Fasting holds a special status. It transforms one’s routine, meals, daily habits, and private conduct into a focused spiritual practice. Yet many wonder about actions that break the fast. Over time, new medical and technological developments have raised questions about procedures that did not exist in earlier centuries. Below is a thorough exploration of classical and contemporary nullifiers of fasting, drawn from Qur’anic foundations, Prophetic narrations, and scholarly clarifications.
Foundational Principles
The Qur’an highlights three primary nullifiers:
- Eating
- Drinking
- Sexual Intercourse
These appear in Surah al-Baqarah 2:187:
وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ
And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]. Then complete the fast until sunset.
And also in the same verse:
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ
It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations].
From these verses, scholars derive that food, drink, and intimate relations are core acts to avoid from dawn until sunset. Anything matching those categories, in effect, being nourishment or deliberate sexual fulfilment, nullifies the fast.
From these verses, scholars derive that food, drink, and intimate relations are core acts to avoid from dawn until sunset. Anything matching those categories, in effect, being nourishment or deliberate sexual fulfilment, nullifies the fast.
Extended Classical Nullifiers
1. Emission of Semen
If done intentionally, it invalidates the fast. A Hadith Qudsi recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari states:
يَتْرُكُ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ وَشَهْوَتَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي
He has left his food, drink, and desires for My sake. [Sahih al-Bukhari: 1894]
“His desire” includes intercourse or other acts causing emission. Scholars clarify scenarios:
Invalidates the Fast if:
- Emission occurs through direct physical contact until climax.
- Emission results from masturbation.
- Emission follows deliberate, repeated looking until arousal.
Does Not Invalidate the Fast if:
- Nocturnal emission while sleeping occurs.
- Mere thoughts lead to involuntary emission.
- An accidental glance results in emission without repeated intent.
2. Menstrual Blood and Postpartum Bleeding
Scholars unanimously agree that a woman’s fast becomes invalid upon the onset of menstrual blood or postpartum bleeding. In a Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet ﷺ referred to how a woman refrains from fasting and prayer when experiencing menstrual bleeding. Our mother Aishah said:
كَانَ يُصِيبُنَا ذَلِكَ فَنُؤْمَرُ بِقَضَاءِ الصَّوْمِ وَلاَ نُؤْمَرُ بِقَضَاءِ الصَّلاَةِ.
We passed through this (period of menstruation), and we were ordered to complete the fasts, but were not ordered to complete the prayers. [Sahih Muslim 335c]
Since she mentioned making up fasts but not prayers, this indicates that menstruation and postpartum bleeding nullify fasting.
3. Induced Vomiting
If one deliberately causes vomiting, it breaks the fast. The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ ذَرَعَهُ قَىْءٌ وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ قَضَاءٌ وَإِنِ اسْتَقَاءَ فَلْيَقْضِ
If one has a sudden attack of vomiting while one is fasting, no atonement is required of him, but if he vomits intentionally, he must make atonement. [Sunan Abi Dawud 2380]
4. Cupping
Cupping is a nullifier according to the Hanbali Madhhab, because significant blood loss can weaken the body, resembling nourishment depletion. The Prophet ﷺ said:
أَفْطَرَ الْحَاجِمُ وَالْمَحْجُومُ
A man who cups and a man who gets himself cupped break their fast. [Sunan Abu Dawud: 2371]
However, this is for wet cupping that leads to weakness; dry cupping doesn’t break the fast, for it doesn’t extract any blood from the fasting person to lead to weakness.
Conditions for a Deed to Break the Fast
For a nullifier to actually invalidate one’s fast, these conditions typically apply:
- Knowledge: The individual must know that the action violates fasting. Genuine ignorance, whether about the rule or the time, does not break the fast.
- Remembrance: Forgetfulness excuses the person. If someone forgets and eats, the fast remains valid.
- Intent: A deliberate choice to engage in a nullifying act breaks the fast. If it happens accidentally or the person is forced, it would not count against the fast.
Contemporary Considerations
With modern advancements, new questions arise. Many revolve around whether a substance enters the stomach or acts like food or drink. Others focus on medical routes not mentioned explicitly by earlier scholars. Below are several examples:
1. Nutritional vs. Non-Nutritional Injections
- Nutritional Injections
IV drips providing nourishment (e.g., glucose) break the fast, as they function like food or drink.
- Non-Nutritional
Insulin for diabetes, or other medications, do not invalidate the fast if they do not supply nutrients.
2. Dialysis
When blood is extracted, cleaned, and returned with added substances (sugars), the fast becomes invalid because the returning fluid nourishes the body. This scenario contrasts with drawing a small sample for testing, which does not nullify the fast.
3. Catheters and Related Procedures
Cardiac catheterisation to clear arterial blockages does not provide nutritional substance to the stomach, so it does not break the fast. The same principle applies to certain scopes or cleansing techniques used on blood vessels. The key factor remains whether the procedure introduces anything akin to food or drink into the digestive tract.
4. Rectal Suppositories
- Solid Suppositories: If they do not act as nourishment, they do not break the fast.
- Liquid Suppositories: These likely nullifies the fast.
5. Vaginal or Urethral Treatments
According to anatomical findings, the urinary tract and the digestive system do not connect. Thus, inserting diagnostic tools, medicinal lotions, or devices (like an IUD) in the uterus or the male urinary tract does not invalidate the fast. This includes vaginal suppositories.
6. Oral Hygiene
- Siwak: Permissible to use while fasting if nothing is swallowed.
- Toothpaste and Flavoured Products: If a noticeable amount is swallowed, it can invalidate the fast. Some suggest brushing before Fajr or after Maghrib to avoid risk.
- Dental Treatments: Procedures like filling, drilling, or extracting teeth do not break the fast if one avoids swallowing medication or blood. The mouth is generally considered external. However, deliberately swallowing any substance invalidates the fast.
7. Anaesthesia
Being put under sedation without introducing nourishment does not invalidate the fast. If the anaesthetic is purely for numbing or sleep, the fast remains intact. However, if nutritional substances are administered through IV to keep the body sustained, that would nullify the fast. And, if it is a general anaesthetic that causes unconsciousness that lasts all day, the fast has to be made up.
8. Smoking
Smoking is considered to break the fast, as this reaches the stomach, thus breaking the fast.
9. Artificial Insemination
- For Men: Providing a sperm sample by masturbation is a deliberate act that breaks the fast.
- For Women: Receiving a fertilised egg or undergoing procedures in the uterus does not break the fast because it does not introduce food or drink to the digestive system.
Additional Notes and Points
- Endoscopy of the Stomach: If a scope is inserted without introducing lubricants or medicines, it does not break the fast. But if they are put on it, like oil, so it passes down, it will break the fast.
- Transfusion or Injection of Blood: Introducing blood into the body through a transfusion is considered a nullifier, akin to nourishment.
- Minor Blood Tests: Drawing small samples of blood for testing does not invalidate fasting, as it resembles neither eating nor drinking and does not weaken the body the way significant blood withdrawal might.
Aligning Actions with the Purpose of Fasting
The Prophet ﷺ taught that on the Day of Judgement, a person will be asked about how life was utilised. One narration mentions:
لاَ تَزُولُ قَدَمَا عَبْدٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يُسْأَلَ عَنْ عُمْرِهِ فِيمَا أَفْنَاهُ
The feet of the slave of Allah shall not move until he is asked about his life and what he did with it… [Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2417]
This includes being asked about one’s lifespan and how it was spent. When believers protect their fast from nullifiers, they reinforce sincerity and obedience. Whether encountering new medical treatments or everyday missteps, knowledge helps keep the fast intact.
A life anchored in obedience, especially during Ramadan, becomes a source of blessings. Fasting trains discipline, sincerity, and awareness of Allah’s commands. When uncertain, one may consult specialists in both medical and religious fields, ensuring that treatments align with fasting principles.
Practical Reminders
- Verify the Type of Injection: If it provides energy or functions as nutrition, it breaks the fast. If it merely relieves pain or balances hormones (like insulin), it does not.
- Distinguish Between Large and Small Blood Draws: A small sample for testing usually does not break the fast, while a larger procedure, akin to cupping, might.
- Avoid Swallowing Residue: Toothpaste, or blood from dental work, if swallowed, can affect the fast.
- Remember the Three Conditions: Knowledge, remembrance, and intent determine whether an action invalidates the fast.
Reference Table
Conclusion
Fasting is an act of worship that remains vibrant across centuries, even as life changes and medicine advances. By returning to the Qur’anic basis and applying its principles to modern contexts, intravenous feeding, dialysis, endoscopic procedures, artificial insemination, and beyond, one navigates these contemporary questions with clarity. Primary emphasis rests on whether an action equates to eating, drinking, or direct satisfaction of carnal desire. Meanwhile, rightful intentions, mindful knowledge, and the state of remembering one’s fast ensure that one’s worship remains valid.
Through careful adherence, each day of Ramadan strengthens devotion, focusing the heart on what truly matters.
Safeguarding the fast is part of that accountability. By aligning every action with Allah’s guidance, the fast becomes a profound exercise in faith and discipline, a path that brings tranquillity to the heart and closeness to the Creator.
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