733. It is Makrooh for a traveller and for
a person who cannot fast owing to some excuse, to have sexual
intercourse or to eat or drink to his fill, during the day time in
Ramadhan.
1734. Fasting is not obligatory on a person
who cannot fast because of old age, or for whom fasting causes extreme
hardship. But in latter case, he should give one mudd food to a poor
person for every fast.
1735. If a person who did not fast during
the month of Ramadhan owing to old age, becomes capable of fasting
later, he should, on the basis of recommended precaution, give the qadha.
1736. * Fasting is not obligatory on a
person who suffers from a disease which causes excessive thirst, making
it unbearable, or full of hardship. But in the latter case, that is, of
hardship, he should give one mudd of food to poor, for every fast. At
the same time, as a recommended precaution, such a person may not drink
water in a quantity more than essential. If he recovers later, enabling
him to fast, then as a recommended precaution, he should give qadha for
the fast.
1737. * Fasting is not obligatory on a woman
in advanced stage of pregnancy, for whom fasting is harmful or for the
child she carries. For every day, however, she should give one mudd of
food to poor. In both the cases, she has to give qadha for the fasts
which are left out.
1738. * If a woman is suckling a child,
whether she is the mother or a nurse, or suckles it free, and the
quantity of her milk is small, and if fasting is harmful to her or to
the child, it will not be obligatory on her to fast. And she should give
one mudd of food per day to poor. In both the cases, she will later give
qadha for the fasts left out. But this rule is specifically applicable
in a circumstance where this is the only way of feeding milk to the
child - (as an obligatory precaution). But if there is an alternative,
like, when more than one woman offer to suckle the child, then
establishing this rule is a matter of Ishkal.
1739. * The 1st day of a month is
established in the following four ways:
(i) If a person himself sights the moon.
(ii) If a number of persons confirm to have
sighted the moon and their words assure or satisfy a person. Similarly,
every other thing which assures or satisfies him about moon having being
sighted.
(iii) If two just (Adil) persons say that
they have sighted the moon at night. The first day of the month will not
be established if they differ about the details of the new moon. This
difference can be either explicit or even implied. For example, when a
group of people goes out in search of a new moon and none but two Adils
claim to have seen the new moon, though, among those who did not see,
there were other Adils equally capable and knowledgeable, then the
testimony by the first two Adils will not prove the advent of a new
month.
(iv) If 30 days pass from the first of
Sha'ban , the 1st of Ramadhan will be established, and if 30 days pass
from the 1st of Ramadhan the 1st of Shawwal will be established.
1740. The 1st day of any month will not be
proved by the verdict of a Mujtahed and it is better to observe
precaution.
1741. The first day of a month will not be
proved by the prediction made by the astronomers. However, if a person
derives full satisfaction and certitude from their findings, he should
act accordingly.
1742. * If the moon is high up in the sky,
or sets late, it is not an indication that the previous night was the
first night of the month. Similarly, if there is a halo round it, it is
not a proof that the new moon appeared in the previous night.
1743. If the first day of the month of
Ramadhan is not proved for a person and he does not observe fast, and if
it is proved later that the preceding night was in fact the night of
Ramadhan, he should observe qadha of that day.
1744. * If the first day of a month is
proved in a city, it is also proved in other cities if they are united
in their horizon. And the meaning of having a common horizon in this
matter is that if new moon was sighted in a city, there would be a
distinct possibility of sighting it in the other cities, if there were
no impediments, like, the clouds etc.
1745. The first day of a month is not proved
by a telegram except when one is sure that the telegram is based on the
testimony of two Adils, or on a source which is reliable in the eyes of
Shariah.
1746. If a person does not know whether it
is the last day of Ramadhan or the first of Shawwal, he should observe
fast on that day, and if he comes to know during the day that it is the
first of Shawwal, he should break the fast.
1747. * If a prisoner cannot ascertain the
advent of Ramadhan, he should act on probability and he should act on a
probability which in his estimation is stronger. But if even that is not
possible, he may consider a month which he strongly feels to be Ramadhan
and fast; however, he should keep that month in view so that if it later
transpires that he kept fasts before Ramadhan, he will give the qadha.
And if it transpired that it was Ramadhan or after it, he does not have
any liability of qadha.
1748. It is haraam to fast on the day of
Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. It is also haraam to fast with the Niyyat
of first fast of Ramadhan on a day about which he is not sure whether it
is the last day of Sha'ban or the first of Ramadhan.
1749. It is haraam for a wife to keep a
Mustahab fast if by so doing she would not be able to attend to her
duties to her husband. And the obligatory precaution is that even if she
can attend to her duties towards her husband, she should not observe a
Mustahab fast without his permission.
1750. * It is haraam for the children to
observe a Mustahab fast if it causes emotional suffering to their
parents.
1751. * If a son observes a Mustahab fast
without the permission of his father, and his father prohibits him from
it during the day time, the son should break the fast if his
disobedience would hurt the feeling of his father.
1752. * If a person knows that fasting is
not harmful to him, he should fast even if his doctor advises that it is
harmful. And if a person is certain or has a feeling that fasting is
harmful to him, he should not fast even if the doctor advises for it,
and if he fasts in these circumstances, his fast will not be valid if it
turns out that the fast was actually harmful, or if it was not kept with
the Niiyyat of Qurbat.
1753. * If a person has a strong feeling
that it is harmful for him to fast, and owing to that feeling, fear is
created in his mind, and if that feeling is commonly acceptable, he
should not observe fast, and if he does, it will not be valid in the way
described in the foregoing rule.
1754. If a person who believes that fasting
is not harmful to him, observes fast and realises after Maghrib that it
was considerably harmful to him, he should, on the basis of obligatory
precaution, give the qadha of that day.
1755. Besides the fasts mentioned herein,
there are other haraam fasts also, the details of which are found in
relevant books.
1756. It is Makrooh to fast on 'Ashura (10th
of Muharram). It is also Makrooh to fast on the day about which one is
not sure whether it is the day of 'Arafa or Eid-ul-Azha.
1757.* Fasting is Mustahab on every day of a
year except those on which it is haraam or Makrooh to observe a fast.
Some of them which have been strongly recommended, are mentioned here:
(i) The first and last Thursday of every
month and the first Wednesday after the 10th of a month. If a person
does not observe these fasts it is Mustahab that he gives their qadha.
And if he is incapable of fasting, it is Mustahab for him to give one
mudd of food or prescribed coined silver to poor.
(ii) 13th, 14th and 15th day of every month.
(iii) On all days of Rajab and Shaban or on
as many days as it is possible to fast, even though it may be one day
only.
(iv) The day of Eid Nawroz.
(v) From the 4th up to the 9th of the month
of Shawwal.
(vi) The 25th and 29th day of the month of
Zi qa'da.
(vii) From the 1st day to the 9th day (i.e.
'Arafa day) of the month of Zil hajj. But if, it is not possible for one
to recite the Duas of 'Arafa due to weakness caused by fasting, it is
Makrooh to fast on that day.
(viii) The auspicious day of Ghadir (18th
Zil hajj).
(ix) The auspicious day of Mubahala (24th
Zil hajj).
(x) The 1st, 3rd and 7th day of Muharram.
(xi) The birthday of the Holy Prophet (17th
Rabi'ul awwal).
(xii) 15th day of Jumadi'ul oola.
Fasting is also recommended on 27th of Rajab
- the day the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) declared his Prophethood.
If a person observes a Mustahab fast, it is
not obligatory on him to complete it. In fact, if one of his
brethren-in-faith invites him to a meal, it is Mustahab that he accepts
the invitation and breaks the fast during the day time even if it may be
after Zuhr.
1758. It is Mustahab for the following
persons that even if they may not be fasting, they should refrain from
those acts in the month of Ramadhan which invalidate a fast:
(i) A traveller who has committed an act
during his journey which makes a fast void and reaches his hometown
before Zuhr, or the place where he intends to stay for ten days.
(ii) A traveller who reaches home after Zuhr
or at a place where he intends to stay for ten days. The same rule
applies if he reaches such places before Zuhr and if he has already
broken his fast while journeying.
(iii) A patient who recovers after Zuhr or
even if he recovers before noon, though he may have committed acts which
invalidate fast. And if he has not committed any such act, then his
obligation has been explained in rule no. 1576.
(iv) A woman who becomes Pak from Haidh or
Nifas during day time.
1759. It is Mustahab that a person breaks
his fast after offering Maghrib and Isha prayers. However, if he feels
terribly inclined to eat, so much that he cannot concentrate on the
prayers, or if someone is waiting for him, it is better that he should
break his fast first and offer the prayers later. However, as far as
possible, he should try to offer the prayers during the prime time (Fadheelat).
HARAM FASTS
Ten types of fasts are haram (forbidden) in
Islam:
1. Fasting on Eidul Fitr Day
2. Fasting on Eidul Adha Day
3. Fasting on Tashreek Days (11 to 13 Zilhijj for those who will be in
Mina)
4. Fasting on Yaumul Shak (30th Shaban)
5. Fasting by a Traveller in Ramadan
6. Fasting by a Sick Person in Ramadan
7. Fast of Silence
8. Fast of Visal (Fasting intentionally for 2 consecutive days including
the night in between)
9. Fasting of thanks (shukr) for Haram Acts
10. Mustahab fast without permission from those of whom permissions are
necessary
FASTING ON YAUMUL SHAK
30th day of Shaban is called Yamul Shak
(doubtful day) if you do not receive news about Ramadan moonsighting on
29th evening or before the end of 30th day.
It is haram to fast on 30th Shaban with the intention of 1st of Ramadan.
It is Mustahab to keep fast on 30th Shaban but the Niyyat (intention)
should be either
(a) with the Niyyat of Mafiz-zimma (to discharge my responsibility), or
(b) with the Niyyat of any Qaza fast of previous Ramadan, if any, or
(c) with the Niyyat of Mustahab Shaban fast.
If you do a double Niyyat of fasting (i.e. 30th Shaban or 1st Ramadan),
then such a Niyyat is wrong according Ayatullah Khui, but it is OK
according to Khomeini and Seestani.
If you are fasting on 30th Shaban, and if, at any time on that day, you
get the news of moon sighting of 29th Shaban, then you must immediately
change Niyyat to Niyyat of 1st of Ramadan.
If you have fasted on 30th Shaban (with any Niyyat), and afterwards you
come to know that it was 1st of Ramadan, then your fast will
automatically be counted as fast of 1st of Ramadan.
If you are not fasting on 30th Shaban, then following actions are
necessary on you:
(a) If you get the news after sunset of 30th Shaban or later that the
moon had been actually sighted on evening of 29th Shaban, then you have
to keep Qaza of 1st Ramadan after the month of Ramadan.
(b) If you get the news of moon sighting after Zawal time (Islamic
mid-day), then it is haram to eat or drink or do anything, which is not
allowed during fasting from that time onward until Iftar time on that
day, and you have to do Qaza of 1st of Ramadan later on.
(c) If you get the news of moon sighting before Zawal time (Islamic
mid-day), then
(i) if you have not eaten or drunk anything or done anything which
breaks fast, you must immediately do the Niyyat of fasting of Ramadan
for that day,
(ii) if you have eaten or drunk something or have done anything which
breaks fast, then you have to act as if fasting for the rest of the day,
and then do Qaza of 1st of Ramadan later on.
FASTING OF A TRAVELER IN RAMADAN
According to Islamic sharia, a traveler is
normally a person who travels from his home to another town or place
with the intention of staying there for less than 10 days.
Fasting by a traveler during the month of Ramadan is haram.
If you start your journey after Zawal time (Islamic mid-day) in Ramadan,
then it is wajib to complete fasting for that day.
If you start your journey before Zawal time in Ramadan, then it is wajib
to start fast on that day, and then your fast will automatically break
after you have traveled a certain distance from your home town.
If you were traveling, and you return to your home (or arrive at a place
where you are going to stay for 10 days or more) after Zawal time
(Islamic mid-day) in Ramadan, then you can not fast on that day, but it
is Mustahab to respect fasting on that day. You have to do Qaza fast for
that
day and all fasts missed during traveling.
If you were traveling, and you return to your home (or arrive at a place
where you are going to stay for10 days or more) before Zawal time
(Islamic mid-day) in Ramadan, and if you have not done anything which
breaks fast, then it is wajib to keep fast for that day. However if you
have
done anything which breaks fast, then you can not fast on that day, but
it is Mustahab to respect fasting on that day, and you have to do Qaza
fast for that day afterwards.
If you are a traveler during the month of Ramadan, and staying somewhere
for less than 10 days, then you can not keep even any other fast (Mustahab
fast or Qaza fast of previous Ramadan) during those days.
NIYYAT FOR FASTING
Niyyat for fasting during the month of
Ramadan must be done before Dawn (Fajr), unless there are special cases
as discussed above (e.g. Yamul Shak). Niyyat for fasting for the whole
month of Ramadan can be done once at the beginning of Ramadan.
Niyyat for Qaza fast of Ramadan can be done before Dawn or anytime
before Zawal time (Islamic mid-day) on that day provided you have not
done anything from Dawn to niyyat time which breaks fast.
Niyyat for any Mustahab fast can be done before Dawn or anytime before
Maghrib on that day provided you have not done anything, which breaks
fast. |