Important Rulings of Fasting: Vomiting, Forgetfulness, and Acts That Do Not Break the Fast

Vomiting whilst fasting

Some people become worried in case of vomiting in the state of fast. Some are under the impression that vomiting even involuntarily also breaks the fast. This isn't correct. Sayyidunā Abū Hurairah رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ has narrated that the Noble Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said, 'The fast of a person who vomits involuntarily in Ramadan will not break but if a person vomits deliberately it will break.' (Kanz-ul-'Ummāl, pp. 230, vol. 8, Hadīs 23814)

He صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has also said, 'The one who vomits involuntarily does not have to do Qadā (repetition) for his fast but the one who vomits deliberately must do Qadā.' (Jāmi' Tirmiżī, pp. 173, vol. 2, Hadīs 720)

Seven rulings regarding vomiting

1. In the state of fast, vomiting involuntarily will not invalidate the fast, no matter how much it is (even if a whole bucket fills with vomit). (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 392, vol. 3)
2. Deliberate mouthful vomiting will invalidate the fast provided one was aware that he was fasting. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 392, vol. 3)
3. Even deliberate mouthful vomiting will invalidate the fast even if the vomit contains food or bile or blood. (ibid)
4. Vomiting only phlegm will not invalidate the fast. (ibid, p. 394)
5. Vomiting only a bit (not a mouthful) deliberately will not invalidate the fast. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 393, vol. 3)

6. In case of vomiting less than a mouthful and then swallowing it whilst it is still in the mouth (regardless of whether it is swallowed deliberately or unintentionally) the fast will not become invalid. (ibid)
   
7. Though involuntary mouthful vomiting will not invalidate the fast if one swallows even a chick-pea amount of it, the fast will become invalid. However, if the swallowed amount is less than the size of a chick-pea, the fast will not become invalid. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 392, vol. 3)

Definition of mouthful vomit

The vomit that cannot be prevented without bother is 'mouthful vomit.'

(Fatāwā 'Ālamgīrī, pp. 204, vol. 1)

Five rulings regarding vomiting in state of Wuḍū

1. In the state of Wuḍū, mouthful vomiting that contains food, water or bile will invalidate the Wuḍū (regardless of whether it is deliberate or involuntary). (Bahār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 26, part 2)
2. Mouthful vomiting of phlegm will not invalidate the Wuḍū. (ibid)
3. Vomiting of flowing blood will invalidate the Wuḍū.
4. Vomiting of flowing blood will invalidate the Wuḍū only when the blood dominates the saliva. (Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 267, vol. 1) In other words, if the blood turns the saliva red then it is dominant and therefore Wuḍū will be invalid but if there is more saliva than blood then Wuḍū will not be invalid. The sign of the blood being less amount is that the vomit (of saliva) will be yellow in colour.
5. If the vomit contains congealed blood that is less than a mouthful, Wuḍū will not be invalid. (Derived from Bahār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 26, part 2)

Important advice

Mouthful vomit (excluding phlegm) is impure. Ensure that not even a single drop of it stains your clothes or body. Today people are not aware of it and do not care about drops of vomit, staining their clothes. They even wipe the impure vomit from their mouths etc. with their own clothes. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ enable us to protect ourselves from impurities!

آمِيْن بِجَاهِ النَّبِي الْأَمِيْن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب ﷺ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Eating or drinking forgetfully will not invalidate fast

Sayyidunā Abū Hurairah رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ has narrated that the Prophet of mankind, the Peace of our heart and mind, the most Generous and Kind صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said, 'The fasting person who eats or drinks forgetfully has to complete his fast because Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has fed him.' (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, pp. 636, vol. 1, Hadīš 1933)

Twenty one points about acts that do not invalidate fast

1. Eating, drinking or having intercourse forgetfully will not invalidate the fast whether it is a Farḍ fast or a Nafl one. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 365, vol. 3)
2. If someone sees a fasting person do any of such acts, it is Wājib for him to remind the fasting person of his fast. If he did not remind, he will be sinner.

However, if the person is too weak and is unlikely to complete his fast properly in case of not eating the food because of being reminded and, on the other hand, if he eats food, he will not only be able to complete his fast properly but also carry out other worship (and as he is eating forgetfully, his fast will be valid) then it is better not to remind him.

Some respected scholars رَحِمَهُمُ اللّٰهُ have said, 'If the fasting person is young one should remind him but if he's old then there's no harm in not reminding him', but this rule is based on the fact that the young are generally strong (and healthy) and the old are generally weak. In fact, this ruling has nothing to do with old-age and young-age, instead, it applies on the basis of strength and weakness. In other words, if a young man is too weak to complete his fast, it is better not to remind him, and if an old man is strong enough to complete his fast properly, it is Wājib to remind him. (Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 365, vol. 3)

3. If a fly or dust or smoke goes down the throat, the fast will not become invalid if one was aware that he was fasting. Whether it is the flour blowing up whilst being grinded in the grindstone or sieved or it is the dust of grain or dust that is blown by the wind or the hoofs of animals, the fast will not become invalid if the dust goes down the throat in the aforementioned cases. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 366, vol. 3)
4. Similarly, if the car or bus smoke or the blowing dust reaches the throat, it will not invalidate the fast even if one was aware that he was fasting.
5. If the smoke of a burning incense stick enters the nose, the fast will not be invalid. However, if one takes his nose closer to a burning incense or frankincense and (deliberately) inhales the smoke despite being aware that he was fasting, his fast will become invalid. (Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 366, vol. 3)
6. Treating the heat of the body by placing a pierced horn over the area of pain, massaging oil or applying kohl (into eyes) will not invalidate the fast; even if one feels the taste of oil or kohl in throat or even if the colour of the 'kohl' appears in saliva. (Al-Jauhara-tun-Nayyarah, pp. 179, vol. 1)