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Does Masturbation Without Ejaculation Break the Fast?

15-11-2002

Question 38074

Does masturbation break the fast if it is done during the day in Ramadan but no semen is emitted?

Summary of answer:

Masturbation breaks the fast and the one who does that has to make up that day. However, masturbation without ejaculating does not break the fast.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Does masturbation break the fast?

Masturbation is one of the things that invalidates the fast, and the one who does that has to make up for the day that he broke his fast. He must also repent from this great sin. 

Shaykh Ibn Baz said: 

Masturbation during the day in Ramadan invalidates the fast if it is done deliberately and semen is emitted as a result. The person must make up the day if that was an obligatory fast, and he must repent to Allah, because masturbation is not permissible whether one is fasting or not. It is an action which people call the ‘secret habit’. “ (Fatawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baz, 15/267)

Does masturbation without ejaculation break the fast?

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

“If a fasting person masturbates and ejaculates , this breaks his fast, and he has to make up the fast of the day on which he masturbated, but he does not have to offer any expiation, because the expiation is only required of one who has intercourse. And he has to repent from what he did.” (Fatawa Arkan al-Islam, p. 478) 

This applies if he masturbated and ejaculated; if he did not ejaculate then this does not break the fast. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (6/388):  

“If he masturbated without ejaculating, this does not invalidate the fast.” 

And Allah knows best.

Things which invalidate the fast
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