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[Q-ID0478] Does inhaling steam when having a shower break the Fast?

QUESTION:

What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue, that during ghusl, if someone inhales the steam of hot water in the state of fasting, will his fast become invalid from this?

Questioner: Wasim from England

ANSWER:

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب

The ruling of this is the same ruling which is of smoke and of dust, that if someone purposely inhales steam from hot water in the case of remembering that one had a fast, then the fast will become invalid.

Just as ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Ābideen Shāmī رحمه الله states in Radd al-Muhtār that,

‘لَوْ تَبَخَّرَ بِخَبُوْرٍ وَ آوَاهُ إلٰى نَفْسِهِ وَاشْتَمَتَّهُ ذَاكِرًا لِصَوْمِهِ أفْطَرَ لِلْأمْكَانِ التَّحَرُّزِ وَ هٰذَا مِمَّا يَغْفُلُ عَنْهُ كَثِيْرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ’

If some incense was smouldering [burning], and one bought it close whilst remembering that one was fasting and one smelt it, then the fast has become invalid because it is possible to avoid this; this is that, in which most people are heedless.

[Radd al-Muhtār, Bāb Mā Yufsidu al-Sawm wa Mā Lā Yufsidu, vol. 2, Pg. 395]

If one didn’t do so purposely, meaning, one didn’t intentionally inhale steam, but the steam went inside by breathing, then the fast will not become invalid from this. Just as ‘Allāmah Muhammad Bin ‘Alī Haskafī رحمه الله has stated in al-Durr al-Mukhtār,

‘دَخَلَ حَلْقَهُ غُبَارٌ أوْ ذُبَابٌ أوْ دُخَانٌ وَ لَوْ ذَاكِرًا اسْتِحْسَانًا لِعَدَمِ إمْكَانِ التَّحَرُّزِ عَنْهُ’

If a fly, dust or smoke enter the throat on its own accord, even though one remembered that one had a fast, then istihsānan the fast will not become invalid because it is not possible to avoid this.

[al-Durr al-Mukhtār ma’a Radd al-Muhtār, Bāb Mā Yufsidu al-Sawm wa Mā Lā Yufsidu, Vol. 2, Pg. 395]

And it is stated in Bahār-e-Sharī’at, ‘And if one intentionally breathes in smoke, then the fast will be broken, on the condition that he remembered that he was fasting, no matter if it was the smoke from anything, to the extent that if the incense of fragrance etc. was burning and he placed his face near it and inhaled the smoke from it through his nostrils, the fast will be invalidated.’

[Bahār-e-Sharī’at, Vol. 1, Pg. 982, Maktaba tul Madīnah print]

واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری

Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Haider Ali

Read the original answer in Urdu here – [Q-ID0478] Does inhaling steam when having a shower break the Fast PDF?

Also see:

[Q-ID0327] Whilst fasting does inhaling the fragrance of air freshener invalidate the fast?

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