Ramadan arrives each year as one of the most spiritually charged seasons in the Islamic calendar, yet for many Muslims — whether lifelong practitioners or those newly exploring the faith — it also arrives with a list of genuine, pressing questions. Can a pregnant woman fast safely? Does an asthma inhaler break the fast? What happens if someone intentionally abandons their fast mid-day? Drawing on deep Islamic scholarship and the Prophetic tradition, this special Ramadan episode of The Deen Show walks through thirty of the most frequently asked questions about fasting, offering clear, compassionate guidance rooted in the principles of taqwa (God-consciousness), spiritual growth, and the mercy that Islam extends to every believer regardless of their circumstances.
The Purpose and Foundations of Fasting: Taqwa, Self-Discipline, and Divine Mercy
Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and Allah singled it out as a sacred period of heightened reward and spiritual elevation. At its core, fasting is not mere hunger — it is a structured training programme for the soul. By voluntarily refraining from food, drink, and marital intimacy from dawn until sunset, a believer trains themselves to resist the three most powerful human desires. The logic is profound: a person who can go sixteen hours without water in a summer month can more readily refuse alcohol, idle speech, or other prohibitions. This is the essence of taqwa — remaining conscious of Allah in every moment, knowing He is always watching. Yet fasting is never intended as a burden without wisdom, and Islam’s guidance on who is obligated to fast reflects the faith’s deep respect for human welfare and individual circumstance.
- Children: Should be introduced to fasting at age seven, in line with prophetic guidance on prayer. By age ten, parents should actively encourage their children to fast the full month of Ramadan.
- The sick: Anyone whose illness will be genuinely worsened by fasting is excused. Minor ailments like a slight cough do not constitute grounds for breaking the fast; consult a medical professional for serious conditions.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women: Both are permitted to skip fasting if a qualified doctor confirms a risk to the mother or child. Missed days must be made up once circumstances allow.
- Those with chronic illness or advanced age: If fasting will cause ongoing harm with no prospect of recovery, they are exempt from making up missed fasts. Instead, they feed one poor person two average meals for each missed day — earning the reward of fasting through charity.
- Travellers: Permitted to skip fasting due to the difficulties of travel, with missed days made up afterwards. If the journey is easy and fasting poses no real hardship, it is better to fast.
- Women with successive pregnancies: If years of pregnancy and nursing have made it impossible to fast or make up missed days, such women may adopt the ruling for chronic inability — feeding the poor rather than carrying an ever-growing debt of make-up fasts.
- Making up missed fasts: Missed fasts should ideally be made up within a few weeks and must be completed before the following Ramadan begins. Spreading them across winter, when days are shorter, is a wise and accepted approach.
“Allah has no need for the hunger and thirst of the person who does not restrain himself from telling lies and acting on them even while observing the fast.” — Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
What Breaks the Fast and What Does Not: Practical Guidance for Everyday Life
One of the most persistent sources of anxiety during Ramadan is determining which everyday actions, medical necessities, or accidental occurrences actually invalidate the fast. Islamic jurisprudence in this area is notably practical and merciful, distinguishing carefully between intentional acts and unavoidable circumstances. The guiding principle is whether something nourishes the body or reaches the stomach through a deliberate act — and the answers from Islamic scholarship reveal that much of what Muslims worry about does not, in fact, break the fast. Understanding these rulings brings clarity and frees the believer to focus on what Ramadan is truly about: worship, reflection, and spiritual elevation.
- Vomiting: Involuntary vomiting does not break the fast. Only deliberately inducing vomiting does.
- Eye, ear, and nose drops: Permissible, as they do not nourish the body. With nose drops, take care not to swallow any fluid that reaches the mouth.
- Medical injections: Non-nourishing injections — vaccines, most medications — do not break the fast. Glucose or nourishing IV drips do.
- Toothpaste and mouthwash: Brushing with toothpaste is permitted as long as nothing is swallowed. Mouthwash is disliked but does not invalidate the fast provided no liquid is swallowed.
- Accidentally swallowing food: Forgetfully eating or swallowing a small piece of food does not break the fast. Stop immediately upon remembering and continue fasting.
- Blood donation: Does not break the fast, though it is discouraged if it will cause significant weakness that makes completing the fast difficult.
- Asthma inhalers: Do not break the fast according to the stronger scholarly view, as the substance enters the lungs and does not nourish the body.
- Perfume and cologne: Permissible. Women should exercise care about wearing heavy fragrances in public that may attract undue attention.
- Rinsing the mouth or bathing: Both are permitted and encouraged for comfort. Water absorbed during rinsing without intentional swallowing is not considered a violation.
- Tarawih prayer — 8 or 20 rakaat: Both are valid scholarly opinions. The essence is that one is praying in pairs and engaging sincerely in the night prayer of Ramadan — the number is not a cause for division.
- Zakat al-Fitr: An obligation due before Eid prayer on behalf of every family member — typically a small fixed amount (£8–£15) — given early enough for Islamic organisations to distribute it to those in need before the celebration of Eid.
- Intentionally breaking the fast without excuse: An extremely serious matter. The prescribed penalty (kaffarah) is sixty consecutive days of make-up fasting — not merely replacing one day — as it constitutes a deliberate violation of one of Islam’s Five Pillars.
“Every act of Adam’s descendants is for themselves, except fasting — it is meant for Me alone, and I alone will give the reward for it.” — Allah, as narrated by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Hadith Qudsi)
Ramadan is not simply a month of abstinence — it is an annual invitation to recommit to a life of spiritual intentionality, compassion for the poor, and closeness to the Creator. The thirty questions explored in this episode reflect one of the most beautiful qualities of the Islamic faith: that it takes human complexity seriously and provides clear, principled guidance not to burden believers, but to liberate them from uncertainty so they can devote their energy entirely to worship. Whether you are fasting for the first time, guiding your children through their early Ramadans, or navigating this blessed month with a health condition, the consistent message from Islamic scholarship is one of mercy — Allah does not desire hardship for His servants; He desires consciousness, sincerity, and the kind of self-mastery that transforms thirty days of fasting into a lifetime of taqwa. Let this Ramadan be the one where unanswered questions no longer hold you back, and where every fast observed, every night prayer offered, and every act of charity given becomes a step closer to Allah.
