Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
There is nothing wrong in swallowing oneโs own saliva. There is nothing in the sources of the Shari`ah to tell that swallowing oneโs own saliva invalidates fasting.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Does Swallowing Saliva Affect Your Fast?
There is absolutely nothing wrong in swallowing your own saliva; if such a thing had been considered as invalidating fast, then we would have learned about it from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself, for it is such an essential matter.
What the Prophet (PBUH) Communicated About Fasting
We believe the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has communicated to the Ummah in no uncertain terms everything that we must know that is of an essential nature in our religion, especially in matters of worship.
Quranic Guidance on What Breaks a Fast
Moreover, Allah says in the Quran, {Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread of dawn (until the appearance of true dawn).} (Al-Baqarah 2:187)
Ibn Hazmโs View on Swallowing Saliva While Fasting
So, we are told to abstain from food and drink while fasting. As Imam Ibn Hazm has rightly pointed out humankind does not consider things such as swallowing oneโs saliva, rinsing the mouth or answering the call of nature as akin to eating and drinking.
In conclusion, it is absolutely fine to swallow oneโs own saliva; it does not break oneโs fast.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editorโs note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholarโs archive and was originally published at an earlier date.
