The Sunni Association in Iraq / Permissible Acts for the Fasting Person

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. As for what follows:

Permissible Acts for the Fasting Person, and Matters in Which There is No Harm:

The basis for things is permissibility except for what evidence proves otherwise. Certainly, knowing what is prohibited is easier because it is less, and knowing the details of what is permissible and the matters in which there is no harm is difficult because they are innumerable. However, some issues may be confusing and need clarification and explanation. It is not meant that these are the only permissible acts, so it is permissible:

1. Bathing, cooling off, and swimming.

2. Using a natural tooth-stick (miswak) during the day in Ramadan is recommended, even if it is moist at the beginning or end of the day.

3. Using a toothbrush and toothpaste without exaggeration.

4. Rinsing the mouth and inhaling water in ablution is from the prophetic guidance. The fasting person should not exaggerate in them, nor is it recommended to spit excessively to avoid swallowing any remaining water; rinsing and spitting out the water suffices.

5. If one forgets while fasting and eats or drinks, they should complete their fast, for it is Allah who has fed them and given them drink. If someone sees them, they should remind them.

6. Touching one's spouse and kissing them does not invalidate the fast, but one who fears for themselves overstepping Allah's limits should avoid it.

7. Wet dreams during the day in Ramadan do not affect the fast, and one should take a bath for prayer.

8. Swallowing saliva and spit as it is internal, not external.

9. Tasting food out of necessity and chewing it for a child, but one should spit out and not swallow what remains in the mouth.

10. If vomiting overcomes the person, they should complete their fast, and there is no harm.

11. Applying kohl.

12. Using henna and dyes.

13. Applying creams, oils, makeup, and the like.

14. Smelling pleasant and unpleasant odors, with it being preferable to avoid incense smoke.

15. Involuntary entry of smoke, dust, or anything not intentional by the person carries no harm.

16. Medicinal drops in the nose, ear, and eye, even if they reach the throat.

17. Ear treatments and washes.

18. Therapeutic patches.

19. Inhalers for asthma patients as most of it is compressed air with a slight mist similar to what remains in the mouth after rinsing.

20. Donating blood, cupping, drawing blood for analysis, and others.

21. Anesthesia, whether local or general, except for total anesthesia that lasts all day, as its ruling is like that of complete unconsciousness throughout the day, thus breaking the fast.

22. Hypnosis, as long as it does not encompass the entire day.

23. Tooth extraction, fillings, dental implants, and laser treatments, and it is not permissible to swallow blood from the gums or water during treatment. It is safer to delay all this until after breaking the fast.

24. Medicinal mouthwash and gargling.

25. Taking medicinal injections and shots for treatment, in any location and by any means except for nourishing ones as they break the fast.

26. Sublingual tablets for angina and others.

27. Swallowing medicinal pills that do not contain vitamins or resemble food.

28. Medications needed by the patient that do not resemble food and drink carry no harm.

29. Blood purification unless it is added to nutritional substances like salts and vitamins.

30. Catheterization and other procedures if they do not involve taking nourishment.

31. Blood from wounds and surgeries does not break the fast, even if it is abundant.

32. Endoscopy, for both men and women, even through the mouth unless it is mixed with fat or similar to food.

33. All types of suppositories.

34. Gynecological examinations do not break the fast, whether the doctor is a woman or a man.

35. Bleeding due to istihadha does not break the fast, even if it is abundant, as it is blood that exits due to strain, illness, or miscarriage within forty days.

And Allah knows best, is most merciful, and is the most just. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his followers.