Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Acts which Break or do not Break the Fast

Acts which Break or do not Break the Fast

If a fasting person forgetfully eats, drinks or has
sexual intercourse, the fast will not break. If he eats and
drinks a full-stomach, even then the fast will not break. If he
forgetfully eats or drinks several times in the day, the fast will
still not break.

A person saw a fasting person eating or drinking
something. If this fasting person is quite strong and is not greatly
affected by fasting, it will be wâjib to remind him that he is
fasting. But if he is a weak person and is greatly affected by
fasting, he should not be reminded that he is fasting. Instead, he should
be allowed to continue eating.

A person slept away during the day. He saw a dream
which made ghusl compulsory on him. (i.e. he had a wet-dream) In such a
case, the fast does not break.

During the day, it is permissible to apply surmah
(antimony), oil, and to inhale any fragrance. The fast is not affected
by such acts irrespective of when this is done. In fact, after
applying surmah, if the colour of the surmah appears in one's saliva or
mucus in the nose, even then the fast will not break nor will it
become makrûh.

It is permissible for a man to sleep next to his wife,
to touch her and to kiss her. However, if, due to the passions of
youth, there is the fear that these acts would lead to sexual
intercourse, they should be abstained from. It will then be makrûh to
carry out such acts.

A fly went down the throat, or some smoke or dust went
down the throat on it's own. In such a case, the fast will not
break. However, if one did this intentionally, the fast will
break.

Incense sticks were burnt and the person went and sat
near them and inhaled the smoke. The fast will break. In the same
way, the fast breaks by smoking cigarettes, cigars, etc. Apart from
this smoke, it is permissible to inhale the fragrance of perfumes
which do not have any smoke.

A fibre of meat or fragments of betel-leaf, etc. was
stuck in the teeth. Due to cleansing the teeth, this fibre released
itself from in between the teeth and the person ate it. However,
he did not remove it from his mouth. It went down his throat on
its own. If this fibre is less than the size of a gram-seed, the
fast will not break. If it is equal to or more than the size of a
gram-seed, the fast will break. However, if the person removed this
fibre from his mouth and thereafter swallowed it, his fast will break
irrespective of whether it was smaller or larger than a gram-seed.
In both cases the fast will break.

By swallowing one's saliva, the fast does not break
irrespective of the amount swallowed.

After eating some betel-leaves, the person washed and
gargled his mouth thoroughly. Despite this, the redness of the
saliva did not disappear. There is no harm in this. The fast will
still be valid.

Ghusl became compulsory at night. However, the person
did not have a bath and only took a bath during the day. The fast
will be valid. In fact, even if he does not bath the entire day, the
fast will still be valid. However, he will still be sinning for not
bathing.

A person sniffed in such a way that the mucus of his
nose went down his throat. His fast will not break. Similarly, the
fast does not break by sniffing and swallowing the saliva that is in
the mouth.

A person placed betel-leaves in his mouth and slept
away. His eyes only opened the following morning. His fast will not
be valid. He will have to make qada of this fast but there will be
no kaffarah on him.

While rinsing the mouth, water went down the throat
and the person knew that he was fasting. His fast will break, qada
will be wâjib, but there will be no kaffarah on him.

A person vomitted unintentionally. The fast will not
break irrespective of the amount. However, if he vomitted
intentionally, his fast will break if the vomit was a full-mouth. But
if it is less than a mouth full, the fast will not break.

A small amount of vomit came out but it returned down
the throat on its own. The fast will not break. However, if the
person swallows it intentionally, his fast will break.

A person ate a pebble, a piece of steel or some other
object which is not normally eaten nor is it consumed for medicinal
purposes. His fast will break but there will be no kaffarah on him.
And if he eats or drinks something that is normally consumed, or, it
is not normally consumed but is used for medicinal purposes,
his fast will break and qada and kaffarah will be wâjib on him.

When a person has sexual intercourse, the fast will
break, qada will become wâjib, and it will also be wâjib to observe
kaffarah.

If the man inserts the head of his penis into the anus
of the woman, even then, the fast of both the man and woman will
break. Qada and kaffarah will also be wâjib on them.

When a fast is broken, kaffarah only becomes wâjib
when the fast of Ramadhân is broken. Kaffarah does not become wâjib by
breaking any other fast irrespective of the manner in which the
fast is broken. This applies even if the fast is a qada of a Ramadhân
fast. However, if the intention was not made at night (i.e before
dawn) for such a fast, or, a woman gets her haid on that very day after
breaking her fast; then by breaking the fast, kaffarah will not
become wâjib.

While fasting, a person took snuff, put some oil in
his ears or took an enema without taking any medicine orally. The fast
will break. However, only qada will be wâjib and not kaffarah. If
he puts water in his ears, the fast will not break.

While fasting, it is not permissible for a woman to
insert any medicine, oil, etc. in her vagina. If she inserts any
medicine into the vagina, the fast will break, qada will be wâjib
but not kaffarah.

Because of some reason, the doctor inserts his finger
into the vagina, or, the woman inserts her own finger.
Thereafter, he or she removes part of the finger or the entire finger and
then re-inserts the finger. The fast will break but kaffarah will not
be wâjib. If the finger was not re-inserted, the fast will not
break. However, if the finger was wet or moist before inserting it the
first time, and then it is inserted, the fast will break the first
time it is inserted.

Blood comes out from the mouth. It is then swallowed
together with saliva. The fast will break. However, if the quantity
of blood is less than that of the saliva and its taste is not felt
when it goes down the throat, the fast will not break.

If a person tastes something with his mouth and
thereafter spits it out, the fast will not break. However, it is makrûh to
do so unnecessarily. But if one's husband is very
hot-tempered and there is the fear that if the salt or water content in the
gravy is not in order, he will become extremely angry, it will be
permissible to taste and will no longer be makrûh.

It is makrûh to soften any food with one's mouth and
feed it to a child. However, if this becomes necessary and there is
no alternative, it will not be makrûh.

It is makrûh to cleanse the teeth with coal or
tooth-powder. If any of these things go down the throat, the fast will
break. It is permissible to clean the teeth with a miswâk. This is
irrespective of whether it is a dry miswâk or a fresh one. If the
miswâk is obtained from the neem (margosa) tree and one
perceives it's bitterness in the mouth, even then it will not be
makrûh to use such a miswâk.

A woman was sleeping or lying down unconscious. A
person came and had sexual intercourse with her. Her fast will break,
qada will become wâjib but she does not have to give any
kaffarah. As for the man, qada and kaffarah will be wâjib on him.

A person ate something forgetfully and thought that
since he has eaten, his fast is now broken. He therefore ate
something intentionally. His fast will now break, qada will be
wâjib on him, but not kaffarah.

A person vomited involuntarily and thought that his
fast is now broken. He therefore consumed some food. His fast will
break, qada will be wâjib, and not kaffarah.

A person applied surmah, underwent blood-letting or
applied some oil and thereafter thought that his fast has broken
because of any of these causes. He therefore ate some food
intentionally. In this case, both qada and kaffarah will be wâjib on him.

If a person's fast coincidentally breaks in the month
of Ramadhân, he cannot eat or drink anything for the rest of the
day. It is wâjib on him to abstain from consuming anything for the rest
of the day just like a normal fasting person.

A person had no intention of fasting on any day in the
month of Ramadhân. He therefore continued eating and drinking
the entire day.
Kaffarah will not be wâjib on such a person. Kaffarah
only becomes wâjib when one makes an intention to fast and
thereafter breaks the fast.

No comments: