Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As-salaamu aliykum,

First and foremost, i thank God for everything, and also thank you for having such a site put up. It has enligtened, and educated me on various aspects of Islam. I wish you all the best and please do keep up the good work! To my question now.

While one is fasting, what exactly is one not supposed to do to nullify the fast? Also some questions i'd like answers to:

- Is it true that if you cry your fast is broken?

- Can one wear deo/prefume for hygenic reasons?

- Can one wear makeup (eg lipstick, apply cream)?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Does crying, makeup and perfume break fast?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. We humbly hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgive us our shortcomings, and save you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Q-1: While one is fasting, what exactly is one not supposed to do to nullify the fast?

There are basically five things which nullify one’s fast:

Eating

Drinking

Sexual intercourse

Intentional ejaculation

The woman who gets her monthly periods during a fast.

Q-2: Is it true that if you cry your fast is broken?

Crying does not invalidate the fast in any way. If the person cries due to the fear and awe of Allah Subhanah, he will earn a huge reward from the All Merciful.

Q-3: Can one wear deo/prefume for hygenic reasons?

There is absolutely no harm if one applies deodorants or perfumes while fasting; it does not invalidate the fast.

Q-4: Can one wear makeup (eg lipstick, apply cream)?

There is absolutely no harm if one applies make-up or cream while fasting; it does not invalidate the fast. Regarding the application of lip-stick, there is a fear that the lip-stick might touch the tongue and some of it may be swallowed down the throat; thus it would be better and purer to abstain from applying lip-stick while fasting. But if one is absolutely sure that the lip-stick will not be swallowed, there is no harm in its application while fasting.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan