Fatwa ID: 07622

Answered by Alimah Shireen Mangera-Badat

Question:

Assalamualaikum,

If I swallow phlegm/mucus whilst I’m fasting and it tastes salty. Will it break my fast?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

In the Hanafi school of thought, swallowing phlegm or mucus does not invalidate the fast, even if it has a salty taste, provided it remains within the mouth or throat.

Phlegm that is naturally produced in the throat and then swallowed is considered part of the body’s internal process. Therefore, it does not break the fast because it has not left the body and re-entered from an external source.

This indicates that swallowing mucus does not invalidate the fast since it has not exited and re-entered the body from an external source.

In summary:

• Swallowing phlegm (or mucus) does not break the fast in the Hanafi madhhab.
• Even if it tastes salty, as long as it hasn’t exited the body and then been swallowed intentionally, it is not considered a fast-breaking act.

I hope that this answers the question.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Alimah Shireen Mangera-Badat

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

References

 ومن ابتلع البلغم لم يفسد صومه، لأنه من الجوف لم يخرج، فصار كالماء في رأسه”
(Al-Hidayah, Volume 1, page 122)