There's no difference of opinion amongst the scholars concerning these three matters being from the invalidators, as this is proven by the Qur'ān, Sunnah and Ij
7 March 2023 • 1.2K views
Proof from the Qur'ān:
Allāh said (translated meaning): “...You may be intimate with them and seek what Allāh has prescribed for you. ˹You may˺ eat and drink until you see the light of dawn breaking the darkness of night, then complete the fast until nightfall...” [Sūrah Al-Baqarah 187]
Proof from the Sunnah:
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allāh the Exalted said: '...He (the fasting person) abstains from his food, drink, and sexual pleasures for My sake.'” [Bukhāri & Muslim]
The Ijmā’ was transmitted by Ibn Ḥazm, Ibn Al-Mundhir, Ibn Qudāmah and others.
____
Important notes regarding eating & drinking:
Note 1: The Ijmā’ with regards to eating and drinking relates to consumption of nutritional substances. As for consuming non-nutritional substances, then there's differing amongst the scholars. However, the correct opinion is that these also fall under eating and drinking. So if someone swallows a ring; a non-nutritional solid, their fast is invalidated, because this falls under eating. And if someone drinks poison; a non-nutritional liquid, their fast is invalidated, because this falls under drinking. So whatever is consumed via the mouth; whether solids, liquids, or gases which contain particles that reach the stomach[*] (such as ciggarete smoke and incence), all of these fall under eating and drinking, and so the fast is invalidated.
[*] Footnote: This excludes the use of oxygen and asthma pumps, which reach the lungs rather than the stomach. These are not considered food or drink nor do they resemble them. For this reason, the scholars of the Standing Committee have said that these do not invalidate the fast. Even if some of this gas reaches the stomach, the amount is so insignificantly small that it does not invalidate the fast.
Note 2: Everything which nourishes the body, such as nutritional injections, drips, blood transfusion, etc., take the same ruling as eating and drinking, so all of these things invalidate the fast. As for injections which do not provide nutrition to the body, such as vaccinations, insulin, penicillin, etc., these do not invalidate the fast - because they don't fall under eating and drinking.
Note 3: Snuffing things into the nose invalidates the fast because the nose is an inlet to the stomach. This is why the Prophet ﷺ said: “Snuff excessively when doing Wuḍhū unless you are fasting.” [Abū Dāwūd & others - authenticated by Sheikh Albāni and Sheikh Muqbil]
Note 4: Swallowing saliva does not nullify the fast, because (1) it's very difficult to avoid, (2) lack of evidence to suggest otherwise, and (3) An-Nawawi relayed an Ijmā’ regarding the permissibility of swallowing saliva while fasting. [Al-Majmū’ (6/317)]. However, the scholars are agreed that swallowing someone else's saliva invalidates the fast!
Note 5: Swallowing phlegm does not invalidate the fast because: (1) it resembles saliva, and (2) there's no evidence to suggest otherwise. However, it's best to spit it out, because it is harmful to the body.
Note 6: Reflux (Qalas) that comes up to the mouth does not invalidate the fast, as long as one does not deliberately swallow it back down. If it reaches the mouth and one is able to expel it, they must do so.
Note 7: If someone bleeds from inside their mouth, they have to spit the blood out, otherwise the fast is invalidated. But if someone swallows this blood involuntarily, without intending to do so, or someone has a nose bleed and some of that reaches his throat, the fast is not invalidated.
Note 8: Foodbits which remain inside the mouth or get stuck between the teeth must be expelled if one is able to do so, otherwise -according to most scholars- the fast is invalidated if someone swollows it deliberately. But if the foodbits are mixed into the saliva whereby it's impossible to spit out, then the fast is not invalidated.