Question

My son was born when Ramadhan was in autumn. It was still British Summer Time and the fasts were about 12 hours long. The doctors were concerned about my baby’s growth and decided to induce me. I only needed a cervical sweep. I believed that this broke my fast so I ate before sunset. Do I have to do kaffarah for this mistake? Or is it OK because I broke the fast to gain strength for my baby’s birth?

Answer

If a person eats or drinks under the assumption that they had previously carried out an act which broke their fast, however in reality the act they carried out did not invalidate their fast, then they would have to make up one fast (qada).

As for the penalty (kaffarah) this would depend on whether or not there was a valid reason for assuming the fast to have been broken. If, for example, according to some scholars an act breaks the fast but according to others (including the scholars the individual follows) it does not, and the person in question ate something assuming their fast to already be broken, then they will not have to carry out the penalty but instead will only make up one fast (qada).

In your case a cervical sweep requires a midwife or doctor to insert their finger into the private area and sweep it around the cervix. Contemporary scholars are of the opinion that insertion into the vagina does not break the fast. However, traditionally scholars considered insertion of a moist finger into the vagina to invalidate the fast due to the assumption that there was a direct link between the vagina and the digestive tract.

As this difference of opinion could cause some confusion regarding a cervical sweep breaking the fast, you will not be required to carry out the penalty and making up one fast (qada) will suffice.

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 411)
أو احتجم) أي فعل ما لا يظن الفطر به كفصد وكحل ولمس وجماع بهيمة بلا إنزال أو إدخال أصبع في دبر ونحو ذلك (فظن فطره به فأكل عمدا قضى) في الصور كلها (وكفر) لأنه ظن في غير محله حتى لو أفتاه مفت يعتمد على قوله أو سمع حديثا ولم يعلم تأويله لم يكفر للشبهة

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 401)
أو أكل) أو جامع (ناسيا) أو احتلم أو أنزل بنظر أو ذرعه القيء (فظن أنه أفطر فأكل عمدا) للشبهة ولو علم عدم فطره لزمته الكفارة إلا في مسألة المتن فلا كفارة مطلقا على المذهب لشبهة خلاف مالك خلافا لهما كما في المجمع وشروحه فقيد الظن إنما هو لبيان الاتفاق

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 397)
أو أدخل أصبعه اليابسة فيه) أي دبره أو فرجها ولو مبتلة فسد

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel