What is the ruling on one who inhales the smell of food deliberately when he is fasting?
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with a fasting person smelling good smells, from food, perfume etc, but he should not inhale bukhoor (incense) or the steam coming out of the cooking pot because these have particles which may reach his stomach.
It says in Haashiyat al-Dasooqi (1/525):
If the smoke of bukhoor or steam from the cooking pot reaches the throat, the day must be made up… if it reaches it through inhaling deliberately, whether the one who does that is the one who is making it or someone else. But if one of them reaches the throat without him wanting it to, then he does not have to make it up, whether he is the one who is making it or someone else according to the correct view. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
Is it permissible to use perfume, such as putting on ‘ood, cologne and bukhoor during the day in Ramadaan?
He replied:
Yes, it is permissible to use it, so long as one does not inhale bukhoor. End quote.
Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 15/267
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling on a fasting person using perfumes during the day in Ramadaan?
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with using them during the day in Ramadaan and inhaling them, except for bukhoor, which should not be inhaled, because it has particles which may reach the stomach, i.e., the smoke. End quote.
Fataawa Ramadaan, p. 499
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (10/271):
If a person puts on any kind of perfume during the day in Ramadaan when he is fasting, that does not invalidate his fast, but he should not inhale bukhoor and powdered perfume such as powder of musk. End quote.
The point is that simply smelling food does not affect the fast, but one should not inhale the steam from the cooking pot.
And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid
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I have pimples on my face, and I burst one of them whilst I was fasting during Ramadaan. I was not sure whether that broke my fast, but I made up that day afterwards. Do I have to do anything else?
Praise be to Allaah.
Bursting pimples that appear on the face does not invalidate the fast and does not require that day to be made up later on.
The things that invalidate the fast are well known and are indicated by the Holy Qur’aan and the saheeh Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They are as follows:
1- Intercourse
2- Masturbation
3- Eating and drinking
4- Things that take the place of eating and drinking, such as injections that provide nourishment
5- Vomiting deliberately
6- Cupping and things that are akin to it, such as donating blood
7- Menstruation and postpartum bleeding in the case of women
For information on the evidence for the above, please see question no. 38023.
It is not permissible to say that this thing invalidates the fast without sound evidence to that effect, and there is no evidence that busting pimples or boils that appear on the body invalidates the fast.
Based on this, your fast is valid and you do not have to make it up, but you will be rewarded for the day which you fasted to make it up, and that will count as a naafil (supererogatory) fast on your part.
It should also be noted that you should refer to a doctor about bursting these pimples to find out whether it harmful or not; if it is harmful then you should not do that.
And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid
