Does inhaling steam when having a shower break the Fast?

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 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 bought it close whilst remembering that was fasting and 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 didn’t do so purposely, meaning, 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 remembered that 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 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?