Fiqh
Fasting in Ramadan
The rules and the reason, in the Hanafi school
6 min, Intro
Every day of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset: no food, no drink, no intimacy in daylight. This lesson covers who fasts, what breaks a fast, and what Ramadan is for, following the Hanafi school.
Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
The thread
For one month, Muslims go without food and drink from dawn to sunset. This lesson follows that month in the Hanafi school: why they fast, who is excused, what breaks a fast, what one day looks like, and how the month ends, in the last ten nights and at Eid.
An old practice with one stated purpose
The Qur'an does not present fasting as new. It says fasting was prescribed to earlier communities as well. That surprises many people.
And it gives one stated purpose. Taqwa: a constant awareness of God that shapes behaviour.
Ramadan is also the month the Qur'an was first revealed. In it, Muslims read more of the Qur'an, pray extra night prayers called tarawih, and give more in charity.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ ١٨٣
183 O you who believe, fasting is prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those who were before you, so that you may become righteous.
The aim of the hunger is awareness.
Who fasts, and who is excused
So who is asked to fast? Every Muslim who has reached puberty, is of sound mind and is able.
Then come the exceptions. Those who are ill or travelling may skip days and make them up later. Menstruating women must not fast, and make the days up afterwards. Pregnant and nursing women who fear for themselves or their child may also postpone.
And some cannot fast at all, such as the very elderly or the chronically ill. They feed a poor person for each day instead (fidyah).
شَهۡرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ هُدࣱى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَٰتࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهۡرَ فَلۡيَصُمۡهُۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرࣲ فَعِدَّةࣰ مِّنۡ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلۡيُسۡرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلۡعُسۡرَ وَلِتُكۡمِلُواْ ٱلۡعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ١٨٥
185 Ramadān is a month in which the Qur’an was sent down as a guidance for mankind and as clear signs that show the right way and distinguish between right and wrong. So whoever of you witnesses this month, should fast. But if anyone is ill or on a journey, he should make up for those days. Allah wants ease for you and does not want hardship for you, so that you may complete the prescribed number of days, and proclaim the greatness of Allah for having guided you, and so that you may be grateful.
No one is asked for more than they can bear.
What breaks a fast, and what does not
What counts as breaking the fast? Deliberately eating, drinking, smoking or marital intimacy between true dawn and sunset.
Doing it on purpose has a price. In the Hanafi school, deliberately breaking a Ramadan fast in this way requires making up the day and, as expiation (kaffarah), fasting sixty consecutive days.
Other things do not break the fast in the Hanafi school: brushing the teeth without swallowing, a shower, or an injection that is not nourishment.
And eating by genuine mistake does not break it at all.
Whoever forgets while fasting and eats or drinks, let him complete his fast, for it is Allah who fed him and gave him drink.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1933, Sahih Muslim 1155 Sahih In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
Forgetting is forgiven. Choosing is not.
A day in Ramadan
Picture one day of the month. It starts before dawn with suhur, a meal the Prophet ﷺ encouraged even if it is only a sip of water.
The fast runs until sunset. Then it is broken with iftar, traditionally with dates and water, followed by the Maghrib prayer.
In between, the fast is meant to include the tongue and temper as well as the stomach. Lying, backbiting and anger empty it of its value, even if it remains technically valid.
أُحِلَّ لَكُمۡ لَيۡلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَآئِكُمۡۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسࣰ لَّكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ لِبَاسࣰ لَّهُنَّۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَخۡتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمۡ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَعَفَا عَنكُمۡۖ فَٱلۡـَٰٔنَ بَٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبۡتَغُواْ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۚ وَكُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡخَيۡطُ ٱلۡأَبۡيَضُ مِنَ ٱلۡخَيۡطِ ٱلۡأَسۡوَدِ مِنَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّواْ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيۡلِۚ وَلَا تُبَٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمۡ عَٰكِفُونَ فِي ٱلۡمَسَٰجِدِۗ تِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقۡرَبُوهَاۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ ١٨٧
187 It has been made permissible for you to be intimate with your wives on the nights of the fast. They are a garment for you just as you are a garment for them. Allah knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He accepted your repentance and pardoned you. So now you may have intimacy with them and seek what Allah has destined for you. And eat and drink until you see the light of dawn distinct from the darkness of night, then complete the fast until nightfall. However, should you be in a devotional retreat in the mosques then do not be intimate with them. These are the limits set by Allah, so do not even come near to them. This is how Allah makes His verses clear to people, so that they may become righteous.
A fast includes the tongue as well as the stomach.
The last ten nights, and Eid
Then the month nears its end. Somewhere in the last ten nights is Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree: the night the Qur'an was first revealed, described as better than a thousand months. Many Muslims spend these nights in extra prayer.
Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, a day of prayer, family and food.
Each Muslim who can afford it pays zakat al-fitr for themselves and their dependants. It is a small set amount per person, given to the poor, ideally before the Eid prayer, so that no one is left out of the celebration.
إِنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ فِي لَيۡلَةِ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ ١ وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا لَيۡلَةُ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ ٢ لَيۡلَةُ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ خَيۡرࣰ مِّنۡ أَلۡفِ شَهۡرࣲ ٣
1 Indeed, We sent this [Qur’an] down on the Night of Decree. 2 How do you know what the Night of Decree is? 3 The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
Eid begins by making sure the poor can celebrate.