I know that smoking has been forbidden by some scholars. however, my question is what is the reason smoking is prohibited during fasting. when the person smokes, he is not entering a liquied or a solid through his mouth. I have asked this for so many people and their only answer was that it is haram. please advise me what to do.
Praise be to Allaah.
Smoking is haraam and there is no doubt that it is forbidden. See questions no. 10922 and 7432.
With regard to the reason why it breaks the fast, that is because the smoke contains particles that reach the stomach.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about the fasting person smelling perfume and he said:
It is permissible to use it during the day in Ramadaan and to smell it, except for bukhoor (incense), because incense contains particles that can reach the stomach, and that is smoke.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/128.
Cigarette smoke is like incense in that they both contain particles, but they differ with regard to the basic ruling: incense is halaal and good, and smoking is haraam and bad.
And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid
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I was sleeping and I did not hear the adhaan of Fajr, and the alarm clock was running slow. After I had drunk a cup of water the iqaamah for prayer was given. What should I do? Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.
Praise be to Allaah.
The correct scholarly view is that whoever eats thinking that Fajr (dawn) has not yet come, then finds out that it had in fact come, does not have to do anything, because he was unaware of the time, so he is excused.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If a fasting person eats or drinks anything that breaks the fast out of ignorance, then his fast is still valid, whether he was unaware of the time, or unaware of the ruling, such as a man who gets up at the end of the night, and thinks that dawn has not yet come, so he eats and drinks, then he finds out that dawn had in fact come – his fast is still valid because he was unaware of the time. An example of one who is not aware of the ruling is a fasting person who has cupping done and does not know that cupping invalidates the fast, so we say to him: your fast is still valid. The evidence for that is the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawlaa (Patron, Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people”
[al-Baqarah 2:286]
That is the evidence from the Qur’aan. The evidence from the Sunnah is the hadeeth of Asma’ bint Abi Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with her) which was narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh. She said: “We broke our fast on a cloudy day at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then the sun came out.” That meant that they had broken their fast during the day, but they did not realize, because they thought that the sun had set. But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not tell them to make up that day; if it had been obligatory to make it up he would have told them to do so. And if he had told them to do that it would have been transmitted to us.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19.
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid
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One of my friends has been stricken with the onset of cancer and has to take a course of treatment in Ramadaan, consisting of a number of medicines dissolved in liquids which are to be administered intravenously. Is his fasting valid?
Praise be to Allaah.
Two scenarios may apply to having injections during the day in Ramadaan:
1 – Where the injection provides nourishment that takes the place of food and drink; this kind of injection invalidates the fast because it is like eating and drinking.
2 – Where what is injected is not a kind of nourishment; this does not break the fast or affect it. In this case it makes no difference whether the injection is into a vein or a muscle.
But if it is possible to have these injections at night, that is better and more on the safe side with regard to the fast.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (15/257) was asked about the ruling on a person who had intravenous and intramuscular injections during the day in Ramadaan when he was fasting and completed his fast – was his fast invalidated and does he have to make it up, or not?
He replied:
His fast is valid, because an injection into a vein is not like eating or drinking; this applies more so in the case on an intramuscular injection. But if he makes it up in order to be on the safe side, that is better. If it can be delayed until nighttime, if he needs to have it, that is better too, so as to avoid an area of scholarly dispute.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked in Fataawa al-Siyaam (p. 220) about the ruling on having injections into a vein, muscle or the buttock.
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with having injections into a vein, muscle or buttock, and that does not break the fast, because this is not one of the things that break the fast; it is not food or drink, and it is not like eating or drinking. We have already explained that this does not have any effect on the fast. What does affect the fast is when a sick person is given an injection of something that takes the place of food and drink.
The Standing Committee (10/252) was asked about the ruling on administering medicine via injection during the day in Ramadaan, whether that is nourishment or medication.
They replied: it is permissible to administer medicine by needle into a muscle or vein to a fasting person during the day in Ramadaan, but it is not permissible for the fasting person to be given a nourishing injection during the day in Ramadaan, because that comes under the ruling on eating or drinking, so that injection is regarded as a means of breaking the fast in Ramadaan. If the injection can be given into a muscle or vein at night, that is better.
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid
