he breaks the fast; otherwise, he does not.
If particles of food remain between his teeth and his saliva carries them down while he is unable to distinguish and expel them, his fast is not affected.
Should he be force-fed, his fast is likewise unharmed; but if he is coerced until he himself eats, the preponderant view is that his fast is void.
I say: the sounder position is that it is not void, and Allah knows best.
One who eats forgetfully does not break his fast, unless—according to one opinion—he eats a great deal.
I say: the sounder view is that even then the fast remains valid, and Allah knows best.
Intercourse is treated like eating in this respect.
Masturbation invalidates the fast, as does the emission of semen through touching, kissing, or intimate bodily contact; mere thoughts or looking with desire do not.
Kissing is disliked for anyone whose desire is stirred, and it is preferable for others to abstain from it.
I say: the stronger opinion is that this is a prohibition tantamount to being unlawful, and Allah knows best.
A mere resolve to break the fast does not invalidate it, nor does undergoing cupping.
As a precaution, one should not eat late in the day unless he is certain that sunset has occurred, though acting on personal judgment is permissible on the sounder opinion.
It is also permissible to eat when one believes—or even merely doubts—that night still remains.
I say: the same ruling applies in a case of doubt, and Allah knows best.
If a person eats on the basis of personal judgment at either end of the day and then discovers that he was mistaken, his fast is nullified.
If he eats without any assumption and the matter remains unresolved, the fast is valid when the eating occurred at the beginning of the day but invalid when it occurred at the end.
Should dawn break while food is still in his mouth and he spits it out immediately, his fast stands; the same applies if he was in the act of intercourse and withdrew at once—linger, and the fast is spoiled.
Section
The conditions for a valid fast are: Islam, sanity, and complete freedom from menstruation and post-partum bleeding throughout the day.
Prolonged sleep does not harm the fast, according to the correct view, and the stronger opinion is that unconsciousness does not vitiate it so long as the person regains consciousness for even a moment during the day.
Fasting is invalid on the Festival day (ʿĪd), and likewise on the Days of Tashrīq under the newer opinion.
It is not permissible to volunteer a fast on the Day of Doubt without a specific cause; if someone does so, it is invalid on the sounder view.
However, he may observe that day as a make-up fast or in fulfillment of a vow; the same holds when the day coincides with his regular supererogatory fast, even if it is the thirtieth of Shaʿbān and people are talking of having sighted the moon—or children, slaves, or openly sinful persons have testified to it.
An overcast sky alone does not render the day one of doubt.
It is recommended to hasten the breaking of the fast with dates; if none are available, then with water.
One should delay the pre-dawn meal (suḥūr) as long as no uncertainty arises, guard his tongue from lying and backbiting, and restrain his soul from base desires.
It is also recommended for a person in major ritual impurity to bathe before dawn and to take precautions