Things that Break your Fast in Ramadan: Ramadan is the holy month in which Muslims not only abstain from eating and drinking during fasting but also abstain from doing unethical and pleasure-seeking things, some of these things that break your fast in Ramadan. And thus, we prevent them at all costs.

Muslim men and women fast during the daytime during this time. Muslims prioritize praying, reading the Quran, and charitable giving during this period as they concentrate on their religion.

Each day, the fast is broken with an iftar meal, and then the next meal, the fajr, is eaten just before dawn. There are a number of additional factors, though, that can end the fast.

Things that Break your Fast in Ramadan:

Here are the Things that Break your Fast in Ramadan if not taken care of, intentionally or unintentionally:

1) Eating Food: Any type of food, whether solid or liquid, that enters the body through the mouth is considered to break the fast. This includes items like bread, rice, fruits, vegetables, meat, soup, or any other food that provides nourishment.

2) Drinking: Any drink that enters the body through the mouth, including water, coffee, tea, juice, or any other beverage, is considered to break the fast.

3) Taking in water while showering, swimming, or brushing your teeth

During a fast, no liquids of any kind may be consumed. This includes drinking water while taking a shower, swimming, or brushing your teeth. Yet drinking water only counts as breaking the fast if you do it on purpose. This rule also applies to eating and drinking, as doing so must be done consciously in order to break the fast.

4) Gossiping, Swearing, Fighting 

Like Islam itself, Ramadan promotes moral conduct. In the religion, behaviors like swearing, fighting, and gossiping are all regarded as invalidating the fast during a holy month.

5) Taking Medication:

In general, taking any type of medication that enters the body through the mouth is considered to break the fast. However, there may be exceptions for certain medical conditions or situations where not taking medication can lead to harm or endangerment.

6) Intercourse

Whether or not he ejaculates, anyone who engages in conscious, voluntary sexual activity during the daytime hours of Ramadan in which the two circumcised portions meet and the tip of the penis vanishes in either of the two passageways has violated the prohibition against fasting. He is required to make serious repentance, finish that day’s fast (i.e., refrain from eating or drinking until dusk), and make up that day’s fast later. The hadith that Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, according to which:

A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “I am doomed, O Messenger of Allah!” He said, “Why are you doomed?” He said, “I had intercourse with my wife (during the day) in Ramadan.” He said, “Can you free a slave?” He said, “No.” He said, “Can you fast for two consecutive months?” He said, “No.” He said, “Can you feed sixty poor persons?” He said, “No.”… (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1936; Muslim, 1111)

Apart from sexual activity, nothing that breaks the fast requires expiation.

7) Masturbation

Masturbation is a behavior that renders the fast invalid. This refers to inducing climax or ejaculation with the hand, etc.

The statement made by Allah about the fasting person in the hadith qudsi that it is one of the things that makes the fast invalid is proof that masturbation is one of those things: “He gives up his food and drink and desire for My sake.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1894; Muslim, 1151)

The desire that a fasting individual gives up includes the desire to cause ejaculation.

Anyone who engages in masturbation during the day in Ramadan is required to repent to Allah, abstain from food and drink for the remainder of the day, and make up for that fast afterward.

He must repent if he begins to masturbate but stops before ejaculating; nonetheless, his fast is still in effect, and he is not required to make it up later because he did not ejaculate. The individual who is fasting should avoid everything that makes them want something and should avoid negative thoughts.

The most accurate perception of madhiy (prostatic fluid) emission is that it does not render the fast invalid.

8) Vomiting On Purpose

Islamic narrations claim that intentionally vomiting breaks your fast, however accidentally vomiting doesn’t. By pushing their stomach or forcing their fingers down their throat, one can purposefully vomit.

In addition to this, a person may experience nausea or vomiting while seeing an offensive movie or after smelling anything repulsive.

Reported by Abu Huraira (RA), the Prophet (PBUH) of Allah SWT said,

“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.” (Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abu Dawud 2380)

9) Blood Transfusion and Hijamah (Cupping)

Hijamah (cupping) is a medical procedure in which dead cells are removed from a patient’s back, shoulder, or neck by cutting or scratching them. Even though it’s a highly well-known medical technique, there is disagreement among Islamic schools of thought as to whether or not blood donation or cupping violates a person’s fast.

Nonetheless, the majority believe that performing any of the deeds (such as donating blood or doing Hijamah) can invalidate your fast.

The Messenger (PBUH) of Allah SWT said, “The cupper and the one for whom cupping is done both break their fast.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 1679)

Because blood is a source of nutrition, receiving a blood transfusion while someone is fasting will also break their fast (food and water). Moreover, receiving nutrition therapy via drips and needles can end your fast.

Things that Don’t Break your Fast

We should also point out a few issues that do not Break your Fast:

1. The fast is not invalidated by tooth extraction, enemas, eye drops, ear drops, or medical attention for injuries. (Majmu’ Fatawa Shaykh al-Islam, 25/233; 25/245)

2. As long as you don’t swallow any residue, you can use medical pills placed under the tongue to treat asthma attacks and other conditions.

3. Inserting anything inside the vagina for a medical examination, such as pessaries, a speculum, or the doctor’s fingers.

4. Implanting a medical device or IUD in the womb.

5. Something that enters a male or female’s urinary tract, such as a catheter tube, medical scope, opaque dye inserted for x-rays, medication, or bladder-cleaning solution.

6. Dental work such as cleaning with a toothbrush or a siwak as long as nothing touches the throat should be avoided being swallowed.

7. Rinsing your mouth, gargling, using sprays, etc., but be careful not to ingest anything that gets into your throat.

8. Gases such as oxygen or anesthetics, provided they do not provide the patient with any form of nutrition.

9. Any substance that can enter the body by skin absorption, such as creams, poultices, etc.

10. Insertion of a small tube into a vein for therapy or diagnostic purposes involving the heart’s veins or any other portion of the body.

11. Using a surgical procedure, inserting a scope through the stomach wall to check the intestines (laparoscopy).

12. Obtaining tissue samples from the liver or any other area of the body without also administering solutions.

13. Endoscopy, if no solutions or other medications are used at the same time.

14. Inserting any medical devices or materials into the spinal column or brain.

Frequently Asked Questions

These were some of the things that does (and doesn’t) Break your Fast in Ramadan. Read more Islamic Blogs or Follow us on social media for daily Islamic reminders.