Source: Fatāwā Arkan-e-Islam
Is the fast invalidated by engaging in sinful speech such as lying and backbiting during the day in Ramadan?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
Allah ﷻ says in the Qur'an:
﴿يـأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمُ الصِّيامُ كَما كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَتَّقونَ﴾
(Surah al-Baqarah: 183)
“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa.”
This verse makes it clear that the primary objective of fasting is to develop Taqwa – that is, refraining from what is forbidden and fulfilling what Allah ﷻ has commanded.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِه والجهلِ فَلَيْسَ لِلّٰهِ حَاجَةٌ فِی أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṣiyām, Bāb Man Lam Yadaʿ Qawla al-Zūr wa al-ʿAmala bihi fī al-Ṣawm, Ḥadīth: 1903)
Translation:
“Whoever does not give up false speech, acting upon it, and ignorant behavior, then Allah is not in need of him abstaining from his food and drink.”
This Hadith strongly emphasizes that the fasting person must:
❀ Avoid lying
❀ Refrain from backbiting and slander
❀ Stay away from tale-bearing
❀ Avoid haram business transactions
❀ Steer clear of all prohibited actions
These behaviors contradict the spirit of fasting and diminish its sanctity and value.
A person who, during the month of Ramadan:
❀ Fulfills all of Allah’s commands
❀ Avoids what Allah has forbidden
— there is great hope that they will remain steadfast on righteousness throughout the year as well.
Unfortunately, many fasting people:
❀ Do not distinguish between Ramadan and other times in terms of their behavior
❀ Continue sinful habits such as lying, fraud, and immoral speech even during Ramadan
Such actions degrade the honor and spiritual impact of fasting.
✔ No, these haram actions do not nullify the fast from a legal (Shar‘i) standpoint.
✘ However, they reduce the reward of the fast,
⚠ and in some cases, may even nullify the reward entirely.
❀ Conclusion:
Although lying and backbiting do not technically break the fast, they:
◈ Contradict the purpose of fasting,
◈ Reduce or cancel out its reward,
◈ And may deprive the individual of the spiritual fruits of Ramadan.
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
✦ The Question
Is the fast invalidated by engaging in sinful speech such as lying and backbiting during the day in Ramadan?
✦ The Qur'anic Objective of Fasting: Taqwa and Worship
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
Allah ﷻ says in the Qur'an:
﴿يـأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمُ الصِّيامُ كَما كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَتَّقونَ﴾
(Surah al-Baqarah: 183)
“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa.”
This verse makes it clear that the primary objective of fasting is to develop Taqwa – that is, refraining from what is forbidden and fulfilling what Allah ﷻ has commanded.
✦ The Warning from the Prophet ﷺ
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِه والجهلِ فَلَيْسَ لِلّٰهِ حَاجَةٌ فِی أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṣiyām, Bāb Man Lam Yadaʿ Qawla al-Zūr wa al-ʿAmala bihi fī al-Ṣawm, Ḥadīth: 1903)
Translation:
“Whoever does not give up false speech, acting upon it, and ignorant behavior, then Allah is not in need of him abstaining from his food and drink.”
✦ Emphasis on Avoiding Sinful Speech and Actions
This Hadith strongly emphasizes that the fasting person must:
❀ Avoid lying
❀ Refrain from backbiting and slander
❀ Stay away from tale-bearing
❀ Avoid haram business transactions
❀ Steer clear of all prohibited actions
These behaviors contradict the spirit of fasting and diminish its sanctity and value.
✦ The Real Benefit of Fasting
A person who, during the month of Ramadan:
❀ Fulfills all of Allah’s commands
❀ Avoids what Allah has forbidden
— there is great hope that they will remain steadfast on righteousness throughout the year as well.
✦ The Shortcoming of Many Fasting Individuals
Unfortunately, many fasting people:
❀ Do not distinguish between Ramadan and other times in terms of their behavior
❀ Continue sinful habits such as lying, fraud, and immoral speech even during Ramadan
Such actions degrade the honor and spiritual impact of fasting.
✦ Does the Fast Become Invalid?
✔ No, these haram actions do not nullify the fast from a legal (Shar‘i) standpoint.
✘ However, they reduce the reward of the fast,
⚠ and in some cases, may even nullify the reward entirely.
❀ Conclusion:
Although lying and backbiting do not technically break the fast, they:
◈ Contradict the purpose of fasting,
◈ Reduce or cancel out its reward,
◈ And may deprive the individual of the spiritual fruits of Ramadan.
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
