Definition Of Fasting

Another one of the obligatory and yearly rituals of Islam that have the purpose of self-building is fasting. Fasting is the refraining, with the intention of obeying the orders of Allah, from doing some things, which shall be explained soon, since the Adhan of morning until the Adhan of sunset. To be familiar with the rulings of fasting, we shall first learn the kinds of fasting.

Kinds Of Fasting

• obligatory

• prohibited

• recommended

• Makruh

Obligatory Fasts

The following fasts are obligatory:

• Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan

• Qadha’ fasting

• Fasting of kaffarah1

• Fasting due to a vow

• Qadha’ fasting of one’s father2 that is obligatory on the eldest son3

Some Of The Prohibited Fasts

• Fasting on the day of Eid al-Fitr (the first of Shawwal)

• Fasting on the day of Eid al-Adha (the tenth of Dhul Hijja)

• A recommended fasting that a child performs when it annoys his parents

• A recommended fasting that a child performs when his father or mother orders him not to do (as an obligatory precaution)4

Recommended Fasts

It is recommended to fast on every day of the year except the days where fasting is prohibited or Makruh. Some days are more recommended than others. Some of these ones are mentioned below:

• Fasting on every Thursday and Friday

• Fasting on the anniversary when Prophet Muhammad (S) has been sent by Allah as a prophet (27 Rajab)

• Fasting on Eid al-Ghadir (18 Dhul Hijja)

• Fasting on the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet (S) (17 Rabi’ al-Awwal)

• Fasting on the day of Arafat (9 Dhul Hijja), if fasting does not hinder one from reciting the special supplications of that day

• Fasting the whole months of Rajab and Sha’ban

• Fasting on the Eid of Nowruz5

• Fasting on the 13th, 14th and 15th of every month6

Makruh Fasts

• A recommended fast that a guest performs without the permission of his host

• A recommended fast that a guest performs when his host orders him not to do

• A recommended fast that a child performs without the permission of his father

• Fasting on the Day of Ashura

• Fasting on the day of Arafa if it hinders one from reciting the special supplications of that day

• Fasting on the day where one does not know whether it is the day of Arafa or Eid al-Adha7

The Intention Of Fasting

Fasting is an act of worship that must be done with the intention of obeying the orders of Allah.8

One can, every night, determine the intention of fasting of the following day in the month of Ramadan, but it is better to determine the intention of fasting the whole month in the first night.9

The intention of a specified obligatory fasting cannot be delayed until after the Adhan of morning without an excuse.

If, in the specified obligatory fasting, one does not determine the intention of fasting because of an excuse, like forgetfulness or traveling, and does not do anything that invalidates the fasting, he can determine the intention until the noon.

It is not necessary to say the intention with the tongue, but it is sufficient as far as one does not do anything that may break the fasting from the Adhan of morning until the Adhan of sunset intending to obey the orders of Allah.

Acts That Invalidate Fasting

A fasting one must abstain from certain acts from the Adhan of morning until the Adhan of sunset. If he commits one of these acts, his fasting is void.

Here are the things that invalidate fasting:

• Eating and drinking

• Taking thick dust into one’s throat

• Putting one’s whole head under water

• Vomiting

• Sexual intercourse

• Masturbation

• Remaining in the state of janaba (major impurity) until the Adhan of morning

• Fabricating lies against Allah, the Prophet or the infallible Imams

• Injecting liquids into the body10

The Rulings Of Things That Invalidate Fasting

Eating And Drinking

If a fasting one intentionally eats or drinks something, his fasting becomes void.11

If a fasting one intentionally swallows something that has remained between his teeth, his fasting becomes void.12

Swallowing saliva does not break one’s fasting, even if it is a lot. 13

If a fasting one, out of forgetfulness (he forgets that he is fasting), eats or drinks something, his fasting is not void.14

One is not to break his fasting due to weakness, except if he is so weak that he cannot tolerate to remain fasting longer.15

Injection Of Ampoule

Injecting of ampoules, if it is not in the passage of eating (the mouth and the throat), does not break the fasting; even if it makes an organ insensitive.16

Taking Thick Dust Into One’s Throat

One’s fasting is void if he takes thick dust into his throat. There is no difference whether the dust is edible (flour) or non-edible (dirt).

In the following cases fasting is not invalidated:

• When the dust is not thick

• When the dust does not reach the throat (it gets into the mouth only)

• When it goes into one’s throat unwillingly

• When one does not know that he is fasting

• When one doubts whether thick dust has reached his throat or not17

Putting One’s Head Completely Under Water

If a fasting one intentionally puts his whole head under water, his fasting will be void.

In the following cases one’s fasting will not be void:

• When one forgetfully puts his head under water.

• When one puts a part of his head under water.

• When one puts one half of his head under water at one time and the other half at another time.

• When one accidentally falls into water.

• When another person puts one’s head under water by force.

• When one doubts whether his whole head went under water or not.18

Vomiting Intentionally

Whenever a fasting one intentionally vomits, his fasting becomes invalid, even if it is due to sickness.19

If a fasting one forgets that he is fasting or he vomits unintentionally, his fasting does not become invalid.20

Masturbation

If a fasting one masturbates or does something that makes semen come out of him, his fasting becomes invalid.21

If semen unintentionally comes out of a fasting one, as when semen is released while one is sleeping, his fasting does not become void.22

Remaining In Janaba Until The Morning Adhan

If a junub one does not perform ghusl or tayammum (when he is to perform tayammum) until the Adhan of morning, his fasting becomes void in some cases. Here are some of them:

If one intentionally does not perform ghusl or tayammum until the Adhan of morning:

• In the month of Ramadan, his fasting will be void.

• In qadha’ fasting of Ramadan, his fasting will be void.

• In any other fasting, his fasting will be valid.

• If one forgets to perform ghusl or tayammum and then after one or some days he remembers:

• If it is in the month of Ramadan, he must perform fasting again (as qadha’).

• If it is in the qadha’ fasting of Ramadan, as an obligatory precaution he must perform this fasting again.

• If it is in the fasting other than the ada’ or qadha’ fasting of Ramadan, such as a fasting of kaffarah, his fasting will be valid.

• If, while fasting has a wet dream, it is not obligatory to perform a ghusl immediately. His fasting is valid.23

• One should not go to sleep when he is junub in a night of Ramadan if he knows that he will not wake up and perform a ghusl before the Adhan of morning. If he sleeps and does not wake up, his fasting will be void.

Acts That Are Makruh For A Fasting One

• Doing anything that weakens one’s body, such as giving blood

• To smell flowers of sweet scents (it is not Makruh to use a perfume)

• Wetting one’s clothes that he is wearing

• Brushing one’s teeth with a wet stick24

Qadha’ Fasting And Fasting Of Kaffarah

Qadha’ Fasting

When someone does not perform (ada’) fasting at its time, he must perform it as qadha’ later on. The fasting that is performed after its time is called “qadha’ fasting”.

Fasting Of Kaffarah

Kaffarah is the punishment (expiation) that has been determined for the breaking of fasting. The expiations are as follows (by order):

• Freeing a slave

• Fasting of two successive months where one must fast thirty - one days successively with no break

• Feeding sixty poor persons to be satiate or giving each one of them a mudd (750 grams) of food

When kaffarah is obligatory on someone, he must do one of these three things.

Because nowadays there are no slaves (in the in the jurisprudential meaning), one must carry out the second or the third condition. If one is not able to do any of them, he must feed a poor person as possible as he can, and if he cannot give food at all, he must ask Allah for forgiveness.

In the following cases one must perform qadha’ fasting but with no kaffarah

• When one intentionally vomits

• When one forgets to perform ghusl of janaba in Ramadan and he fasts, while being in the state of janaba, for one or some days

• When one, without checking whether it is morning or not, does something that invalidates fasting in Ramadan, such as drinking some water and then it is known that it is morning

• When someone tells a fasting one that morning has not come yet, and due to that he does something that invalidates fasting and later on it is known that morning has come

If one intentionally does not fast during Ramadan or intentionally breaks his fasting, both of qadha’ fasting and kaffarah will be obligatory on him.

Rulings Of Fasting Of Qadha’ And Kaffarah

It is not necessary to perform the qadha’ fasting immediately, but as an obligatory precaution it should be performed before the next Ramadan.25

If one has qadha’ fasting of some months of Ramadan, it doesn’t matter which one he performs first.

If the time until the next Ramadan is little, and one has to perform qadha’ fasting from the previous Ramadan. For example, when there are ten days left until the month of Ramadan and one has ten days of qadha’ fasting from the previous Ramadan that he has to perform, in this case he must perform the ten days of the previous Ramadan.26

One must not be indifferent to performing the fasting of kaffarah, but it is not obligatory to perform it immediately.

If the fasting of kaffarah is obligatory on someone and he does not perform it for some years, nothing will be added to it.

If one, because of an excuse like traveling, does not fast in Ramadan and he intentionally does not perform the qadha’ fasting until when the next Ramadan comes, he must give a mudd (750 grams) of a food to a poor person in addition to the performing of the qadha’ fasting he has missed.27

If one invalidates his fasting with a prohibited action, such as masturbation, as an obligatory precaution he must carry out all the conditions of kaffarah; that he must free a slave, fast for two months and feed sixty poor persons. If the performing of all these three expiations is not possible for him, he must do whatever he is able to do.28

If one is not able to fast because of sickness that lasts until the next Ramadan, the qadha’ fasting will be not required from him, but he must give a mudd of a food to a poor person for each day.

In the following cases neither the fasting of qadha’ nor of kaffarah are obligatory:

• The fasting that has not been performed before one becomes of age29

• The fasting during the time of disbelief for new Muslims; that if an unbeliever becomes a Muslims, the missed fasting of the previous years is not obligatory on him.

• One, who is not able to fast due to old age and after Ramadan, too, cannot perform the qadha’ fasting, fasting is not obligatory on him. If fasting is possible for him but with much difficulty, he must give (but not fast) a mudd of food to a poor person for each day.30

Qadha’ Fasting Of One’s Father And Mother

After the death of one’s father,31 the eldest son must perform the prayers and fasting that have been missed by his father. As a recommended precaution, he must perform the missed fasting and prayers of his mother as well.32

Fasting In Travel

A Traveller, who offers Qasr (two rak’as) prayers in place of full (four rak’as) prayers, must not fast while traveling. He must perform qadha’ fasting for what he has missed. A Traveller, who offers full prayers as one whose work is in traveling, must fast during his traveling too.33

The Rulings Of Fasting In Travel

When Going On Travel

If one leaves before noon and reaches the limit of the legal distance (where one has to offer Qasr prayer and break his fasting), his fasting becomes void. If he breaks his fasting before this distance, as an obligatory precaution, he must give kaffarah as well.

If he leaves after noon, his fasting is valid and must not break it due to traveling.

When Coming Back From Travel

If he arrives in his hometown or the place where he intends to stay for ten days or more before noon,

if he has not done anything that invalidated his fasting, he must keep on fasting which will be valid.

If he has broken his fasting which was not obligatory on him on that day, he must perform qadha’ fasting for that day.

If he arrives after noon, his fasting is invalid, and he must fast to replace that day later on.34

Note

There is no problem to travel in Ramadan, but it is Makruh when one travels in order to escape fasting.35

Zakat Al-Fitra

When the month of Ramadan ends, on the day of Eid al-Fitr one must give some of his money to the poor. This is called Zakat al-Fitra.

The Amount Of Zakat Al-Fitra

One must give about three kilos of food (to the poor) for himself and for each member of his family who he is responsible for, such as his wife and children.36

Things Given As Zakat Al-Fitra

The things that are given as zakat of al-Fitra are wheat, barley, dates, raisins, rice, corn and the like. It is sufficient to give the value of one of these things in money.37

Questions

(1) What are the rulings of fasting on the following days: (1) the tenth of Muharram, (2) the tenth of Dhul Hijja, (3) the first day of the Iranian year, (4) the first day of Shawwal.

(2) Can one make an intention for fasting if he wakes up after the Morning Adhan?

(3) What ruling is there on brushing one’s teeth while fasting?

(4) What should one do if he is drinking water and remembers that he is fasting? What ruling is there about his fasting?

(5) Under which acts that invalidates fasting smoking cigarettes is?

(6) What ruling is there in swimming whilst fasting?

(7) What are the differences between the fasting of kaffarah and the fasting of qadha’?

(8) What ruling is there in recommended fasting if a fasting one does not perform the obligatory ghusl until after the Morning Adhan?

(9) What is one’s duty if he wakes up from his sleep and sees that there is no enough time to perform the ghusl of janaba before the Morning Adhan?

(10) What ruling is there in using perfume while fasting?

(11) What is one’s duty concerning the fasting of qadha’ and kaffarah if he eats his Sahoor38 mistakenly depending on his incorrect watch and then he realizes that he has eaten the food breakfast after the Adhan of morning?

(12) When is one to perform the qadha’ fasting of Ramadan?

(13) When is one to perform the fasting of kaffarah?

(14) What does one have to do when he does not perform the qadha’ fasting he has missed from the previous Ramadan until when the next Ramadan comes?

(15) What should an old person do if he cannot fast?

(16) Who should perform the father’s missed prayers and fasting when the eldest son dies?

(17) Who must fast during traveling?

• 1. Kaffarah is expiation that will be explained at the end of this chapter.
• 2. Ayatollah Khamene’i: or the mother’s.
• 3. Al-Urwat ul-Wuthqa vol. 2 p. 24, Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1390.
• 4. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1739-1742.
• 5. Nowruz (the new day) is the first day of the year in the Iranian calendar, which is the first day of spring.
• 6. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1748.
• 7. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1747.
• 8. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1550.
• 9. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1550.
• 10. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1572.
• 11. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1573.
• 12. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1574.
• 13. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1579.
• 14. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1575.
• 15. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1583.
• 16. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1576.
• 17. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1608-1618, Tahrir al-Wasa’il, vol. 1 p. 286.
• 18. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1609,1615, 1910-1911, Al-Urwat ul-Wuthqa, vol. 2 p. 187, rule 48.
• 19. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1646.
• 20. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1646.
• 21. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1588.
• 22. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1589.
• 23. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1632.
• 24. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1657.
• 25. Al-Urwat ul-Wuthqa vol. 2 p. 233, rule 18, Tahrir al-Wasila, vol. 1 p. 297, rule 4.
• 26. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1698.
• 27. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1705.
• 28. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1665.
• 29. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1694.
• 30. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1725-1726.
• 31. Ayatollah Khamene’i: and mother.
• 32. Tawdih al-Masa’il, vol. 1 p. 227, rule 16, Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1712, 1390.
• 33. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1714.
• 34. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1714, 1721-1723.
• 35. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1715.
• 36. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1991.
• 37. Tawdih al-Masa’il, rule 1991.
• 38. A meal eaten before the dawn by fasting people in Ramadan.