in Islam, fasting is one of the highly significant rituals and articles of practice [Furu –u-Din] which is guided by some rules and regulations. In this article, we shall examine the fast invalidators [Mubṭilāt] of fast based on the religious verdicts [Fatwas] of his Eminence, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani as documented in his treaty titled “The Islamic Law”. In the opinion of His Eminence, eight things invalidate a fast (Mubṭilāt) and these are explained thus:
1. Eating and drinking:
If a fasting person who is aware of the fact that he is fasting intentionally eats or drinks something, his fast becomes invalid, irrespective of whether the thing he ate or drank was something normal – such as bread and water – or not – such as earth and the sap of a tree – and irrespective of whether it was a little or a lot. In fact, even if one takes a toothbrush out of his mouth and then puts it back into his mouth and swallows the moisture, his fast becomes invalid unless the moisture on the toothbrush was so little that it could be said to have disappeared in his saliva.
If a fasting person eats or drinks something inadvertently (sahwan), his fast does not become invalid. Swallowing saliva does not invalidate a fast even though it may have collected in one’s mouth due to thinking about food and suchlike. There is no problem in swallowing the mucus of the head and chest as long as it has not entered the cavity of the mouth. If it enters the mouth cavity and is swallowed, the fast does not become invalid, although the recommended precaution is that one should not swallow it.
Injections and intravenous drips do not invalidate a fast even if the former is an energy injection and the latter a glucose-saline drip. Similarly, a spray used for asthma does not invalidate a fast provided that the medicine only enters the lungs. Applying medicine [such as drops] to the eyes and ears does not invalidate a fast either, even if its taste reaches the throat. Likewise, if the medicine is applied to the nose, it does not invalidate a fast as long as it does not reach the throat.
2. Sexual intercourse:
Sexual intercourse invalidates a fast even if penetration is as little as the circumcised part of the penis and there is no ejaculation. If penetration is less than the circumcised part of the penis and there is no ejaculation, the fast does not become invalid. However, for a man who has not been circumcised, any amount of penetration – even if it is less than the circumcised part of a penis – invalidates his fast.
If someone forgets that he is fasting and has sexual intercourse, or if someone is forced to have sexual intercourse in a manner that is not of his free will, his fast does not become invalid. However, if during sexual intercourse he remembers [that he is fasting], or he is no longer forced to have sexual intercourse, he must immediately stop having sexual intercourse; and if he does not stop, his fast is invalid.
3. Masturbation:
Masturbation means that a man – either with himself or by means of something – does something other than having sexual intercourse that results in ejaculation.
If a fasting person masturbates, his fast becomes invalid. However, if a person ejaculates involuntarily, his fast does not become invalid. If a fasting person wakes up from sleep while ejaculation is taking place, it is not obligatory for him to stop the ejaculation.
A fasting person who has a wet dream can urinate even if he knows that by urinating, some of the remaining semen will come out of his penis. If a fasting person who has a wet dream knows that some semen has remained in his penis, and he knows that if he does not urinate before performing ritual bathing (ghusl[1]), semen will be discharged after ghusl, then the recommended precaution is that he should urinate before performing ghusl.
4. Ascribing something false to Allah the Exalted, the Most Noble Prophet (Ṣ), or the Infallible Imams (ʿA)
If a fasting person intentionally ascribes something false to Allah the Exalted, the most noble Prophet (Ṣ), or the Infallible Imams (ʿA) – whether he does this verbally, in writing, or by making a sign and suchlike – and even if he immediately says, ‘I have lied’ or he repents, then based on obligatory precaution, his fast is invalid. The same applies, based on recommended precaution, to ascribing something false to Her Eminence, Lady Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ (ʿA) and the other Prophets and their successors.
If someone wishes to report a narration about which he does not have any evidence as to its authenticity, and he does not know whether it is true or false, then based on obligatory precaution, he must report it in such a way that he does not directly attribute it to the most noble Prophet (Ṣ) or the Infallible Imams (ʿA).
If someone ascribes to Allah the Exalted, the most noble Prophet (Ṣ), [or the Infallible Imams (ʿA)] something that he knows to be false, and afterwards he realises that what he said was true, and he knew that this act would invalidate his fast, he must, based on obligatory precaution, complete his fast and keep a qaḍāʾ fast[2] as well.
5. Causing thick dust to reach the throat
Based on obligatory precaution, causing thick dust to reach one’s throat invalidates a fast, whether the dust is of something lawful (ḥalāl) to eat, such as flour, or it is of something unlawful (ḥarām) to eat, such as soil. Causing dust that is not thick enough to reach the throat does not invalidate a fast.
The obligatory precaution is that a fasting person must not cause the smoke of cigarettes, tobacco, or something similar to reach his throat. If someone forgets that he is fasting and does not take due care, or if dust or something similar reaches his throat involuntarily, his fast does not become invalid.
Immersing the entire head in water does not invalidate the fast but is highly disapproved (makrūh).
6. Remaining in a State of Ritual Impurity:
If in the month of Ramadan, a junub[3] intentionally does not perform ghusl until the time of ṣubḥ prayers – or, if his duty is to perform dry ablution (tayammum) and he does not perform it – he must complete the fast of that day with the intention of mā fī al‑dhimmah[4], and he must also fast another day [after the month of Ramadan]. With regard to the fast on this additional day, as it is not known whether it is a fast of qaḍāʾ or punishment, he must keep it with the intention of mā fī al‑dhimmah, not with the intention of qaḍāʾ.
Whenever someone in the month of Ramadan wakes up after the time of ṣubḥ prayers and finds that he has had a wet dream, then, even if he knows he had a wet dream before the time of ṣubḥ prayers, his fast is valid.
If a woman’s ḥayḍ or nifās stops on a night of the month of Ramadan before the time of ṣubḥ prayers and she intentionally does not perform ghusl, or if her duty is to perform tayammum but she does not do so, she must complete the fast of that day and keep a qaḍāʾ fast for that day as well. Furthermore, with regard to a qaḍāʾ fast of the month of Ramadan, if she intentionally does not perform ghusl or tayammum before the time of ṣubḥ prayers, then based on obligatory precaution, she cannot fast on that day.
If a woman whose ḥayḍ[5] or nifās[6] stops on a night of the month of Ramadan intentionally does not perform ghusl until the time before ṣubḥ [Dawn] prayers becomes too short to perform ghusl, she must perform tayammum[7] and the fast of that day will be valid.
If a woman’s ḥayḍ or nifās stops after the time of ṣubḥ prayers, she cannot fast on that day. Furthermore, if she experiences ḥayḍ or nifās during the day while she is fasting, then even if it is near the time of maghrib prayers, her fast is invalid.
If a woman forgets to perform ghusl for ḥayḍ or nifās and remembers after a day or few days, the fasts that she kept are valid.
7. Applying liquid enema[8]:
Applying liquid enema – even if one is obliged to or for the purposes of treatment invalidates a fast.
8. Vomiting intentionally:
Whenever a fasting person intentionally vomits, his fast becomes invalid even if he vomited out of necessity or because of illness and suchlike. However, if he vomits unintentionally or involuntarily, there is no problem [and his fast remains valid].
If at night one eats something that he knows will cause him to vomit unintentionally during the day, his fast will be valid. If a fasting person feels sick and the cause of this is something natural, such that it could not commonly be said that he made himself feel sick, then even if he can restrain himself from vomiting, it is not necessary for him to do so and his fast will be valid.
If a person unintentionally swallows something and remembers that he is fasting before it reaches his stomach, and if it goes down to such an extent that were he to then make it enter his stomach it could not be called ‘eating’, it is not necessary for him to bring it out and his fast is valid.
If someone burps and something comes up in his throat or mouth, he must spit it out; and if he swallows it involuntarily, his fast is valid.
Footnotes:
[1] . Ghusl means a ritual bathing
[2] . Qaḍāʾ means making up a religious duty that was not performed in its prescribed time. Qada fast is the fast that need to be re-observed.
[3] . Junub someone in the state of janābah.
[4] . Mā fī al‑dhimmah intention to fulfil whatever one’s obligation happens to be with regard to a particular act.
[5] . Ḥayḍ menstruation; period.
[6] . Nifās lochia, i.e. blood discharge after childbirth.
[7] . Tayammum means dry ablution
[8] . The injection of water or other fluid into the large intestine by way of the rectum. [Author]
