Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

salam brother ,

 

i have a question relating to fasting. i know that your are not allowed to eat or drink anything during fasting. 1.) but, can you drink your saliva, and if yes! how much can one take when one is feeling thirsty?

2.) I know that we`re not suppose to brush our teeth or nething. but, can one rinse or gargle with water or is only excepted during ablution that you can rinse your mouth.?

3.) during fasting, when one is taking a shower, what are the precautions one should take so their fasting does not break?

 

plz answer my questions as soon as possible.zazak allah kahir.

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Does saliva break fast?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Q-1:  but, can you drink your saliva, and if yes! how much can one take when one is feeling thirsty?

There are five things which will break or invalidate the fast:

Eating

Drinking

Sexual intercourse

voluntary semen discharge

the menstruation of the woman while fasting

 

The swallowing of one’s own saliva, no matter how much it is, does not break the fast.

 

Q-2:  I know that we`re not suppose to brush our teeth or nething. but, can one rinse or gargle with water or is only excepted during ablution that you can rinse your mouth.?

There is no harm if one brushes his teeth during the fast;  but one must make sure that nothing of the toothpaste goes down the throat,  as that would invalidate the fast.  There is absolutely no harm if one rinses or gargles his mouth with water as one is required to do during wudu; making sure that no water goes down one’s throat.

 

Narrated 'Amir bin Rabi'a, "I saw the Prophet (saws) cleaning his teeth with Siwak while he was fasting so many times that I can't count.”  Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) said, "The Prophet said, 'It (i.e. Siwak) is a purification for the mouth and it is a way of seeking Allah's pleasures.'" Narrated by Jabir and Zaid bin Khalid from the Prophet (saws) who did not differentiate between a fasting and a non-fasting person in this respect (using Siwak).

Ata' and Qatada said, "There is no harm in swallowing the resultant saliva (when one uses siwak while fasting)."

 

Q-3:  during fasting, when one is taking a shower, what are the precautions one should take so their fasting does not break?

Provided one does not voluntarily drink the water, there are no special precautions one who is fasting needs to take while taking a shower.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your Brother in Islam,

 

 

Burhan