Fasting in the Shariah means to abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, with a niyyat (intention).

The niyyat is important in fasting. Hence, if a person stayed away from the above three things due to illness or lack of desire, or was unconscious for the whole day and no food or drink was entered into the body, such abstention will not be regarded in the Shariah as fasting, since there was no niyyat or intention.

The fast of Ramadaan is compulsory upon every Muslim, male of female who is baalig (i.e. has reached the age of puberty) and sane, and is not affected by any physical condition that allows one to forego the fast. (Reasons which waive the obligation of fasting during Ramadaan will be explained later on Insha-Allah.)

Na-baalig children (who have not yet attained puberty):

Just as in salaah, the child will be taught to fast from the age of seven, and will be commanded to do so at the age of ten. However, due to the strenuous nature of this ibadat careful consideration should be given to the health and physical well-being of children before asking them to fast. Initially, as is the practice in most circles, the child can be coached to abstain from food for half the day, or for a few hours, thereby inculcating the habit of fasting.

We now present two important categories of laws related to the fast:

• Factors that break the fast, and subsequent qaza and kaffara.

• Factors that do not break the fast.

Under this section we shall also state when qaza and kaffara or only qaza is necessitated. A fast will break when any one of the following occurs:

1) The intake of any substance which is used as food or drink, or for nutritional or medicinal purposes, deliberately, at any time between dawn and sunset, while being aware of the fast, after having made the intention to fast for that day. One qaza and 60 days kaffara are wajib.

2) Swallowing any item or substance that is not consumed as food, medicine or nourishment, such as a blade of grass, or particle of wood, etc. Only 1 Qaza wajib.

3) Sexual intercourse in which penetration occurs, in the front or hind private organs, while being aware of the fast and after having made the intention to fast for that day. This ruling applies even if no emission of sperm occurred. Mere penetration breaks the fast. Qaza and kaffara are wajib.

4) Besides sexual intercourse with penetration, any other sexual act that courses emission of sperm. Only qaza

5) Ejaculation of sperm via imagination and fantasizing while awake. Only qaza

6) To pour medicine into the ears. Only qaza

7) Taking snuff or medicine into the nose. Only qaza

8) Swallowing water by mistake while rinsing or gargling the mouth. Only qaza

9) Swallowing some food or substance that was taken into the mouth for tasting purposes only. Only qaza

10) Inducing a mouthful of vomit (i. e. vomit that spews out with such force that one is unable to keep it back). Qaza only.

11) Deliberately swallowing back a small amount of vomit. Qaza only

12) Deliberately inhaling smoke. Burning agar-batti in the home thus causing oneself to inhale the smoke involuntarily is also regarded as deliberate inhaling. Qaza only

13) Smoking. One Qaza becomes wajib. However, for a person who is addicted to smoking, and experiences physical relief and satisfaction through it, Qaza and 60 Kaffara both become wajib should he break the fast through smoking.

14) A medical checkup during which the moist hand or medication is inserted into the front organ. One Qaza is wajib.

15) The dry hand, without medication, etc., inserted twice or thrice into the front private organ. One Qaza is wajib.

16) A syringe or suppository into the rear private part, or any medication which is inserted from the hind organ into the stomach. One Qaza is wajib.

17) Implanting an object into the womb during the day while fasting. One Qaza is wajib.

18) Inserting an instrument covered with ointment, cream, medication, etc., into the front or rear private organs. One Qaza is wajib.

19) Eating sehri after the time has ended, that is, after Subuh Sadiq (dawn) has begun. One Qaza is wajib.

20) Breaking the fast before time. One Qaza is wajib.

21) Swallowing blood with the saliva (and the taste is felt in the throat). One Qaza is wajib.

22) Swallowing a bit of toothpaste while brushing the teeth. One Qaza is wajib.

23) Eating deliberately after applying oil to the head, or surma to the eyes, or having had blood removed from the veins, mistakenly believing these acts break the fast. Qaza and kaffara both become wajib.

24) Eating deliberately after having been injected or vaccinated, believing that this breaks the fast. One Qaza is wajib.

25) Eating deliberately after vomiting involuntarily, or after eating while forgetting one’s fast, thinking that such acts break the fast. One Qaza is wajib.

26) Using the asthma pump, or spraying medication into the nose.

1. Eating or drinking while forgetting the fast.

2. Applying oil to the hair, surma, cajal, or medicine to the eyes, swallowing saliva or mucus, vomitting involuntarily.

3. Taking injections, or using an intravenous drip.

4. Removal of blood from any part of the body.

5. Using toothpaste (as long as it is not swallowed), using the miswaak.

6. Experiencing discharge of semen while asleep.

7. Swallowing particles of food stuck between the teeth which are smaller in size than a chana (provided these were not taken out of the mouth and then swallowed).

8. Intimacy between husband and wife which does not cause discharge of semen. (If it does, the fast breaks.)

9. Smelling perfume or ittar, or using an inhaler to clear the nose.

10. Dust that goes down the throat.

11. An object implanted into the womb before starting the fast, and it remains inside during the fast.

12. Tasting food without swallowing any particle.

13. Beginning the fast while in an impure state (janaabat).

14. Applying lip-ice or lipstick.

15. Applying strong-smelling medicine to any part of the face or head.

16. Inducing vomit less than a mouthful.

• Using toothpaste.

• Applying lipstick or lip-ice.

• Tasting foodstuff unnecessarily.

• Intimacy between husband and wife when there is fear of ejaculation.

• Inducing weakness through physical exertion, resulting in one having to break the fast.

• Delaying iftaar for no reason.

• Prolonging sehri to such an extent that one is in doubt as to the validity of the fast.

Note: These factors do not nullify the fast but are makrooh.

• Taraweeh is sunnatul-muakkada for both men and women.

• It is sunnat to perform twenty rakaats taraweeh salah.

• Another sunnat is to make at least one khatam of the Quran during taraweeh salah.

• One can only perform taraweeh after having offered the faradh of Eshaa salah.

• It is permissible to offer the three witr salah before the taraweeh, but preferable to do it normally, i.e. after the 20 rakaats taraweeh.

• Those who have read their Eshaa faradh individually cannot come together and make taraweeh in jamaat. Yes, such people are allowed to join a jamaat who have made their Eshaa in jamaat.

• If anyone misses a few rakaats of taraweeh, these should be performed after the witr salah. In these rakaats any surah may be recited.

• If the first rakaat of a two rakaat taraweeh salah is missed, it will be completed normally as in any other salah. Here too any surah may be read in that rakaat.

• If one enters the musjid after Eshaa faradh has been read and the taraweeh has started then first perform the faradh of Eshaa, then join the taraweeh. It is not permissible to join the taraweeh without reading the Eshaa faradh.

• Performing only 8 rakaats.

• Deliberately delaying to join the jamaat until the Imam goes into ruku’.

• Discontinuing the taraweeh after the Quran Shareef has been completed.

• Reciting Surah Ikhlaas thrice in each rakaat.

• Reciting duas and zikr loudly after every salaam and in the pause between four rakaats. (The above two practices go beyond the realm of only makrooh. They have developed into a bid’ah.)

• Performance of taraweeh in jamaat by ladies.

Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “For the fasting person at the time of Iftaar there is a an accepted dua.” This hadith shareef highlights the significance of dua at iftaar time. Sadly though, people spend time listening to radio programs when they should be engaged in earnest dua. When will we be blessed with such a great moment for dua again? Below are some masnoon duas before and after iftaar.

BEFORE BREAKING FAST, SAY:

Imam Qurtubi narrates the following hadith Shareef under the virtues of Surah Yaaseen:

Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: