MUBARLYFasting in Islam: Rules, What Breaks the Fast and Ramadan Duas
The rules of fasting: intention and suhoor, what breaks the fast and what does not, qada and kaffarah, voluntary fasts and the duas of Ramadan.
This information follows the Hanafi school. In special situations such as taking medication or medical treatment, consult your doctor and the mufti’s office where you live, or a scholar you trust.
Intention and suhoor
- The intention for the Ramadan fast may be made from the evening until the late morning of the next day (ad-ḍaḥwah al-kubrā, about an hour before midday). The intention is made in the heart; getting up for suhoor in order to fast is also an intention.
- For make-up (qada), kaffarah and vowed fasts (with no fixed day), the intention must be made at night, at the latest before imsak, and it must specify which fast it is.
What does not break the fast
- Eating or drinking out of forgetfulness (stop at once on remembering, and continue the fast)
- Vomiting that happens involuntarily
What requires make-up (qada) only
- Water going down the throat unintentionally while making wudu or gargling
- Deliberately vomiting a mouthful
What requires both make-up and kaffarah
- Having made the intention at night and begun the Ramadan fast, deliberately eating, drinking or having sexual intercourse without any valid excuse requires both make-up (qada) and kaffarah.
- The kaffarah is to fast sixty days without a break; whoever is unable to do so feeds sixty poor people for one day, morning and evening (or gives each of them the amount of one zakat al-fitr).
Those who may refrain from fasting
- A sick person whose illness would worsen or whose recovery would be delayed by fasting; they make it up once recovered.
- The traveller (a journey of about 90 km or more); they make it up on returning. If there is no hardship, fasting is more virtuous.
The blessing of suhur
تَسَحَّرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي السَّحُورِ بَرَكَةً
Eat suhur, for there is blessing in suhur.
Hadith — al-Bukhari, Sawm 20 (no. 1923); Muslim, Siyam 45 (no. 1095), narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). Agreed upon — sahih.
At iftar
ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللّٰهُ
The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills.
Hadith — Abu Dawud, Sawm 22 (no. 2357), narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him); al-Daraqutni graded its chain hasan.
On Laylat al-Qadr
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
O Allah, You are Most Forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me.
Hadith — al-Tirmidhi, Da‘awat 84 (no. 3513); Ibn Majah, Du‘a 5 (no. 3850), narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Al-Tirmidhi graded it hasan sahih.
Ramadan 2027 Timetable: Suhoor and Iftar Times by City →
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