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Invalidators of fasting or Mubṭilāt al-ṣawm are acts that invalidate fasting. The most important invalidators are: eating, drinking, or having sexual intercourse. Majority of Shi'a jurists believe that restraining from most of invalidators is wajib; however, avoiding some of them, such as traveling, is not wajib. Some invalidators only invalidate fasting when it is done intentionally, some invalidate fasting regardless of the intention, though.
In Islamic jurisprudential texts, invalidators of fasting or Muftirat are acts that void a fast. Restraining from some of these acts is necessary for fasting, and committing them while fasting is haram. Most jurists have counted 9 acts that one must refrain from during fasting.
Invalidators that one is not allowed to commit:
- Eating or Drinking
- Sexual intercourse
- Masturbation (Istimna')
- Attributing lie to God, Prophet Muhammad (s) or the Imams (a)
- Letting thick dust (or smoke) reach the throat
- Immersion of head in water
- Remaining in the state of janaba, hayd (menstruation) or nifas (postnatal bleeding)up to adhan al-fajr (calling for morning prayer); who becomes junub or becomes ritually pure (tahir), from hayd and nifas, must perform ghusl by adhan al-fajr; otherwise his/her fasting of that day is invalid
- Enema with liquid
- Vomiting intentionally
- Intending to stop the fasting or intending to do one of the invalidators.
The above-mentioned acts will invalidate Fasting if done intentionally; however, if one does them unintentionally or is forced to do them, the fasting is not void.
Invalidators that one is allowed to do:
- Traveling before adhan of noon prayer is a form of invalidator, but restraining from it is not wajib, i.e. by traveling one has not sinned. According to Shi'a jurists, only intentional eating or drinking invalidates fasting; thus, the fasting of someone who has forgotten and eats something is valid. This fatwa includes eating or drinking—food or otherwise—and also there is no difference between little or big amounts of food or drink in this verdict. Eating or drinking, that invalidate fasting, must be by swallowing through the throat; therefore, some jurists said that having an injection or serum does not void fasting.......
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