Fasting
Rulings on sawm outside of Ramadan — makeup days, voluntary fasts, and what breaks a fast.

1 What is the Islamic definition of fasting? 2 What are the pillars of fasting? 3 What is the duration of the fast? 4 What is the ruling on fasting the month of Ramadan? 5 What are the different types of fasting? 6 What are the eight types of fasts according to Imam Hanafi? 7 Are there days that are haram to fast other than Eid days? 8 Is there fasting that is disliked? 9 What is voluntary (nafl) fasting? 10 What are the days of voluntary fasting? 11 Is it permissible to start a voluntary fast and then break it without an excuse? 12 When is fasting obligatory? 13 What is the methodology in confirming the sighting of the Ramadan moon? 14 What is the methodology in confirming the sighting of the Ramadan moon according to Imam Hanafi? 15 What is the methodology in confirming the sighting of the Ramadan moon according to Imam Hanbali? 16 What should a Muslim say at the sighting of the new moon (of the lunar month)? 17 When should fasting commence if there is a difference in the horizon in one place versus another? 18 What is the evidence for one who takes the opinion of fasting according to the horizon in one's region? 19 What is the evidence for those who take the opinion of unifying the commencement of fasting and just using one horizon as reference? 20 What are the prerequisites of fasting? 21 What are the conditions of fasting due to Hanafi? 22 What are the conditions of the fast according to Maaliki? 23 What are the conditions of fasting according to Shafi’i? 24 What are the conditions of fasting according to Hanbali? 25 Which conditions of fasting have all the scholars agreed upon? 26 Is purification from janabah required to start the fast? 27 Is intention required for every day in the month of Ramadan? 28 What are sunnah acts of fasting? 29 Is it permissible to fast without suhoor? 30 Is it permissible to delay iftar slightly just to be on the safe side? 31 Is it permissible to supplicate with duaa other than the authentic duaa from the Sunnah if one has not memorized the authentic duaa? 32 Is the reward for feeding those who are fasting specific to the poor, or is it general and inclusive to family and friends? 33 Would quarrelling or using obscene language during fasting invalidate one’s fast? 34 If one is in a state of janabah and does not perform ghusl before fajr time has entered, is his/her fasting valid? 35 If the fasting of one who enters the day’s fast in a state of janabah is valid, how is the following hadith explained and does it pose a difference of opinion in the matter? 36 Is it permissible for a husband to kiss his wife while fasting? And is foreplay permissible between spouses while fasting? 37 If a husband fondles his wife and ejaculates semen/mani as a result, but she doesn't release any discharge, would that break her fast? 38 What is the expiation if one or both spouses discharge mani as a result of sexual arousal? 39 Would a man’s fast be broken if he kisses his wife and her saliva mixes with his? 40 What is the expiation for spouses who have intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan due to desire that stemmed from both of them? 41 Is expiation based on the order stated in the above hadith of the Prophet pbuh to the companion? 42 Is the requirement of expiation due to intercourse in Ramadan lifted for whomever is unable to offer it? 43 Is expiation for having sexual intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan required for the husband and wife, or is it only required for the husband? 44 What is the expiation for a wife whose husband has intercourse with her without her consent? 45 What is the ruling on a woman's fast if her husband forced her into intercourse during the day in Ramadan? 46 What is the ruling for a man who has intercourse with his wife during the daytime in Ramadan out of forgetfulness? 47 What is the ruling for one who repeats intercourse in Ramadan? 48 Does the expiation for intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan have to be offered immediately, or can one take his time in offering it? 49 In the case of expiation due to intercourse by means of feeding, is it required to feed sixty poor Muslim people or would it suffice to only feed one? 50 Is it required to feed the 60 poor Muslim people at the same time? 51 What is the ruling for spouses who have intercourse during the day in Ramadan while traveling? 52 What is the ruling for one who has anal intercourse with his wife during the daytime in Ramadan? 53 If a man or woman breaks his/her fast in Ramadan due to a valid excuse - such as travel, illness, or menstruation, and later, outside of Ramadan… 54 What are recommended acts while fasting? 55 Are the acts of excelling in family relations, maintaining good ties of kinship, increasing Qur’an recitation, and increasing charity to the poor, more preferred in Ramadan? 56 Which is better in Ramadan: focusing on worship or seeking knowledge? 57 What is the virtue of i’tikaf in the month of Ramadan? 58 What is meant by wisal (connected fasting) and what is its ruling? 59 Is it permissible for a husband to kiss his wife while fasting and is it permissible for spouses to have foreplay while fasting? 60 Does cupping invalidate fasting? 61 Is it permissible to chew sugar-free/flavorless gum? 62 Is it permissible to intentionally gather one's saliva and swallow it to alleviate a dry mouth sensation for the fasting person? 63 What are legitimate reasons that allow someone to break an obligatory fast? 64 What is the evidence that travel is a legitimate reason that allows a person to break his/her fast during Ramadan or an obligatory fast? 65 What is the definition of travel? 66 Can a fast be broken by a traveling person who started traveling after fajr and during fasting hours? 67 Is it permissible for frequent travelers to break their fast? 68 Is a person obligated to break their fast if they go on travel? 69 What about the people who never break their Ramadan fasts despite having hardships? Would their fasts be invalidated? 70 What if the above case was for non-Ramadan fasts, such as fasting on Mondays and Thursdays and the six days of the month of Shawwal? 71 When is he allowed to start breaking his fast? 72 Once the man gets to his destination at the hotel in Georgia, is he allowed to continue breaking the fast? 73 What if he knows ahead of time that the trip will last more than 4 days? 74 What if he does not know ahead of time how long the trip will last? Can he break his fast the entire length of time? 75 Is the majority opinion strong enough to adopt pertaining to length of time allowable as a concession to a traveler? 76 The traveler arrives back home in Raleigh at 10am. Can he continue not fasting? 77 If a person travels to another area with the intention of staying a very prolonged time… 78 What if the student travels back and forth during that time period from Raleigh to his home country? 79 How would a traveler make up the missed fasting days of Ramadan? 80 What if a traveler had a legitimate reason for not being able to make up missed fasts before the next Ramadan? 81 What if a traveler has no legitimate reason for not being able to make up missed fasts before the next Ramadan, such as due to laziness and procrastination? 82 Scenario: a traveler misses 5 days of fasting in Ramadan and dies 3 months later without making the days up. What should be done? 83 What is the definition of a sickness which allows a person to break their fast? 84 Is an intention needed to break the fast on the initial start of the sickness? 85 Is a daily intention needed to not fast the subsequent days of the sickness? 86 Does a person with a chronic illness need to attempt to fast? 87 Does a person who does not fast due to a chronic illness need to pay a kaffara? 88 Does the fidya need to be paid day by day or as a lump sum? and when? 89 Does an elder automatically fall under the sick category? 90 When is an elder exempt from fasting? 91 What does an elder need to do if they can't fast? 92 What is Ikrah? 93 What should they do in this situation? 94 What is the ruling for a person who works at a physically demanding job, such as construction, which can result in extreme exhaustion and dehydration? 95 What is the ruling for those fighting for the sake of Allah? 96 What are the general rulings on the permissibility of a pregnant or nursing mother to break the fast? 97 Are pregnant and nursing mothers allowed to not fast without making a prior attempt to fast? 98 What is the ruling for pregnant women who are advised not to fast by their Muslim doctors due to the nature of the pregnancy and its possible affect on the baby? 99 What are the general rulings in the make up of the missed fasts? 100 Are pregnant and nursing women able to break the fast? What is the evidence? 101 When is a pregnant or nursing woman eligible to break the fast? 102 How does a pregnant or nursing woman determine if her own health will be compromised? Does she have to make an attempt to fast? 103 How does a pregnant or nursing woman determine that the fast might harm her baby? 104 What is the ruling on how a pregnant or nursing woman can make up for the missed fasts if the days were missed on account of her own health? 105 What is the ruling on how a pregnant or nursing woman can make up for the missed fasts if the days were missed on account of fear of harm to her baby? 106 a)What is one opinion and what is the evidence? 107 b)What is a second opinion and what is the evidence? 108 c)What is a third opinion and what is the evidence? 109 d)What is a fourth opinion and what is the evidence? 110 e)What is a fifth opinion and what is the evidence? 111 What is the detailed analysis of the first opinion that states that a pregnant or nursing woman only has to make up the missed days? 112 What is the detailed analysis of the second opinion which states that a pregnant or nursing woman only needs to pay the fidya of feeding one needy Muslim person per missed day? 113 What is the detailed analysis of the third opinion which states that a pregnant or nursing woman needs to make up the missed days and pay the fidya? 114 What is the detailed analysis of the fourth opinion which states that the pregnant or nursing woman does not need to make up the days and nor does she need to pay a fidya? 115 What is the detailed analysis of the fifth opinion which states that the pregnant woman needs to only make up the missed days and the nursing woman needs to make up the days and pay a fidya? 116 Which opinion is best to follow? 117 If a woman has more than one month of missed fasts due to consecutive pregnancy and can not fast the missed days, what should she do? 118 If a woman has already paid the fidya on previous fasts without making up the days and she is now able to fast, what does she need to do? 119 If a woman wants to be safe from the difference of opinion of the scholars, which is the most cautious opinion she should take? 120 What are the matters that invalidate the fast? 121 Which matters that invalidate the fast are specifically mentioned in the Qur’an? 122 Which matters that invalidate the fast are specifically mentioned in hadith? 123 Which is the most serious invalidator of a fast and requires an expiation? 124 Is discharge during intercourse a requirement for a fast to be invalidated? 125 Is there an expiation required for any other invalidator of a fast? 126 What is a second invalidator of the fast and what is the evidence for it? 127 What is a third invalidator of the fast and what is the evidence for it? 128 What is a fourth invalidator of the fast and what is the evidence for it? 129 What about vaccines? 130 Is it agreed upon by the scholars that food and drink substitutes, such as in the form of blood transfusions and drip nourishment, invalidate the fast? 131 What is a fifth invalidator of the fast and what is the evidence for it? 132 What is a sixth invalidator of the fast and what is the evidence for it? 133 What about blood tests and blood donations? 134 Is it agreed upon by the scholars that cupping invalidates the fast? 135 What is a seventh invalidator of the fast and what is the evidence for it? 136 What is an eighth invalidator of the fast and what is the evidence for it? 137 Is this agreed upon by all the scholars? 138 What about the timing of the start and end of the cycle? 139 Is it permissible for a woman to take pills to prevent her menstrual cycle from appearing during Ramadan? 140 What are the conditions that need to be met in order for a fast to be invalid? 141 Which matters do not invalidate a fast? 142 What is the ruling if a fasting person eats, drinks, or has sexual relations with their spouse out of forgetfulness? 143 What is the difference between a wrong action of a fasting person that is done out of forgetfulness versus someone who does a wrong action by mistake? 144 What is the ruling if a man wakes up after fajr time and finds out he had a wet dream or who unintentionally has a wet dream during the day in Ramadan? 145 What is the ruling if a man gets sexually stimulated through no action on his own (he did not touch any body part… 146 What is the ruling if a fasting person needed to soften their miswak with water before using it and some of the water got mixed with the saliva and was swallowed? 147 What is the ruling if a person does wudhu outside of the prayer time with the intention of refreshing his/her dry mouth? 148 What is the ruling of taking multiple showers (or swimming) while fasting in order to rejuvenate a dehydrated body due to fasting in excessive heat while working? 149 What is the ruling if someone breathes in dust, dirt, or pollen from the air? 150 What is the ruling if a person with sinus issues has mucus build up and they feel that they are swallowing that mucus? 151 What is the ruling if a person unintentionally vomits and then some of that vomit gets unintentionally swallowed? What if a person with acid reflux swallows back the acid? 152 What is the ruling if a person breathes in a very strong smell, whether it's a nice scent such as a perfume or an unpleasant smell such as chemicals or tar from the paving of a road? 153 What is the ruling if a person starts fasting while in doubt of the fajr time or breaks their fast while in doubt of the maghreb time because they are in an area where they cannot verify the time? 154 What is the kaffara for someone who breaks the fast without a legitimate reason? 155 If a person is eating and drinking at suhoor and hears the adthan, does the person have to stop eating at that moment or is it permissible to continue eating for the entirety of the adthan? 156 What if a person has food in their mouth once the time of fajr comes in? 157 If a couple who had sexual intercourse during the day in Ramadan are in the process of fasting the penalty of 60 consecutive days… 158 What is the ruling for a person who was in the process of fasting the 60 consecutive days and dies before completing the time period? 159 What is the ruling for a person who engages in sexual intercourse during the day of Ramadan while totally ignorant of the prohibition of this act while fasting? 160 What is the ruling for a person who engages in sexual intercourse during the day of Ramadan while aware that it is prohibited, but unaware as to the severity of the consequences? 161 What is the ruling for a couple who engages in sexual intercourse during Ramadan while the husband has a legitimate reason for not fasting due to having arrived back… 162 What is the ruling for a fasting person who had the intention to break the fast during the day for an illegitimate reason, but upon reflection ended up continuing the fast? 163 What is the ruling for a couple who are undergoing fertility treatment during the month of Ramadan and the wife has to submit a culture and the man has to submit a sperm sample? 164 What is the ruling for a person who is fasting while being ignorant of a basic invalidator of the fast, such as the impermissibility of drinking liquids? 165 What is the ruling for a person who had chapstick, or a similar substance, on their lips and despite being careful not to lick their lips, unintentionally tasted the flavor of the chapstick? 166 What is the ruling for a person who has asthma and needs to utilize an inhaler while fasting? 167 What is the ruling for using a suppository (type of medication that is administered through the rectum) while fasting? 168 What is the fidya amount that needs to be paid by a person who generally is able to fast, but a legitimate chronic reason prevents them from doing so now and anytime in the future? 169 Does the fidya amount need to be paid in food or cash? 170 Can the fidya be given to both Muslims and non Muslims? 171 Is the blood that results from a miscarriage considered to be the same as the nifaas blood after childbirth? 172 What is the ruling if blood, accompanied by feelings of pressure and early contractions, is discharged in the days right before delivery? 173 What is the ruling if nifaas blood after childbirth discontinues way before the typical 40 day postpartum period ends? 174 What is the evidence as to why a menstruating woman needs to make up for her missed fasts but not for her prayers? 175 What is i’tikaf? 176 What is the purpose for the i’tikaf? 177 Is i’tikaf a sunnah or an obligatory act of worship? 178 Can i’tikaf be done in any location, such as the home, a workplace, a hotel room, etc.? 179 Can i’tikaf be done in any masjid? 180 When would our Prophet pbuh begin his i’tikaf during Ramadan? 181 When would our Prophet pbuh end his i’tikaf? 182 What are the pillars and conditions of doing an i’tikaf? 183 Must a person complete the full ten nights of i’tikaf to get the reward? 184 What is the minimum time a person can spend in seclusion for it to be considered an i’tikaf? 185 Does i’tikaf only pertain to Ramadan? 186 What are actions that invalidate an i’tikaf? 187 What are examples of emergencies where a person in i’tikaf can leave the masjid temporarily and then return to the masjid to complete the i’tikaf? 188 If the person had to leave the masjid for a necessity does he have to renew the intention when resuming the i’tikaf? 189 Can a person leave the masjid to take a shower at home to get rid of the sweat and to change clothes? 190 Does i’tikaf only pertain to a person who is fasting? 191 If a father has family obligations, can he still perform i’tikaf? 192 Is it permissible for the wife or children to visit their dad while he is in his i’tikaf? 193 Is it obligatory to make up the i’tikaf if someone broke it during the ten nights? 194 Is it allowed to take insulin while fasting? 195 Should a diabetic person fast? 196 How do we end fasting the month of Ramadan if we start the fast in one place and end the fast in a different place? 197 Is the Duaa' accepted during fasting? 198 What is the ruling on using non-nutritive antibiotic eye drops and contact lenses solution (antibacterial and cleansing) while fasting? 199 Does having a blood test taken have any effect on the fast? 200 Does blood donation break your fast? 201 Is it permissible Islamically for a person to break his fast because his work schedule is difficult? 202 What is Fidya of not being able to fast? 203 Who needs to pay Fidya? 204 How much is the fidya for a person who cannot fast? 205 What if the medical condition is not chronic and not lasting? 206 What do I do if I am pregnant and/or nursing and cannot fast? 207 Do I make up the missed fast days, pay fidya, or both? 208 Is it Islamically permissible to use perfumes while fasting in Ramadan? 209 If someone forgets to turn off the humidifier on a CPAP machine while fasting, does that invalidate the fast? 210 Is having medical contition of GERD a valid reason not to fast? 211 At what time should I break the fast? 212 Do Nicotine Patches used to help quit smoking break the fast during Ramadan? 213 Sometimes when I wake up, I am unsure whether I experienced a wet dream, so I gently squeeze my private part to check for discharge. I do not intend sexual pleasure… 214 If I did not make up my missed fasts from the previous Ramadan, and the delay was not due to illness or a valid excuse… 215 I did not fast this Ramadan because I was breastfeeding and only 3 weeks postpartum when Ramadan began. What is required of me now—do I only make up the fasts, or do I also have to pay fidyah?