1. Pouring
water over one's self and submersing one's self
in water
Abu Bakr
ibn Abdurahman reported from a number of
companions that they had seen Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam pour water over his
head while he was fasting due to thirst or
extreme heat. [related by Ahmad, and Abu Dawud
with a sahih chain]
In the two
sahih of Bukhari and Muslim, it is related from 'Aishah
that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would
rise in the morning on a fasting day and then
would perform ghusl. If during the bath some
water is swallowed unintentionally, the fast is
still valid.
2.
Applying Kohl or eyedrops or anything else to the
eyes, Cupping to drain blood, Any type of
injection
These acts
are all permissible even if some tasted from it
finds its way to the throat, as the eyes are not
a passageway to the stomach. Anas reported that
he would apply kohl while he was fasting. This is
the opinion of Imam Shafi'i. Ibn al Mundhir
records the same opinion from 'Ata, al-Hassan, an-Nakha'i,
al-Auza'i, Abu Hanifa, Abu Thaur and Dawud. It is
related from the following companions: Ibn Umar,
Abbas, and Ibn abu 'Aufa. According to at-Tirmidhi,
nothing authentic has been related from the
Prophet concerning this question.
Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was cupped while he
was fasting. But if doing so weakens the person,
it is disliked. Thabid al-Bunani asked Anas
"Did you dislike cupping for a fasting
person during the time of the Prophet?" He
said "No, unless it made someone weak."
[related by Bukhari and others]
Injections
do not break the fast whether they are for
feeding the person or just medicine. It does not
matter if the injection was intraveinous or
underneath the skin. It also does not matter if
what was injected reaches the stomach, it does
not reach the stomach through the customary
manner that food does.
Ibn
Taymiyyah says smelling perfumes does not harm
the fast. He says "As for kohl, injections,
drops dropped into the urethra [that is enemas
for medicinal purposes], and treatment for brain
and stomach injuries, there is some dispute among
scholars." He continues by saying "The
first opinion on this question is preferred. The
most apparent conclusion is that none of them
break the fast. The fast is part of the religion
of Islam. Both the layman and specialist must be
knowledgeable about it. If the preceding actions
were forbidden by Allah and His Messenger to the
fasting person because they would ruin the fast
then it would have been obligatory upon the
Messenger to clarify that fact. If he had done so,
his companions would have known about it and
would have passed it on to the rest of the
Muslims. Since no one has related that not from
the Prophet, not with an authentic hadith or a
weak hadith, nor in mursal or musnad form then it
must be the case that such acts do not void the
fast." He also says "If the ruling is
one that would affect everyone or everyday
matters, then the Prophet would have clarified it
to the general audience. It is well known that
kohl was common use as were oils, washing,
incense, and perfume. If they broke the fast, the
Prophet would have mentioned them as he mentioned
other things that break the fast. Since he did
not do so, they belong to the classes of perfumes,
incense and dyes. Incense goes through the nose
and enters the head and lands on the body. Dyes
or oils are absorbed by the skin and the body is
refreshened by it. The case of perfumes is
similar. Since these have not been prohibited to
the fasting person, it points to the fact that
using them is permissible for the fasting person
and so is kohl. The Muslims during the time of
the Prophet would injure themselves, either from
jihad or otherwise and would injure their
stomachs or skulls. If that would have ended
their fasts, it would have been made clear to
them. Since that was not prohibited for the
fasting person, it must not break the fast."
3. Rinsing
the Mouth and nose
These acts
are allowed in general, but it is disliked to
exaggerate [that is use a lot of water and put
the water deep into the mouth or nose while
fasting]. Laqit ibn Sabra reported that
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said
"Exaggerate when rinsing your nose unless
you are fasting." [related by an-Nasa'i, Abu
Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah. at- Tirmidhi
called it hassan sahih]
Scholars
dislike using nose drop [that is applying
medicine through the nose]while one is fasting
for they are of the opinion that it breaks the
fast. Ibn Qudamah sums up the opinions "If
while gargling or rinsing the nose for the sake
of purifying one's self [for example, for prayer]
water reaches the throat unintentionally and not
due to exaggeration, there is no problem. This is
according to al-'Auza'i, Ishaq, and one statement
from ash-Shafi'i, which is related from Ibn Abbas,
Malik, and Abu Hanifah hold that it breaks the
fast because that water reaches the stomach. If
he was aware that he was fasting, it breaks his
fast, as if he would have drunk intentionally.
The first opinion is stronger, since the water
reached the throat without intention or
exaggeration. It is similar to having a fly enter
the mouth and proceed to the throat. That
differentiates it from an intentional act."
4. Those
things which one could not protect one's self
from, such as swallowing one's saliva
unintentionally, the dust of the road, sifting
flour and so on are all overlooked
Ibn Abbas
ruling is that "There is no problem with
tasting liquid food or something you wish to
purchase." Tasting liquid food happens when
one is cooking and one is to taste a very small
amount of it. Ibrahim also permitted that. 'Aishah
and 'Ata permitted chewing, as nothing reaches
the stomach and it is just like putting pebbles
into one's mouth provided it does not break into
parts. If a part of it breaks off and enters the
stomach, it will break the fast.
5. It is
permissible for the fasting person to be sexually
defiled in the morning [that is a person is not
required to perform ghusl before fajr]
The hadith
from 'Aishah radi Allahu anha on this point says
that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said
"Bilal makes the call to prayer while it is
still night; therefore eat and drink until Ibn
Umm Maktum makes the call to prayer." [Al-Bukhari
and Muslim ]
6.
Menstruating or post-childbirth bleeding women
If the
blood of a menstruating woman or of a woman with
post-childbirth bleeding stops during the night,
she can delay ghusl until the morning and still
fast, but she must perform ghusl before the
morning prayer.
7. Kissing
for one who has the ability to control himself
refer to
article "Desires During Fasting"