Fasting
Fasting means that a person must, in order to do homage to Allah, from the time of Adhan for Fajr prayer up to Maghrib, avoid nine things which will be mentioned later.
Intention for Fasting
756.
It is not necessary for a person to pass the intention for fasting through his mind or to say that he would be fasting on the following day. In face, it is sufficient for him to decide that in order to do homage to Allah he will not perform, from the time of Adhan for Fajr prayer up to Maghrib, any act which may invalidate the fast. And in order to ensure that he has been fasting throughout this time he should begin abstaining earlier than the Adhan for Fajr prayer, and continue to refrain for some time after Maghrib from acts which invalidate a fast.
757.
A person can make intention every night of the holy month of Ramad an that he would be fasting on the following day.
758.
The last time for making intention to abserve a fast of Ramad on for a conscious person, is the time of Adhan of Fajr prayer. This means he should, as an obligat ory precaution, be inten upon fasting at that time, even if in his uncon scious heart.
759.
As for Mustahab fast one can make its intention at any time in the day, even moments before Maghrib -provided he has not committed any such act which invalidates the fast.
760.
If a person sleeps before Adhan for Fajr prayer in Ramaèàn or any other day fixed for an obligatory fast without making an intention, and wakes up before Tuhr to make an intention of fast, his fast will be in order. But if he wakes up after Tuhr, as a precaution he should continue the abstinance with the intention of Qurban and then give its Qada also.
761.
If a person intends to keep a fast as Qada or Kaffarah, he should specify that fast; for example, he should spicify it as the Qada fast or as Kaffarah. On the other hand, it is not necessary for a person to spicify, in his intention, that he is going to observe a fast of Ramadan. If a person is not aware or forgets that it is the month of Ramaèàn and makes an intention to observe some other fast it will be considered to be the fast of Ramaèàn. And in the fast of vow or the like, making intention of vow etc. is not necessary.
762.
If a person did not know or forgot that it was the month of Ramaèàn, and takes notice of this before Tuhr and if he has performed some act which will invalidate a fast, his fast is void. But, he should not perform any act which invalidates a fast till Maghrib, and should also observe Qada of that fast after Ramaèàn. And if he learns after Tuhr that it is the month of Ramaèàn he should, as an obligatory precaution, make the intention of fast as Raja, and offer its Qada after Ramaèàn. But if he learns before Tuhr, and he has not done anything which would invalidate his fast, he should make the intention of fast, and his fast will be valid.
763.
If a patient recovers from his illness in the middle of a day in the month of Ramaèàn, before Tuhr, and if he has not done anything to invalidate the fast, he should, as an obligatory precaution make intention and fast. But if he recivers after Tuhr, it will not be obligatory on him to fast on that day, and he should observe its Qada.
764.
If one doubts whether it is the last day of Sha'ban or the first day of Ramaèàn then the fast on that day is not obligatory. If however, somebody wants to observe fast on that day he cannot do so with the intention of Ramaèàn then it is the Ramaèàn fast and if it is not Ramaèàn then it is Qada fast or some other fast like that, his fast will be valid. But it is better to observe the fast with the intention of Qada fast or some other fast, and if it is know nlater that it was Ramaèàn then it will automatically be considered as Ramaèàn fast. And even if he makes a usual intention of fast, and later it becomes known that it is Ramaèàn, it will be sufficient (i.e. that fast will be counted as the Ramaèàn fast).
765.
If, while observinga Mustoh ab fast or an obigatory fast the time of which is not fixed (e-g-a fast for kaffaarah) a persah intendsto peak the fast or wavers wheher or not he should do sa, and if he does not peak it, he should make afresh intention befor Zuhr in the case of an ob ligatory fast, and before Maghrib in the case of a Mustahob fast. That way his fast will be in order.
Things Which Make a Fast void
766.
There are eight acts which invalidate fast:
(i) Eating and drinking.
(ii) Sexual intercourse.
(iii) Masturabtion (Istimna’) which means doing some act with oneself or another person other than intercourse, resulting in ejaculation.
(iv) Ascribing false things to Almighty Allah, or the Holy Prophet or to the successors of the Holy Prophet, as an obligatory precaution.
(v) Allowing thick dust to reach the throat, as an obligatory precaution.
(vi) Remaining in Janaban or Haydh or Nifas till the Adhan for Fajr prayer.
(vii) Enema with liquids.
(viii) Vomiting intentionally.
Details of these acts will be explained in the following articles.
I. Eating and Drinking
767.
If a person eats or drinks something intentionally, while being conscious of fasting, his fast becomes void, irrespective of whether the thing which he ate or drank is usually edible or drinkable (like pead or water) or not (like earth or the juice of a tree) and whether it is much or little; even if a person, who is fasting, takes the tooth push out of his mouth and then puts it back into his mouth, swallowing its liquid, his fast will be void, unless the moisture in the tooth push mixes up with the saliva in such a way that it may no longer be called an external wetness.
768.
If a person who is fasting eats or drinks something forgetfully, his fast does not become invalid.
769.
Injection of drugs or liquids does not invalidate the fast, even if they are strengthening drugs or food suppliments or dextrose or saline water. Also the inhalers do not invalidate the fast, provided that they allow the drug enter the lungs only. Using drugs in eyes or ears do not make the fast void too, even if their taste reach the throat, and using drugs in the nose does not invalidate the fast, if they do not reach the throat.
770.
If a person observing fast intentionally swallows something which remained in between his teeth, his fast is invalidated.
771.
Swallowing saliva does not invalidate a fast, although it may have collected in one's mouth owing to thoughts about sour things etc, and also there is no harm in swallowing one's phlegm or mucus from head and chest.
772.
If a person observing fast becomes so thirsty that he fears that he may die of thirst or sustain some harm or rxtreme hardship which is in tolerable for him, he can drink as much water as would ensure that the fear is averted; this is even obligatory in the case of fear of death. However, his fast becomes invalid, and if it is the month of Ramaèàn, as an obligatory precaution, he should not drink more than that, and then for the rest of the day, refrain from all acts which would invalidate the fast.
773.
A person cannot abandon fast on account of weakness. However, if his weakness is to such an extent that fasting becomes totally unbearable, there is no harm in peaking the fast.
II. Sexual Intercourse
774.
Sexual intercourse invalidates the fast, even if the penetration is as little as the glans of the male organ, and even if there has been no ejaculation.
III. Istimna (Masturbation)
775.
If a person, who is observing fast, performs masturbation (Istimna), his fast becomes void. (The meaning of Istimna has been given in rule no. 773/iii.)
776.
If semen is discharged from the body of a person involuntraily, his fast does not become void.
777.
Even if a person observing fast knows that if he sleeps during the day time he will become Muhtalim (i.e. semen will be discharged from his body during sleep) it is permissible for him to sleep. And if he becomes Muhtalim, his fast does not become void.
778.
If a person who is observing fast, wakes up from sleep while ejacualtion is taking place, it is not obligatory on him to stop it.
IV. Ascribing lies to Allah and the Holy Prophet
779.
If a person who is observing fast, intentionally ascribes something false to Allah or the Prophet (s.a.w.a.)or Imàms (a.s.), verbally or in writing or by making a sign, as an obligatory precaution his fast becomes void, even if he may at once retract and say that he has uttered a lie or may repent for it.
V. Letting Dust Reach One's Throat
780.
On the basis of obligatory precaution, allowing black dust to reach one's throat makes one's fast void, whether the dust is of something which is lawful to eat, like flour, or of something which is unlawful to consume like dust of earth.
781.
As an obligatory precaution, a person who is observing fast, should not allow the smoke of cigarettes, tobacco, and other similar things to reach his throat.
VI. Remaining in Janabah or Haydh or Nifas Till Fajr Time
782.
If a person in Janabah does not take Ghusl intentionally till the time of Fajr prayer, or if his obligation is to do Tayammum, wilfully does not do it, he should complete the fast of that day and also fast in another day, and because it is not known that this is Qada or a fine, he should both fast that day of the month of Ramadan with the intention of what is his obligation, and fast another day instead of it, but not with the intention of Qada.
783.
If a person who wants to fast as Qada of a fast of the month of Ramaèàn, remains in Janabah till the time of Fajr prayer, he can not fast that day, but if this is not intentionally, he can fast, though the precaution is to abandon it.
784.
If a person in Janabah does not take Ghusl intentionally till the time of Fajr prayer, for obligatory fasts other than those of the month of Ramaèàn or their Qada, which have fixed days similar to those of Ramaèàn, his or her fast will be in order.
785.
If a person enters the state of Janabah during a night in the month of Ramaèàn, and does not take Ghusl intentionally till the time left before Adhan is short, he/she should perform Tayammum and observe the fast.
786.
If a person who does not have time for Ghusl or performing Tayammum, gets intentionally into state of Janabah in a night of Ramaèàn, his fast will be void and it will be obligatory upon him to give Qada of that fast, as well as Kaffarah.
787.
If a person knows that he has not enough time for Ghusl and goes into state of Janabah and then performs Tayammum, or while he has enough time, delays intentionally the Ghusl till the time becomes short and then performs Tayammum, his fast is in order, though he has commited a sin.
788.
If a person is in Janabah during a night in Ramad'an and knows that if he goes to sleep he will not wake up till Fajr, he should, as an obligatory precaution, not sleep before Ghusl and if he sleeps before Ghusl and does not wake up till Fajr, his fast is void, and Qad'aa and Kaffarah become obligatory on him.
789.
If a person observing fast becomes Muh'talim during day time, it is not obligatory on him to do Ghusl at once.
790.
When a person wakes up after Adhan for the Fajr prayer and finds that he has become Muhtalim his fast is in order, even if he knows that he become Muhtalim before the Fajr prayer's time.
791.
If a woman becomes pure (Naqiyyah) from Haydh or Nifas before the time of Fajr prayer in the month of Ramaèàn and intentionally does not do Ghusl, or when her obligation is Tayammum she does not it, she should complete the fast of that day and fas tanother day as its Qada’. And if one intentionally abandons the Ghusl or Tayammum in a Qada fast of the month of Ramaèàn, as an obligatory precaution she cannot fast in that day.
792.
If a woman becomes pure from Haydh or Nifas in a night of the month of Ramaèàn, and does not perform Ghusl till the time remained for it becomes short, she should perform Tayammum and the fast of that day will be in order.
793.
If a woman becomes pure from Haydh or Nifas before the time of Fajr prayer in the month of Ramaèàn and she has no time to do Ghusl, she should perform Tayammum. But it is not necessary for her to remain awake till the time of Fajr prayer. The same rule applies to a person whose obligation is Tayammum after getting into the state os Janabah.
794.
If a woman gets pure from Haydh or Nifas just near the time of Fajr prayer in the month of Ramaèàn, and has no time left for Ghusl or Taymmum, her fast is valid.
795.
If a woman gets pure from Haydh or Nifas after the Fajr, or if Haydh or Nifas begins during the day though just near the Maghrib time, her fast is void.
796.
If a woman forgets to do Ghusl for Haydh or Nifas and remembers it after a day or more, the fasts that she has observed will be valid.
797.
If a woman is in a state of excessive Istihadah, her fast will be valid even if she does not carry out the rules of Ghusls as explained in rule no 215 this is like the fast of a woman who is in the medium Istiadah, which will be in order even if she does not do the Ghuslsprescribed for her.
798.
A person who has touched a dead body (i.e. has pought any part of his own body in contact with it) can observe fast without having done Ghusl for touching a dead body, and his fast does not become void even if he touches the dead body during the fast.
VII. Enema
799.
If liquid enema is taken by a fasting person, his fast becomes void even if he is obliged to take it for the sake of treatment.
VIII. Vomiting
800.
If a fasting person vomits intentionally, his fast becomes void, though he may have been obliged to do so on account of sickness. However, the fast does not become void, if one vomits forgetfully or involuntarily.
801.
If a fasting person can stop vomiting which is happening by itself, it is not necessary to stop it.
802.
If a fasting person belches and something comes out into his throat or mouth, he should throw it out, however if it is swallowed unintentionally, his fast is in order.
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Author: Ayatullah Seyyed Ali Sistani
