1) Focusing on food to the extent that people begin to worry about eating more than actually fasting. This also goes along with spending thousands of bucks on Iftars even though a person does not need to eat that much food.
2) Making suhoor much before Fajr prayer. Some people eat suhoor a few hours after Tarawih or Isha prayers, this is wrong. It should be had closer to the time of Fajr.
3) People don’t make niyyah (intentions) to fast for Ramadan. This is something in the heart and does not need to be verbal. Also it only needs to be done once, at the beginning of Ramadan and not every single day.
4) If you find out late that Ramadan started, you should stop eating and fast for that day, making that day up after Ramadan/Eid ends.
5) Many people don’t think you pray Tarawih on the first night of Ramadan. They believe you pray it after the first day you actually fast. They forget that the Islamic calendar runs on the moon, and maghreb, or sun set, is the start of the new day.
6) Many people believe if you eat or drink accidentally, this breaks your fast. This is false, if you do this mistakenly then you continue fasting and do not need to make up for the day.
7) Some people take the opinion that if they see someone eating or drinking they should not remind the person that he/she is fasting. According to late Shaykh Bin Baz, this is incorrect and it is an order from Allah for us to ordain the good and forbid the evil. Thus we tell the person, because we are forbidding the evil this way.
8) Many sisters believe they cannot use Hennah while fasting. This is incorrect, they are allowed to use it during Ramadan.
9) Some people believe when you are cooking you cannot taste the food to see if it has the right spices/flavors. This is false. It is allowed in Islam as long as the person cooking is not eating the food. They can taste it to see if it needs salt, or more spices.
10) Many people think you cannot use a miswak or toothbrush during Ramadan. This is false, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to use a miswak during Ramadan. Also you CAN use toothpaste; the reasoning by the scholars is that the miswak has flavor, thus toothpaste is okay to use (if you are not eating it).
11) Some people make the Fajr Adhan early. They do this so that people will stop eating before Fajr and not invalidate their fast. This is wrong and something we should not do.
12) Some people make the Maghrib Adhan late. They do this so that people will start eating late, just in case Maghrib has not come in yet. This too is wrong and we should not do this.
13) Many many people believe you cannot have intercourse with your spouse during the whole month of Ramadan. This is false, you cannot do this only during the times when you are fasting. Between Maghrib and Fajr it is permissible to do.
14) Many women believe that if their period has just ended and they did not make ghusl (bath), they cannot fast that day (considering their period ended at night, and they went to bed without ghusl, waking up without having a chance to make it). This is incorrect, if a women has not made ghusl, she can still fast.
15) Many men believe that if he has had intercourse with his wife and did not make ghusl (similar to the above) then he cannot fast the next morning. This is also incorrect, for he can fast even if he has not made ghusl.
16) Some people pray Dhuhr and Asr prayers together during Ramadan (mainly in Arab countries). This is incorrect and should be avoided.
17) Some people believe you cannot eat until the Maghrib adhan is complete. This is incorrect too. As soon as the adhan begins, a person can break one’s fast.
18) Many people don’t take advantage of making d’ua before they break their fast. This is one of the three occasions when Allah accepts a person’s prayers.
19) Many people make the mistake of spending the later part of Ramadan preparing for Eid, neglecting Ramadan. This is incorrect and these people lose the concept of what Ramadan is about.
20) Many parents do not let their children fast during Ramadan (young children). This is something a counter productive to a child. By allowing him to fast he will grow up to know he must do this act.
21) Many people think Ramadan is just about not eating; and forget about controlling their tempers and paying heed to what they say. In actuality we are supposed to control our tempers and mouths even more during Ramadan.
22) People often waste their time during Ramadan. They go to sleep during the day and do nothing. We must take advantage of this blessed month by doing extra Ibadat.
23) Some people don’t go on trips or travel during Ramadan. They think they have to break their fast when traveling. This is actually optional, if you want to break your fast while traveling you can (with making it up later), and if you don’t you can continue fasting.
24) Many people who are healthy don’t make I’tikaf in the masjid. We should take advantage of our good health and spend lots of time in the Masjid, especially the last 10 days of Ramadan.
25) Some people believe they cannot cut their hair or nails during Ramadan. This is also false.
26) Some people say you cannot swallow your spit during Ramadan. This too is false. However you cannot swallow mucus that has entered your mouth.
27) Some people say you cannot use scented oils or perfumes during Ramadan. This too is false.
28) Some people believe bleeding breaks the fast. This is not true.
29) Some people believe if you throw up on accident it breaks your fast. This is not true, however if you do it intentionally it does.
30) Some people think you cannot put water in your nose and mouth during wudhu in Ramadan. This too is incorrect.
Common mistakes while fasting
