Is my fast valid if I drank alcohol the night before?

Yes, your fast is valid if you drank alcohol the night before, as long as you stopped before dawn and made the intention to fast. Drinking is a sin in itself, but it doesn't cancel a fast that started after it. Repent, keep fasting, and don't let shame stop you.
Why the fast still counts
A fast is about what you do between dawn and sunset. If you ate, drank or did anything else at night, it has no effect on the next day's fast, as long as you stopped before Fajr. Alcohol is no different here: a hangover, a headache or the smell on your breath does not break the fast.
Two things to check:
- You stopped before dawn. Drinking anything, alcohol or water, after Fajr has started means you didn't fast that day.
- You intended to fast. If you went to bed planning to fast tomorrow, that is enough. If you were so drunk that you made no decision at all, many scholars say the obligatory fast needs an intention before dawn, so make that day up to be safe.
Alcohol is still haram
Being valid doesn't mean it was fine. Alcohol is clearly forbidden, in Ramadan and outside it. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Every intoxicant is khamr and every intoxicant is haram" (Sahih Muslim 2003). See Can Muslims drink alcohol?
Drinking can also ruin other parts of your worship: you can't pray while drunk, and a heavy night often means missing suhoor and Fajr.
If you are a new Muslim still quitting
Many converts are still breaking old habits. The fact that you're worried about your fast shows real faith. Don't think "my fast is pointless, so I might as well stop". Keep fasting, keep praying, and use Ramadan as the push to quit. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hoping for reward will have their past sins forgiven (Sahih al-Bukhari 38).
- Remove alcohol from your home and avoid the places where you used to drink.
- Tell a trusted Muslim friend or imam so you have support.
- If you are physically dependent, speak to a doctor: stopping suddenly can be dangerous.
See Will Allah forgive me if I keep committing the same sin?
- Drinking alcohol at night doesn't break the next day's fast.
- You must have stopped before dawn and intended to fast.
- Alcohol is still haram and needs sincere repentance.
- Keep fasting; don't let one sin lead you to drop good deeds.
People also ask
What if I break my fast a few minutes early?
Breaking your fast a few minutes early on purpose means making up the day. By honest mistake, most scholars say make up one day; there is no sin.
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