When the Fast Begins and Ends
The Ramadan fast (sawm) is a single continuous abstention from dawn to sunset. It begins at true dawn — the moment marked by the end of sihori (the pre-dawn meal) and the entry of the time of Fajr — and it ends at sunset, when iftar is taken at the time of Maghrib. The Quran sets this frame plainly: eat and drink ‘until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread; then complete the fast until the night’ (2:187).
Throughout these daytime hours a mumin who has made the intention (niyyat) to fast must hold back from the recognised invalidators. Note the practical point: stop eating and drinking as sihori time ends, not when the call to prayer is well underway. After sunset the obligation lifts, and breaking the fast promptly at the right time is itself encouraged.
What Invalidates the Fast (Muftirat)
The well-established acts that break the fast when done deliberately, knowingly, and while remembering one is fasting, include:
- Eating or drinking — taking any food or drink into the stomach by the usual route.
- Intentional vomiting — deliberately making oneself vomit (vomiting that overcomes you involuntarily is treated differently).
- Marital intercourse during the fasting day.
- Other recognised nullifiers codified in Da’a’im al-Islam and the community Mansak.
By contrast, several things do not break the fast:
- Forgetful eating or drinking — if you genuinely forgot you were fasting and ate or drank, the fast is not broken; stop the moment you remember and continue.
- Acts done under genuine compulsion or that overcome you involuntarily.
- Ordinary unavoidable matters such as swallowing one’s own saliva, the dust of the road, or involuntary actions.
Because some categories carry conditions and fine distinctions, do not assume — verify a doubtful case rather than guess.
Qaza Only vs. Qaza Plus Kaffarah — and Confirming the Method
A broken fast carries one of two consequences, and it is important not to confuse them:
- Qaza only: the fast must be made up (one day for one day) after Ramadan. This applies to many breaks, including those due to excused circumstances and to lesser lapses.
- Qaza plus kaffarah: the most serious deliberate violations of the Ramadan day fast carry, in addition to making up the day, an expiation (kaffarah). The kaffarah is a heavier penalty, and its exact form and measure are set by the established rulings — see the dedicated guide on Kaffarah For Broken Fast.
Do not assign kaffarah to a case that only requires qaza, or vice versa; the distinction depends on the nature of the act and the conditions around it.
Finally, please treat this as a study aid only. The authoritative method for Dawoodi Bohra mumineen is the community Mansak, and the precise rulings, conditions, amounts, and any case that genuinely varies should be confirmed with your aamil saheb.
See also: Niyyat For Fasting, Suhoor And Iftar Guide, Kaffarah For Broken Fast, Ramadan Guide