26. Fasting and Vomiting

By Asma bint Shameem

QUESTION

I vomited during the day while I was fasting. Is my fast valid? What should I do?

ANSWER

If you vomited INVOLUNTARILY and it just came out on it’s own, it does NOT invalidate the fast, EVEN IF IT’S A LOT.

You don’t have to do anything and your fast is still GOOD.

BUT if you vomited DELIBERATELY by putting your fingers down the throat or by any other means, then the fast is INVALIDATED. And you’ll have to make up that day later on.

Proof

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“The one who cannot help vomiting does not have to make up the fast, but the one who vomits deliberately has to make it up.” (at-Tirmidhi- saheeh by al-Albaani)

NOTE:
Some people think that if the vomit is big in amount then it would break their fast even if it's unintentional.
That's NOT CORRECT.

What if I swallowed some of my vomit?

If you could have spit it out but you didn’t; rather you swallowed it back down, then that will break the fast.

But if it was UNINTENTIONAL and beyond your control and it just somehow went down your throat, your fast is still valid.

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“If he vomited deliberately then his fast is invalidated, but if he could not help it then his fast is not invalidated. Similarly it is not invalidated by his swallowing it so long as he did not do that deliberately.” [The Standing Committee (10/254)]

What about reflux/burping that brings up food?

The same rulings apply to reflux or burps that bring up food.

So if you feel the food in your throat, try to spit it out and do not swallow it.

But if you can’t spit it out and it’s not within your control then it does not invalidate the fast, even if you unintentionally swallow some of it.

Ibn Hazm said:

“Reflux that comes out of the throat does not invalidate the fast, so long as the person does not deliberately swallow it back after it reaches the mouth when he is able to expel it.”
[al-Muhalla (4/225)]

And Allaah knows best.