--- title: "How to Fast in Islam: Ramadan and Voluntary Fasting" description: "The obligatory acts of fasting, intention, what breaks the fast and what does not, and types of voluntary fasting — grounded in Quran and hadith." canonical: "https://getvaaz.com/en/guides/worship/how-to-fast" locale: "en" published: "2026-05-15" updated: "2026-05-15" author: "VAAZ Team" source: "VAAZ — getvaaz.com" --- # How to Fast in Islam: Ramadan and Voluntary Fasting Fasting is the third pillar of Islam and is obligatory for every Muslim during the month of Ramadan. This guide covers how to fast — its obligatory elements, its sunnahs, what breaks the fast and what does not, and the types of voluntary fasts — to help you observe this worship with both knowledge and devotion. ## The Obligatory Elements of Fasting The fast runs from the true dawn (the time of Fajr) until sunset (the time of Maghrib). Two core obligations must be fulfilled for the fast to be valid: 1. **Intention (niyyah):** Deciding in the heart to fast; for Ramadan fasting the intention must be made before dawn. 2. **Abstaining from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse:** Deliberately avoiding these three acts throughout the fasting period is the essence of the fast. In addition, the fast is only valid for a person who is sane, adult, Muslim, in adequate health, and not travelling. > O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become God-conscious. Surah al-Baqarah, 183 (Qur'an 2:183) ## Sunnahs of Suhoor and Iftar The Prophet's (peace be upon him) practice enriches the fast and multiplies its reward: - **Delaying suhoor:** Eating close to the Fajr time is a sunnah. - **Hastening to break the fast:** Opening the fast as soon as the sun sets, without waiting, is a sunnah. - **Breaking the fast with dates or water:** "Whoever breaks the fast with dates will find blessing; whoever cannot find dates should break it with water." (al-Tirmidhi, Sawm 10) - **Reciting the iftar du'a:** *"Allahumma laka sumtu wa bika amantu wa 'alayka tawakkaltu wa 'ala rizqika aftartu."* - **Giving iftar to others:** Feeding a fasting person earns the same reward as the fasting person — without any reduction in the latter's reward. > The VAAZ app's prayer times screen shows the imsak (suhoor cut-off) and iftar times for all 81 cities in Turkey, calculated using the Diyanet method — so you always know exactly when your fast begins and ends. ## What Breaks the Fast The following events break the fast; in some cases both making up the day (qada) and expiation (kaffarah) are required: - **Deliberately eating or drinking:** Eating or drinking out of forgetfulness does NOT break the fast. - **Deliberately vomiting** a full mouthful (Hanafi school). - **Sexual intercourse:** This requires both qada and kaffarah. - **Receiving nutritive fluids intravenously or via drip:** This is a disputed issue among scholars; out of caution, the fast is considered broken. - **Smoking while knowing one is fasting.** > Kaffarah applies when a Ramadan fast is intentionally broken by eating, drinking, or sexual intercourse — and it is heavy: fasting for two consecutive months, or feeding sixty needy people. For accidental situations, qada (making up the day) alone is sufficient. ## What Does NOT Break the Fast - **Eating or drinking out of forgetfulness:** Stop immediately upon remembering — the fast remains valid. - **Donating blood or having blood drawn** (Hanafi school; it is disliked if it causes significant weakness). - **Having a tooth extracted or filled** (provided nothing is swallowed). - **Rinsing the mouth or sniffing water into the nose** (provided nothing is swallowed). - **Using eye drops or eardrops.** - **Having a wet dream (ihtilam).** ## Types of Voluntary Fasting Fasting outside Ramadan carries tremendous merit: - **Six days of Shawwal:** Fasting six days in Shawwal after Ramadan is equivalent in reward to fasting the entire year. - **Monday and Thursday fasts:** The Prophet (peace be upon him) regularly fasted on these two days. - **Ayyam al-Bid:** The 13th, 14th, and 15th of every lunar month. - **The fast of Ashura:** Fasting on the 9th and 10th (or 10th and 11th) of Muharram. - **The fast of Arafah:** Fasting on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah (for those not performing Hajj) expiates the sins of the previous and coming year. ## Revive Your Ramadan Ramadan is the month the Quran was revealed, the month that contains Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power), and the most powerful opportunity for prayer, dhikr, and Quran recitation. Use the VAAZ app's prayer times and Quran features to experience Ramadan with greater awareness and consistency. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I make the intention to fast? For Ramadan fasting, it is obligatory to make the intention in the heart before dawn. Saying it aloud is recommended: 'I intend to fast tomorrow for the sake of Allah.' For voluntary fasts, the intention can be made before midday as long as nothing has broken the fast. ### Is suhoor (the pre-dawn meal) obligatory? Suhoor is not obligatory but is a strong sunnah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Eat suhoor, for in suhoor there is blessing.' (al-Bukhari, Sawm 20) ### What should I do if I am ill during Ramadan? If fasting would cause harm due to illness or travel, those days may be postponed and made up after Ramadan. For chronic illness that makes fasting permanently impossible, paying fidyah (feeding one needy person for each missed day) is an option. --- Source: [VAAZ — getvaaz.com](https://getvaaz.com/en) · This is the agent-facing Markdown edition of the page; the canonical edition lives at the `canonical` URL above. Full index: https://getvaaz.com/llms.txt