Fatwa ID: 07913

Answered by Alimah Khadija Tarwala

Question:

After rinsing my mouth I wiped my lips dry with a piece of cloth. later, it felt like I had food in the top end of my mouth, near my throat. I swallowed it since I had just rinsed my mouth previously however there was a chance this was actual food and I intentionally swallowed it knowing this. Another day, after rinsing my mouth I felt like I had food in the roof of my mouth. I intentionally swallowed it, knowing it could be food but I thought it might just be my imagination. When I swallowed it felt like it was in my throat. I then tried not to swallow deliberately and tried to expel it from my throat but I think it went down anyway. I’m confused as to what this was in my mouth, whether it was a piece of thread from the first instance where I wiped my mouth on a cloth, but I never felt it enter my mouth. Or in the second instance where it felt like I had something in my mouth randomly – it felt like a dot in my mouth. Is my fast valid in both instances as I swallowed deliberately knowing it could be food or a piece of thread. If it is not valid do I have to make up one day each for both instances only?

Recently, when making up my fast I thought I had thread in my mouth and swallowed it. Was my makeup fast valid or not? If not, do I need to makeup a fast for this makeup fast un top of the one I was making up already from Ramadan?

Please can you give me a clear yes or no answer for all three instances as I suffer from waswas. Thank you

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If somebody eats or drinks forgetfully then he should complete his fast, for what he has eaten or drunk, has been given to him by Allah.” Sahih al-Bukhari 1933

If you swallowed something unintentionally or out of doubt, your fast is still valid. The fast is only invalidated if something is deliberately consumed with the intention of breaking the fast. In your case, since there was uncertainty about swallowing food, your fast remains valid in both instances. Similarly, your makeup fast is valid as long as there was no clear intention to break it.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Alimah Khadija Tarwala.

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah.

Darul Ifta Birmingham.

References

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ إِذَا نَسِيَ فَأَكَلَ وَشَرِبَ فَلْيُتِمَّ صَوْمَهُ، فَإِنَّمَا أَطْعَمَهُ اللَّهُ وَسَقَاهُ ‏”‏‏.‏Sahih al-Bukhari 1933