Swallowing Remnants of Food Between the Teeth While Fasting
Fatwa No: 461482

Question

Assalamu?Alaykum (Please answer my questions as soon as possible. if not it's nothing Sorry if I bother you too much.)? Can I swallow the taste of food scraps while fasting? Then brush your teeth and there is a toothpaste taste in your mouth. Can you swallow it? These two things are hard to be aware of.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The fast is not invalidated by swallowing food remnants if the amount is small, such as what remains between the teeth, so there is nothing wrong in swallowing it because it is like saliva.
As-Sarakhsi [from the Hanafi School] said in Al-Mabsoot: "If there is food residue between his teeth, and there was no intention to swallow the food, and what remained between his teeth has the same ruling as that of saliva, and swallowing saliva would not invalidate his fast.” [End of Quote].

Al-Kharshi (a Maliki scholar) said: He said in it (Al-Mudawwanah) that if he swallowed a grain that was between his teeth, his prayer does not get invalidated, and fasting is the same as the prayer. [End of Quote].

If only the taste of the toothpaste has remained, then swallowing it does not invalidate the fast.

Allah knows best.

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