Ramadan 2026: List of 7 Things That Invalidate One's Fasting
- Islamic scholars have outlined seven specific actions that could invalidate a Muslim's fast, drawing guidance from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet
- The explanation clarified the distinction between acts that weakened the body and those that involved substances entering the body like food and drink
- The guidance also identified common medical and daily activities that did not invalidate fasting, easing concerns among worshippers
Muslims observing the fast during Ramadan are guided by clear religious principles that define what preserves the fast and what nullifies it.
These rulings are rooted in the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet, offering structure to an act of worship designed to cultivate self-restraint, obedience, and spiritual clarity.
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Understanding these rules remains essential, especially as questions often arise about daily actions, medical procedures, and bodily processes during fasting hours.
According to the popular Islamic question and answer site, Islamqa, Islamic scholars explain that fasting is not limited to abstaining from food and drink alone. It also involves guarding the body and desires from actions that defeat the purpose of self-discipline.
The guidance is not meant to impose hardship but to maintain balance, ensuring that fasting strengthens faith without causing harm.
Two broad categories of nullifiers
Classical jurisprudence divides actions that break the fast into two broad groups. The first includes acts that weaken the body by releasing substances, such as sexual relations, deliberate vomiting, menstruation, and cupping.
The second involves substances entering the body in a manner similar to eating and drinking. This distinction reflects a principle explained by scholars that fasting should not be combined with additional physical strain that undermines its purpose.
The Quran outlines the core nullifiers in the verse permitting eating, drinking, and marital relations only between sunset and dawn, then commanding believers to complete the fast until nightfall. Other nullifiers were clarified through the Sunnah of the Prophet.
Seven acts that invalidate the fast
Islamic scholarship consistently identifies seven actions that invalidate the fast when done knowingly, deliberately, and by choice. Below is a clear explanation of each.
1. Intercourse
Sexual intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan is regarded as the most serious violation of the fast. It invalidates the fast whether ejaculation occurs or not.
A person who does this must repent, complete the day without eating or drinking, make up the fast later, and perform a prescribed expiation.
This ruling is based on a well-known narration reported by Abu Hurayrah in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, outlined the required atonement.
2. Masturbation
Causing ejaculation through self-stimulation during fasting hours breaks the fast. The evidence lies in the divine statement describing the fasting person as one who gives up food, drink, and desire for the sake of Allah.
If ejaculation does not occur, the fast remains valid, though repentance is still required.
3. Eating and drinking
Any food or drink that reaches the stomach through the mouth invalidates the fast.
This ruling also applies if substances reach the stomach through the nose, based on the Prophet’s instruction to avoid excessive sniffing of water during ablution while fasting.
4. What takes the place of food and drink
This category includes nourishing injections, intravenous drips, and blood transfusions. Such procedures replace the role of eating and drinking and therefore nullify the fast. Non-nourishing injections given for treatment, vaccination, or pain relief do not invalidate the fast.
5. Letting blood through cupping and similar means
Cupping and blood donation break the fast because they weaken the body in a manner comparable to other nullifiers.
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Unintentional bleeding, such as nosebleeds or bleeding from medical tests, does not invalidate the fast.
6. Deliberate vomiting
Intentionally inducing vomiting nullifies the fast and requires making up the day later. Involuntary vomiting does not affect the fast, according to an authenticated hadith.
7. Menstruation and postnatal bleeding
When menstrual or postnatal bleeding begins, the fast becomes invalid even if it occurs shortly before sunset.
Women in this state are required to make up missed fasts later. If bleeding ends before dawn and the intention to fast is made, the fast is valid even if ritual bathing is delayed until after dawn.
Acts that do not break the fast
Scholars also clarify what does not invalidate fasting to prevent unnecessary hardship.
These include medical eye and ear drops, dental treatments without swallowing substances, injections that are not nourishing, oxygen, topical creams, endoscopy without fluids, and the use of medical instruments for diagnosis or treatment.
Can diabetic Muslim patients fast?
Earlier, Legit.ng interacted with experts on people living with diabetes who are uncertain about whether fasting is medically safe for them.
Medical experts said fasting with diabetes is possible in some cases, but warned that it depends largely on the individual’s health status, type of diabetes, and level of blood sugar control. They advised patients to seek medical guidance before making a decision to fast.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body either fails to produce enough insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. Insulin plays a key role in regulating blood glucose levels. Globally, diabetes remains a major cause of death, with millions affected each year, many of them below the age of 70.
Source: Legit.ng
