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Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and requires believers to carry out one of the five pillars of Islam – fasting (Sawm). It is obligatory upon every adult, sane, healthy and resident Muslim to fast from the first thread of dawn until the complete setting of the sun each day of the month.
This guide sets out, in clear and precise terms based on the Quran, authentic Sunnah and consensus of the scholars, exactly what must be done, what must be avoided, what invalidates the fast, and what does not, so that the fast is both valid and maximally rewarded.
The Niyyah (intention) forms the spiritual backbone of every act of worship in Islam, and fasting is no exception. Niyyah for the obligatory fast of Ramadan must be made specifically for the sake of Allah and for the particular day that is about to begin.
While some schools permit one intention at the start of the month, the majority is to renew the intention each night after Maghrib or before sleeping.
Eating in suhoor is a Sunnah mu’akkadah that carries immense blessings. The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) encouraged the ummah to have the pre-dawn meal, even if it is only a sip of water.
It is recommended to delay suhoor until the final half hour before Fajr so that the body receives sustained energy throughout the long day of fasting.
One of the clearest Sunnahs that many Muslims unfortunately forget is hastening to break the fast the moment the sun sets. The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) emphatically disliked delaying iftar and would break his own fast before praying Maghrib if dates or water were available.
The established practice is to consume fresh or dried dates followed by water or milk, then stand for Maghrib prayer, and only afterwards sit for the main meal.
Delaying iftar without excuse is considered makruh tahrimi by the majority of scholars and deprives the fasting person of following the Prophetic way.
Fasting without establishing regular prayer is like a body without a soul. The five daily prayers must be performed at their prescribed times, as they form the foundation of a believer’s daily routine during Ramadan.
Taraweeh, the special night prayer performed only in Ramadan, adds another layer of spiritual connection. These prayers are usually offered in congregation after Isha.
Even those who cannot attend the mosque every night try to pray Taraweeh at home, either alone or with their families. Mothers with small children, people who work late hours, the elderly, or those facing health limitations are still able to take part, as Taraweeh is a highly recommended Sunnah rather than an obligation.
Laylat al-Qadr is a night that holds more reward than a thousand months of worship. Its exact date is hidden, so Muslims increase their worship during all the last ten nights of Ramadan. The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) used to spend these nights in deep worship and i’tikaf. The odd nights, especially the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th, are the most likely. Muslims try to spend these nights praying, reading the Qur’an, remembering Allah, and making sincere dua.
Zakat al-Fitr is a compulsory charity upon every Muslim, whether male, female, free, slave, adult, or child. Anyone who possesses food in excess of their needs on the day and night of Eid must give it to themselves and their family. It consists of one saʿ (approximately 2.5–3 kg) of the common staple food of their area or its money equivalent to that amount. This zakat must be distributed to the poor and needy before the Eid prayer if it is to fulfil its obligation; giving it after the prayer becomes normal voluntary charity.
The reward of every good deed performed in Ramadan is multiplied. Providing iftar to a fasting person, even with a single date or a glass of water, grants the giver the full reward of that person’s fast without diminishing their reward in the slightest.
Orphans in Need ensures that every penny of Ramadan donations reaches verified orphans, widows, and displaced families in Gaza, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan, and Bangladesh camps with zero overheads deducted.
Any deliberate intake of food or drink, no matter how small, completely invalidates the fast and obligates both qada (making up the day) and the severe kaffarah of fasting sixty consecutive days or feeding sixty poor people. Even a single drop of water swallowed intentionally triggers this penalty. Unintentional consumption, however, requires only qada and carries no sin.
Sexual intercourse during fasting hours is the second act that triggers the full kaffarah penalty. The moment penetration occurs, the fast is broken regardless of what happens. Couples who fall into this error out of forgetfulness must stop immediately, make ghusl, and complete the rest of the day in fasting, then perform qada and kaffarah. Relations are fully permissible from Maghrib until the next Fajr.
Deliberately causing oneself to vomit a mouthful or more breaks the fast and requires qada. Swallowing toothpaste, chewing gum containing sugar, taking oral medication, smoking, vaping, or receiving nutritional drips all invalidate the day.
Medical injections that are non-nutritive, eye drops, ear drops, nose sprays, inhalers, and blood tests remain permissible according to most fatwas.
The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) warned that many people who fast receive nothing but hunger and thirst because they fail to guard their tongues. False speech, gossip, slander, cursing, shouting, and insulting others destroy the spiritual reward of fasting, even though the fast may remain technically valid. Silence in the face of backbiting is also blameworthy and diminishes the reward of the fast.
Hours lost to television series, endless scrolling, social media reels and videos, and non-beneficial chatting constitute a waste of the most valuable month of the year. Every minute in Ramadan is worth more than an entire month outside of it, and excessive entertainment contradicts the very purpose of hunger, reflection, and reconnection with Allah.
Stuffing oneself at iftar until discomfort and sleeping the entire day to pass the fast both oppose the wisdom of Ramadan. The month trains the soul in self-restraint and discipline; excessive eating and sleepiness defeat that training.
Moderation at the iftar table and balanced meals preserve both the physical health benefits and the spiritual focus.
Brushing teeth with miswak or toothpaste (provided nothing is swallowed), showering or swimming to cool down, applying perfume or kohl, embracing one’s spouse without leading to sexual acts, tasting food while cooking and spitting it out immediately, and undergoing blood tests, dialysis, insulin injections, or asthma inhalers do not affect the validity of the fast according to the vast majority of contemporary scholars.
Menstruating women, women experiencing postpartum bleeding, pregnant and nursing mothers who fear harm, travellers on journeys of 78 km or more, the acutely ill, and those with chronic conditions that would worsen by fasting are completely excused.
Missed days must be made up later, except for those permanently unable; they pay fidya by feeding one poor person for each day. These exemptions are mercies given by Allah and not loopholes to be exploited.
Accurate adherence to these Ramadan rulings preserves both the validity and the reward of fasting. Orphans in Need delivers 100 % of Ramadan and Zakat al-Fitr donations directly to orphans and widows in the world’s most severe crisis zones.
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