Fasting (uraza) in Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam. It should be observed by every Muslim who is an adult and is in his right mind. Elderly people (must pay fidia), pregnant women, nursing mothers, sick people who are forced to take medications, and travelers who are fasting outside the home (the distance must be at least 100 km) are allowed to disregard the uraz.

During fasting, it is forbidden to take food and medicine the size of a pea, drink water or medicine, or have sexual intercourse during daylight hours. But not only.

When is fasting not considered broken?

According to the imam-khatyb of the Apanaev mosque, Niyaz khazrat Sabirov, if a Muslim drank water during daylight hours or ate something out of forgetfulness, the uraza is not considered violated.

“In such cases, they say: Allah fed him,” says Niyaz Hazrat Sabirov. "But if the fasting person deliberately took food at the forbidden time, then he needs to make atonement - to fast for an additional 60 days."

Also, during the uraza period, it is allowed to taste the purchased goods and chew food for the child.

Fasting is not considered broken if a Muslim does not perform namaz at the prescribed time - the prayer can be made up in the next few hours.

Can I get injections during Ramadan?

“Anything that is injected into the human body is prohibited during the fasting period, therefore, injections cannot be given. If a person is sick and has to take medicine, then he should not keep his eye out, ”Niyaz Khazrat Sabirov comments.

An exception is the treatment with leeches.

Can I swim?

Diving and swimming is undesirable, as water gets into the ears, nose, mouth. If on sunny days you are thirsty and weak in the body, it is better to just take a shower or wipe yourself off with a wet towel.

Is it true that you cannot brush your teeth during the uraza?

During uraza, it is allowed to monitor the cleanliness of the oral cavity with the help of a sivak - this is a toothpick made from the branches and roots of a tree. Sivak has a strong smell and pleasant taste. It strengthens the gums, brightens the teeth and freshens breath.

“Using toothpaste during fasting is undesirable, as it can enter the body. Therefore, siwak is an excellent substitute. You can buy such a toothpick in any Muslim store, ”says Niyaz Hazrat Sabirov.

Can you eat meat after sunset?

After sunset, you can eat everything except meals prepared with the addition of alcohol. Drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited.

“With the onset of evening, immediately after sunset, the fasting person takes light food, 2 hours before dawn (syakhar) a denser meal. Guests, relatives, relatives, friends or neighbors are invited to the evening ritual of breaking the fast. Such a treat is considered a godly deed and serves for the forgiveness of sins. It is desirable that among those present there was a person who knows the Quran or at least basic prayers. During such a dinner, surahs are read, they talk about the deeds of Allah and his prophets. Secular conversations are not prohibited either, ”says Haji Abdullah Dubin.

Prayer will give strength Niyaz Hazrat Sabirov has been fasting since he was 8 years old. According to him, he did not experience great difficulties during the month of Ramadan.

“It seems that 18 hours without food and water is unbearable, but Allah helps. For beginners to fast, I advise them to devote more time to prayers and study the Quran. If possible, you need to sleep more, for example, after the pre-sunset prayer. I advise athletes to stop training during fasting, to save strength, ”says Niyaz hazrat Sabirov.

Dear readers, on this page of our site you can ask any question related to the life of the Zakamsky Deanery and Orthodoxy. Your questions are answered by the clergy of the Holy Ascension Cathedral in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny. We draw your attention to the fact that it is better, of course, to solve questions of a personal spiritual nature in live communication with a priest or with your confessor.

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Date: 03/13/2015 11:56:13

Elena, Naberezhnye Chelny

Can I take medications (pills) during Lent?

in charge of Protodeacon Dmitry Polovnikov

Good day! Please tell me if you can take medications (pills) during Great Lent. The fact is that I am starting to get sick (cold), and since I work, so as not to get sick at all, I wanted to take a pill, but a colleague at work said that I shouldn’t take pills during fasting. How to be? Thanks for the answer.

You MUST take medications if they are really needed for your recovery. Your colleague's opinion is unfounded and even harmful. Fasting gastronomic restrictions apply only to food, and drugs are not.

Dear brothers and sisters, we congratulate you once again on the beginning of blessed Ramadan. May Allah accept your fasts, prayers, dhikrs and dua. Below is a small reminder for those who are fasting - what actions can be taken during the fast, and what can break it (according to the Hanafi madhhab).

These actions DO NOT break the fast:
1. Eating and drinking out of forgetfulness (but you need to stop immediately as soon as the person remembers that he is fasting!)

2. Instill ear drops (or getting water into the ears while bathing)

3. Eye drops or contact lenses

4. Using nicotine patches, creams, deodorants, other cosmetics or oils.

5. Touching or kissing spouses

6. Involuntary ejaculation or involvement in sexual intercourse due to forgetfulness.

7. Use miswak or toothpaste if there is no danger of swallowing the paste.

8. Blood tests or hijama, or any method of extracting blood.

9. Begin fasting while in a state of great defilement.

10. Injections, blood transfusions, kidney dialysis, or any medication through an IV.

11. Treatment or tooth extraction if there is no danger of swallowing the medicine.

12. Laparoscopy / other surgical procedures

13. Vomiting, accidentally or deliberately, if it does not fill the entire mouth.

14. Swallowing vomit unintentionally.

15. Intentional inhalation of smoke or dust.

16. Swallowing your own saliva or mucus, even if it has gone down the throat.

17. Bathing if water does not enter the nose or throat.

18. Administration of drugs through the intimate organs of a woman or examination by a gynecologist (other examinations of these organs).

19. Slander or lies.
These actions BREAK the fast:
1. Eat or drink deliberately, knowing that you are fasting.

2. Swallowing toothpaste or mouthwash.

3. Swallowing food stuck between the teeth (even the size of a pea).

4. Swallowing the saliva of another person (for example, another spouse while kissing).

5. Using nasal drops (instilling medicine into the nose).

6. Taking any medicine by mouth.

7. The use of medical inhalers.

8. Inhalation of smoke deliberately (when smoking, for example).

9. Conscious sexual intercourse.

10. Ejaculation caused by conscious stimulation (eg masturbation).

11. Endoscopic examinations (insertion of a probe through the mouth or rectum, as they are lubricated with drugs).

12. The introduction of some substances through the rectum (enema, for example).

Note: Eating, drinking, and having intercourse on purpose during the day of fasting requires kaffara (continuous fasting for 60 days).

The Eucharistic tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church contains the concept of fasting before accepting the Holy Gifts. It is generally accepted that fasting begins at midnight and continues until the Sacrament itself. An exception is made for infants and seriously ill, dying people.
However, many people have a problem with fasting due to the need to take medication on an empty stomach. How to be in such a situation? Is it possible to receive communion or is it better to leave the Sacrament until recovery? To answer these questions, we suggest touching on church history.

In the first centuries of the Christian Church, the so-called love feasts or agapa were the expression of love and Christian unity in faith. The members of the Church gathered there for the celebration of the Eucharist, prayer and a common meal. We are interested in the fact that at such meetings Christians first ate food - a common meal - and only then, at the end of the Meal, they received the Holy Gifts.

That is, communion after dinner was common for Christians.
This practice would have continued even now, if not for the frequent abuse by unscrupulous Christians. It so happened that the richer members of the community became greedy and avoided treating their poor fellows. We find condemnation of this vice in St. The Apostle Paul, who says: "Don't you have houses to eat and drink?" ().

In the course of further history, the abuse only intensified, and it was already difficult to maintain the purity of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Therefore, the sacrament was moved to the beginning of the agap, and lunch to the second place. From this time, the Eucharistic fast began. Soon the agapas disappeared from church use, and the Eucharist became an independent divine service. On this occasion, ecclesiastical canonical documents were published, which were devoted to the justification of fasting before communion and the prohibition to perform agapah.

Thus, it becomes clear that the prohibition to eat before the sacrament is not absolute.

From the photo album of Priest Konstantin Parkhomenko

In modern church practice, according to the recently published statute on the Eucharist, seriously ill people are allowed to take the necessary medicines before the sacrament. Because medicine is not food.

Unfortunately, our illnesses often become chronic. We are constantly looking for sources of health and longevity for ourselves and our loved ones. Today, there are many treatment regimens based on fasting medication. These can be various herbal infusions, or, for example, the proven Chinese way of cleansing the blood by taking a grated clove of garlic on an empty stomach.

Is it possible to receive communion for those who adhere to these treatment courses?
In my opinion, in a situation that does not require urgent administration of drugs into the body, one can refrain from preventive or general strengthening measures concomitant to treatment. Perhaps sometimes we can allow the Lord to visit and heal us. After all, we partake not only for the remission of sins, but also for healing. A rare parishioner has the opportunity to receive Holy Communion often. I think it is worthwhile in these holy days of union with Christ to leave a place for our faith and for God to visit us.

On the other hand, every Christian considers it his duty to take part of the holy prosphora and holy water every day. What about the combination of fasting medication?
In such a situation, it makes sense to separate in time the intake of medicines and the saints of prosphora and water.
In any case, it will be useful to consult with a confessor on this matter, who will give individual advice and recommendations.

Priest Alexander Denisov

Fasting (uraza) in Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam. It should be observed by every Muslim who is an adult and is in his right mind. Elderly people (must pay fidia), pregnant women, nursing mothers, sick people who are forced to take medications, and travelers who are fasting outside the home (the distance must be at least 100 km) are allowed to disregard the uraz. However, in the future, they need to compensate for all the days of fasting.

During fasting, it is forbidden to take food and medicine the size of a pea, drink water or medicine, or have sexual intercourse during daylight hours.

“Fasting is not only abstaining from eating and drinking, but also abstaining from sins committed by the tongue and other parts of the body. You should not talk bad about someone, do bad deeds, but on the contrary, this month you should try to do as much good as possible, ”says Niyaz Hazrat Sabirov.

When is fasting not considered broken?

According to the imam-khatyb of the Apanaev mosque, Niyaz khazrat Sabirov, if a Muslim drank water during daylight hours or ate something out of forgetfulness, the uraza is not considered violated.

“In such cases, they say: Allah fed him,” says Niyaz Hazrat Sabirov. - But if the fasting person deliberately took food at the forbidden time, then he needs to make atonement - to fast continuously for two lunar months or to feed 60 poor people.

Also, during the uraza period, it is allowed to taste the purchased goods and chew food for the child.

Can I get injections during Ramadan?

“Anything that is injected into the human body is prohibited during the fasting period, therefore, injections cannot be given. If a person is sick and has to take medicine, then he should not keep his eye out, ”Niyaz Khazrat Sabirov comments.

An exception is the treatment with leeches.

After sunset, all prohibitions are lifted. Photo: AiF / Ruslan Ishmukhametov

Can I swim?

Diving and swimming is undesirable, as water gets into the nose and mouth. If on sunny days you are thirsty and weak in the body, it is better to just take a shower or wipe yourself off with a wet towel.

Is it true that you cannot brush your teeth during the uraza?

During uraza, it is allowed to monitor the cleanliness of the oral cavity with the help of a sivak - this is a toothpick made from the branches and roots of a tree. Sivak has a strong smell and pleasant taste. It strengthens the gums, brightens the teeth and freshens breath.

“Using toothpaste during fasting is undesirable, as it can enter the body. Therefore, siwak is an excellent substitute. You can buy such a toothpick in any Muslim store, ”says Niyaz Hazrat Sabirov.

Can you eat meat after sunset?

After sunset, you can eat everything that is not forbidden by Islam. Let us remind you that pork and alcohol are strictly prohibited. Meat eaten must be halal.

“With the onset of evening, immediately after sunset, the fasting person takes light food, 2 hours before dawn (syakhar), a denser meal. Guests, relatives, relatives, friends or neighbors are invited to the evening ritual of breaking the fast. Such a treat is considered a godly deed and serves for the forgiveness of sins. It is desirable that among those present there was a person who knows the Quran or at least basic prayers. During such a dinner, surahs are read, they talk about the deeds of Allah and his prophets. Small talk is not forbidden either, ”says Haji Abdullah Dubin.

Prayer Will Empower

Niyaz Hazrat Sabirov has been in office since he was 8 years old. According to him, he did not experience great difficulties during the month of Ramadan.

“It seems that 18 hours without food and water is unbearable, but Allah helps. For beginners to fast, I advise them to devote more time to prayers and study the Quran. If possible, you need to sleep more, for example, after the pre-sunset prayer. I advise athletes to stop training during fasting, to save strength, ”says Niyaz hazrat Sabirov.