The Official Website of Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi

Islamic laws fall in to five categories. 1. Wājib A series of acts which a Muslim is obligated to perform such as prayer, fasting, and hajj pilgrimage. 2. Muharramat Acts which a Muslim must abstain from such as telling a lie or backbiting. 3. Mubāḥat Acts which have no spiritual reward if one performs them, nor is it sinful if one does not. 4. Mustaḥabat A series of acts which have reward if one performs them, and yet not performing them is not sinful, such as almsgiving. 5. Makrūhat A series of acts which are not sinful, and yet it is better not to do them, such as eating hot food. It is noteworthy that at times when a believer fasts, some acts which are allowable or even recommended in normal circumstances become makrūh for them. The disliked acts of fasting are as follows. 1. Putting medication in the eyes or inhaling snuff through the nose are makrūh for one who is not certain whether these things will reach their throat. But if one is certain that the medicine will reach their throat and be swallowed, they should not do so or else the fast will be invalidated. 2. Applying kohl in a way that the taste or smell of it reaches the throat. 3. Doing things that cause weakness such as taking a bath, giving blood, having teeth extracted or doing anything that causes blood to come out of the mouth. 4. Smelling aromatic plants. 5. To sit in water for women based on precaution. 6. Applying a suppository based on precaution. 7. Moistening the clothes. 8. Brushing the teeth with a fresh piece of wood. 9. Doing things that arouse sexual desire on the condition that there is no intention of ejaculating or else fasting will be invalidated.