Fatwa ID: 06593

 

Answered by: Maulana Burhaan Rahman

 

Question:

 

Does licking one’s lips while the lips are moist with a little saliva break the fast? This is the case when one feels discomfort due to lips getting dry while sitting under a fan at high speed.

 

 

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

 

Answer:

 

Licking lips is a normal action done by human beings even when one isn’t sitting under a fan. Although the lips are moist or wet from saliva, just licking them does not break the fast; rather, it must be actively brought back into the mouth after being brought out, followed by swallowing. Therefore, breaking one’s fast is done by purposefully bringing saliva to the edge of his lips and swallowing it.

 

 

Allah SWT mentions in the Qur’an:

 

وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلْخَيْطُ ٱلْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْطِ ٱلْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ ٱلْفَجْرِ

And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread (of the night). [Surah Baqarah verse 187]

 

 

Saliva, mouth moisture etc. in general that comes out of one’s own mouth, does not fall into the category of food or drink as such. But exceeding certain limits may bring about an issue that we are to look into.

 

 

Al Nawawi mentions in his Majmoo’

 

قال أصحابنا: حتى لو خرج إلى ظاهر الشفة، فرده وابتلعه: أفطر؛ لأنه مقصر بذلك، ولأنه خرج عن محل العفو. قال المتولي: ولو خرج إلى شفته ثم رده وابتلعه: أفطر

According to our companions; if it (saliva) spills onto the outside of the lips and the person takes it back and swallows it, the fast is broken because of the person’s culpability and since it (saliva) has left its normal location where it could be overlooked. If it reached his lips and he took it back and swallowed it, according to Al-Mutawalli, he has broken his fast. [Sharh Al Muhadhab Vol 6 page 339]

 

 

So in the question you have mentioned; “licking one’s own lips while the lips are moist with a little bit of saliva…feels discomfort due to lips getting dry”. This doesn’t break your fast.

 

 

 

 

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Burhaan Rahman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham