Every Ramadan, the same questions come up across Pakistan: does this break my fast? What if I ate by mistake? Does an injection or eye drop count? Knowing what breaks a fast matters, because the fast deserves to be done correctly, and uncertainty causes needless worry. This guide explains in simple terms which actions break a fast, which do not, and what to do if a fast is broken. It presents mainstream scholarly views, notes where scholars differ, and advises consulting a local scholar for personal cases. For the expected dates and timings of Ramadan 2027, see the Ramazan Calendar 2027.
What Breaks a Fast? The Main Actions
Fasting in Ramadan means abstaining from food, drink, and marital relations from dawn (Fajr) until sunset (Maghrib), with the intention of worship. Anything that deliberately breaks that abstinence breaks the fast.
First, eating or drinking deliberately breaks the fast. This includes anything reaching the stomach through the mouth, whether a meal or a sip of water. The key word is deliberate: knowingly choosing to eat or drink while fasting breaks the fast. Eating or drinking by mistake is different, and is covered below.
Second, marital relations during fasting hours break the fast. This is the most serious, and the one to which expiation (kaffara) applies in the mainstream view. Understand the distinction between making up a fast and expiation. A fast that is broken must be made up later, one day for one day; this is called qada. Kaffara is an additional expiation for deliberately breaking a fast through marital relations, involving fasting two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people if one cannot fast. Because kaffara depends on personal circumstances, anyone in this situation should consult a knowledgeable local scholar.
Third, deliberately inducing vomiting breaks the fast in the mainstream view. Vomiting that happens on its own, without the person causing it, does not break the fast. The distinction between choice and what is beyond control runs through all these rulings. Fourth, anything that reaches the stomach in a way equivalent to eating or drinking breaks the fast. This is why scholars discuss nutritional drips: a drip that nourishes the body is treated by many as breaking the fast, because it serves the purpose of food and drink. Ordinary medicinal injections that do not nourish are viewed differently by many scholars, though views differ.
Two conditions matter: knowledge, since one who genuinely does not know is treated leniently, and choice, since compulsion and genuine accident differ from free action.
What Does Not Break a Fast
Just as important is knowing what does not break a fast. Here are the main cases, with differences noted.
Eating or drinking forgetfully does not break the fast. If a person eats or drinks genuinely forgetting they are fasting, and stops on remembering, the fast remains valid and need not be made up. A well-known hadith says: when a person eats or drinks forgetfully, they should complete the fast, for Allah fed them and gave them drink. Once a person remembers, they must stop at once; continuing to eat after remembering would break the fast.
Brushing the teeth does not break the fast, as long as nothing is swallowed. The miswak was used by the Prophet (peace be upon him) while fasting, and scholars permit brushing with toothpaste too, provided nothing is swallowed. The same applies to rinsing the mouth and nose in ablution (wudu): permitted and necessary, but water must not be drawn so far as to be swallowed. Gargling deeply is discouraged while fasting for exactly this reason.
Eye drops do not break the fast in the view of most contemporary scholars, as the eye is not a normal route to the stomach, even if a taste reaches the throat. Ear drops are a matter on which scholars differ: some hold that they do not break the fast, while others hold that they do if the eardrum is perforated and the liquid reaches the throat. Nasal drops and sprays are treated more cautiously, as the nose leads to the throat, and some advise avoiding them unless necessary. Where scholars differ, use such treatments outside fasting hours when possible, and ask a local scholar about a specific medicine.
Bathing, showering, and swimming do not break the fast, provided no water is swallowed. Applying oil, cream, or perfume to the skin does not break the fast, and neither does smelling perfume. Swallowing saliva does not break the fast, nor does dust or smoke entering the mouth unintentionally. Tasting food without swallowing, to check the salt while cooking, is permitted by many scholars out of necessity, though disliked by some. A wet dream does not break the fast; perform the ritual bath (ghusl) and continue fasting, even if the bath is delayed until after dawn.
Blood tests and most injections do not break the fast in the view of many scholars, as they do not nourish. This includes blood drawn for a test, vaccines, and most medicinal injections. However, scholars differ on injections, and some hold that any injection breaks the fast. Nutritional drips that feed the body are treated as breaking the fast by most scholars. If you need regular treatment during Ramadan, discuss it with both your doctor and a local scholar, so health and fast are both protected.
Vomiting, Illness, Travel and Pregnancy
Some common questions concern situations beyond choice: vomiting, illness, travel, and pregnancy.
Vomiting that happens on its own does not break the fast; deliberately inducing it does, and the day must be made up.
Illness is an excuse that the Quran itself recognises. A person for whom fasting would cause harm, or significantly delay recovery, is permitted not to fast, and must make up the days later when well. This is a permission, not a requirement: a person with a mild illness who can fast without harm may still fast. But one whose doctor advises against fasting, or who knows fasting will seriously harm them, should take the permission and make up the days later. There is no blame in this; the permission comes from Allah. Someone with a chronic illness preventing fasting permanently is generally advised to feed a poor person for each missed day; discuss details with a local scholar.
Travel is also a recognised excuse. A traveller on a lawful journey may not fast, and must make up the missed days later. The journey must be of a distance scholars define as travel; the concession is a mercy for the hardship of the road. A traveller who finds fasting easy may still fast, and the fast is valid. The choice belongs to the traveller, and neither choice carries blame.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are treated with similar care. A pregnant or breastfeeding woman fearing harm to herself or her child may not fast, and makes up the days later. Scholars differ on whether feeding a poor person is also required, and details depend on the school followed and the individual situation. Because two lives are involved, decide with both a doctor and a scholar, and never feel guilt for taking a permission the religion grants. Menstruation and postnatal bleeding also prevent fasting: the missed days are made up later, though missed prayers are not.
If Your Fast Breaks: What to Do
If your fast breaks, the first step is simple: stop the action that broke it, and do not eat or drink freely for the rest of the day. Scholars advise still abstaining for the rest of the day, out of respect for Ramadan, even though the day must be made up later. This applies to most cases, though one who is ill or travelling, and so permitted not to fast, is not bound in the same way.
The second step is qada: making up the missed day. Missed fasts should be made up after Ramadan and before the next, except on days when fasting is prohibited, such as Eid day. The days do not need to be made up consecutively, though doing so promptly is recommended.
The third step, for deliberately breaking a fast through marital relations, is kaffara, described earlier. It does not apply to deliberate eating or drinking, which requires only qada, nor to fasts broken by accident, forgetfulness, illness, or travel. Because kaffara involves significant obligations, anyone who believes it may apply should consult a knowledgeable local scholar.
Alongside these practical steps, repentance is always appropriate. Breaking a fast deliberately is serious, and turning back to Allah with sincere regret is part of putting it right. The doors of repentance are open, the fast can be made up, and Allah’s mercy is greater than any mistake. Finally, this guide presents general knowledge, not a personal ruling. For any specific situation, especially one involving illness, medication, pregnancy, or kaffara, consult a knowledgeable local scholar. Asking a scholar is not weakness; it is how the community has always resolved questions. For the duas of sehri and iftar, see our Sehri and Iftar dua guide, and for the expected start of the month, see when Ramadan 2027 begins in Pakistan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does eating by mistake break a fast?
No. Eating or drinking forgetfully does not break the fast, as long as the person stops as soon as they remember. The fast remains valid and does not need to be made up. Continuing to eat after remembering would break the fast.
Does brushing your teeth break a fast?
No, brushing your teeth does not break the fast, as long as no toothpaste or water is swallowed. The same applies to using a miswak and to rinsing the mouth during ablution, provided nothing is swallowed.
Do injections break a fast?
Most contemporary scholars hold that ordinary medicinal injections and blood tests do not break the fast, because they do not provide nourishment. However, scholars differ on this, and nutritional drips that feed the body are generally treated as breaking the fast. Ask a local scholar about a specific treatment.
Does vomiting break a fast?
Vomiting that happens on its own does not break the fast. Deliberately inducing vomiting breaks the fast in the mainstream view, and the day must be made up later with qada.
What is the difference between qada and kaffara?
Qada means making up a missed fast, one day for one day, after Ramadan. Kaffara is an additional expiation that applies in the specific case of deliberately breaking a fast through marital relations. Anyone who believes kaffara may apply to them should consult a knowledgeable local scholar.
Conclusion
Knowing what breaks a fast brings confidence and calm to the month of Ramadan. Eating, drinking, and marital relations, done deliberately during fasting hours, break the fast; forgetful eating, brushing the teeth without swallowing, eye drops, bathing, and many other everyday actions do not. Illness, travel, pregnancy, and other genuine excuses carry permissions from Allah, with missed days made up later. If a fast does break, the way forward is clear: stop, abstain for the rest of the day, make up the day with qada, and seek forgiveness. For every personal case, the best advice remains: ask a knowledgeable local scholar. With that knowledge, the fast becomes what it should be: worship performed with understanding, peace of mind, and devotion.