Ramadan Fasting Rules: What Breaks the Fast and What Doesn't

Fasting the month of Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam. From dawn (Fajr) until sunset (Maghrib), Muslims abstain from food, drink and marital relations, seeking Allah's pleasure and taqwa (God-consciousness). This article summarises the practical rules every fasting person should know.

Who must fast

• Every adult Muslim of sound mind who is physically able.
• Exempt: children, the elderly and chronically ill (they feed a poor person per day instead — fidyah), travellers, and women during menstruation, pregnancy or nursing (they make up the days later).
• The sick who expect to recover make up missed days after Ramadan (qada).

The timing: Sehri and Iftar

The fast begins at the start of Fajr and ends at Maghrib. Eating the pre-dawn meal (Sehri/Suhoor) is a recommended sunnah — the Prophet ﷺ said there is blessing in it. Breaking the fast (Iftar) should be done promptly at sunset, traditionally with dates and water. Exact Sehri and Iftar times for your city are on every Noor city prayer times page and the Ramadan hub.

What breaks the fast

• Eating or drinking anything deliberately — including smoking.
• Marital relations during fasting hours (this requires both qada and kaffarah — fasting 60 consecutive days or feeding 60 poor people).
• Deliberately vomiting.
• Menstruation or post-natal bleeding beginning, even minutes before sunset.

What does NOT break the fast

• Eating or drinking out of genuine forgetfulness — complete your fast; it is a gift from Allah (Bukhari 6669).
• Swallowing saliva, rinsing the mouth, or brushing teeth (avoid swallowing anything).
• Showering, swimming (avoid swallowing water), applying perfume, eye drops or injections that are not nourishment.
• Unintentional vomiting.
• Tasting food while cooking without swallowing, when needed.

Making the most of the month

Ramadan is more than abstention: increase Quran recitation, give charity, pray Tarawih at night, and seek Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights — a night better than a thousand months. Use our Islamic calendar to see when Ramadan begins in your year and to track the key nights.

May Allah accept your fasting and your prayers. Find your city's Sehri and Iftar times — free, no ads — at noor.style/prayer-times.