Acts That Invalidate the Fast According to Qur’an and HadithWritten by: Qari Usama bin Abdus Salam (ḥafiẓahullāh)
❖ Introduction: Fasting in Light of Qur’an and Hadith
Fasting is one of the most significant acts of worship in Islam. It is obligatory for every Muslim to observe its etiquettes and conditions. The scholars, Companions (Ṣaḥābah), their successors (Tābiʿīn), and the scholars of ḥadīth have provided detailed explanations concerning the rulings of fasting. Among these rulings are those actions that invalidate the fast or affect its validity. Below is a detailed account of these actions, supported by Qur’anic verses, authentic aḥādīth, and the sayings of the early generations.
➊ Eating and Drinking Intentionally
Deliberately eating or drinking invalidates the fast.
Qur’an:
"وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ"
(Al-Baqarah 2:187)
Translation: “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 the night.”
Ḥadīth:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ:
"إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أَحَدِكُمْ، فَلاَ يَرْفُثْ وَلَا يَصْخَبْ، فَإِنْ سَابَّهُ أَحَدٌ أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ صَائِمٌ."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1904)
Translation: Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When one of you is fasting, he should neither speak obscenely nor quarrel. If someone insults or fights him, he should say: ‘I am fasting.’”
➋ Sexual Intercourse Intentionally
Deliberately engaging in intercourse breaks the fast.
Qur’an:
"أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ"
(Al-Baqarah 2:187)
Translation: “It has been made permissible for you to be intimate with your wives during the nights of fasting.”
Ḥadīth:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ:
"جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: هَلَكْتُ! قَالَ: مَا شَأْنُكَ؟ قَالَ: وَقَعْتُ عَلَى امْرَأَتِي فِي رَمَضَانَ…"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1936)
Translation: Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) reported: A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “I am ruined!” The Prophet ﷺ asked, “What happened?” He said, “I had intercourse with my wife during Ramadan…” The Prophet ﷺ then explained the required expiation (kaffārah).
➌ Menstruation and Postnatal Bleeding
A woman’s fast becomes invalid if menstruation or postnatal bleeding (nifās) occurs.
Ḥadīth:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، قَالَتْ:
"كُنَّا نُؤْمَرُ بِقَضَاءِ الصَّوْمِ، وَلَا نُؤْمَرُ بِقَضَاءِ الصَّلَاةِ."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 335)
Translation: ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said: “We were commanded to make up the fasts [missed due to menstruation], but we were not commanded to make up the prayers.”
➍ Vomiting Deliberately
Inducing vomiting intentionally invalidates the fast.
Ḥadīth:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ:
"قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: مَنْ ذَرَعَهُ الْقَيْءُ فَلَا شَيْءَ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَنِ اسْتَقَاءَ عَمْدًا فَعَلَيْهِ الْقَضَاءُ."
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 720)
Translation: Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever is overcome by vomiting, there is no obligation on him; but whoever vomits intentionally, he must make up the fast.”
➎ Inserting Medicine into the Nose or Ears
If medicine reaches the internal body cavity through the nose or ears, it can invalidate the fast.
Ḥadīth:
عَنْ لَقِيطِ بْنِ صَبِرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ:
"قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: وَبَالِغْ فِي الِاسْتِنْشَاقِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ صَائِمًا."
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 142)
Translation: Laqīṭ ibn Ṣabirah (رضي الله عنه) narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Exaggerate when rinsing your nose during wuḍūʼ, except when you are fasting.”
This indicates that inserting anything deeply into the nose while fasting is risky and may invalidate the fast.
✔ Conclusion
All the actions mentioned above are nullifiers of the fast, and have been clearly explained through Qur’anic injunctions, authentic Prophetic narrations, and statements of the Companions and Tābiʿīn. It is obligatory upon every Muslim to refrain from these actions to ensure the validity and acceptance of their fasts.
