Does Swallowing Traces of Toothpaste in My Mouth Break My Fast?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
Do I have to fast again if I swallowed toothpaste residue left in my mouth after brushing my teeth?
In Ramadhan, throughout the day I would occasionally find what I later found out to be something like toothpaste residue, the actual residue felt almost web-like, is my fast broken for swallowing that?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
No, your fast is not broken for swallowing traces of toothpaste after brushing your teeth before Fajr time. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
In fact, eating what is between the teeth, if it is less than the size of a chickpea, won’t break your fast. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
This is obviously the case for the traces of toothpaste left in your mouth.
The reason behind this ruling is that it is extremely difficult to avoid this type of incident. Thus it is excused. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
Allah Most High says: “Allah intends (to provide) ease for you and does not intend (to create) hardship for you.” [Quran, 2:185]
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found.
Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.
He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
