Do Salt Baths Invalidate One’s Fast?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I sometimes take Epsom salt baths to ease muscle tension and stress. I just wanted to check if this can invalidate a fast due to absorption. Sometimes I can taste a bit of salt around my mouth afterward, even though I haven’t swallowed anything.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are well. Thank you for your question.
Salt baths do not invalidate one’s fasting unless water goes down one’s throat. One should ensure not to allow water high up, so there is no chance of nearing or reaching one’s mouth.
One thing that requires nothing and is not disliked in fasting is rinsing the mouth or nose without any water proceeding down the throat. [‘Ala’uddin Ibn ‘Abidin, Al-Hadiyyah al-’Ala’iyyah]
Check this linked answer:
Fasting: A Comprehensive SeekersGuidance Reader – SeekersGuidance
I hope this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.
He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.
