Beware of whispers about your fasting
Fatwa No: 185033

Question

Assalam Aleikom .pleasehelp me it is very important.i am fasting and also Ramadan is very close and i shall have this problem in Ramadan even more since i'll be fasting everyday.Please explain if i sneeze ,i have to spit out what i sneeze?i am constantly having colds plus i have alergies for some types of flowers.when fasting i can not take my medicine.but if im on the street how to spit it out?or in school while having courses?.Is there any report from the Prophet sallahu aleihi wasallam or sahaba for that?if i rinse my mouth in woodoo i have to spit all the water i know but i read on this site that the saliva remaining on the lips invalidates the fast if i lick my lips.why is that?subhanallah what shall i do?whenever i spit there is a fraction of remaining saliva on the lips cause its liquid.i always have to wipe it off to not accidentally lick my lips?what if i wipe it off with parfumed hankerchieves? Or perfumed toilet paper?the perfume from this could remain on the lips.if it enters the mouth it invalidates the fast?did the Prophet sallallahu aleihi wasallan or sahaba do things like this in wiping off the remaining saliva?if saliva from outside the mouth can not enter the mouth,then i can not kiss my husband during Ramadan?why does it seem all this so difficult for me?if i ask someone they laugh in my face that i exagerate.but pelase help cause i read the fatwa about the saliva here on this fatwa website and it was not clear..Please subhanallah help me!!Please!Barak Allahu feek

Answer

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

First of all, dear questioner, you should know that your problem lies in whispers, as it appears from your question that you suffer from them. The best treatment for such whispers is to repel them and not take heed to them.

As long as the saliva is inside the mouth, it does not invalidate fasting if one swallows it because there is much hardship in avoiding it. Moreover, you are not required to spit it out whether you are at home or outside. Also, to avoid swallowing the saliva if it comes out of the lips is something very easy; rather, to not deliberately swallow it is difficult and hard.

In addition, it was neither reported from the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,  nor his Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, that they used to wipe off their lips while fasting out of fear of swallowing the saliva that was on them. Therefore, this is an aberrant and dispraised exaggeration and it is due to whispers that you should avoid.

Besides, wiping the lips with scented tissues does not invalidate fasting as this is not eating nor drinking and it is not like eating or drinking. In addition, it does not invalidate the fast even if the perfume enters your mouth as long as you do not swallow it. Since fasting is not invalidated by putting water in the mouth when rinsing, how can fasting be invalidated by putting something on the lips?

On the other hand, fasting does not become void by kissing but this is disliked for a fasting person. The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads: “It is disliked for a fasting person to kiss his wife if he is not safe from committing something that invalidates the fast, like ejaculation and intercourse. It is reported that ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar  said: “We were with the Prophet, and a young man came and said: “O Prophet of Allaah, may I kiss my wife while fasting?” The Prophet said: ''No.” Then an old man came and asked: “O Prophet of Allaah, may I kiss my wife while fasting?” The Prophet   said: “Yes.” So, we began to look at one another. Then, the Prophet  said: ''I know why you are looking at each other. An old man can control himself.” Also, if someone is not safe from committing what invalidates his fast, he probably would have sexual intercourse, and his fasting would be rendered null. This is the view of the Hanafi, Shaafi’i and Hanbali Schools of jurisprudence. It is disliked to kiss one’s wife if it is for the purpose of enjoying oneself, but if there is no purpose of enjoyment, then it is not disliked. For example, if the kissing is for bidding her good bye, or as an act of mercy, then it is not disliked. Likewise, if one is safe from committing something that would invalidate his fast, then it is permissible for him to kiss (his wife) according to the view of the majority of the scholars,  as it was reported that ‘Aa’ishah  narrated that the Prophet   used to kiss and hug while fasting. Nonetheless, the Maaliki School of jurisprudence, said: “Kissing is disliked for a fasting person if it is for the purpose of enjoyment provided that he knows that he is safe from ejaculating or emitting Mathy, but if he does not know that he is safe from this, then it is forbidden. However, the jurists  agreed that even if kissing is with desire, it does not break the fast as long as this does not lead to ejaculation. But if one kisses and ejaculates, then his fast is invalidated according to the agreement of the four Schools of jurisprudence.

In case one discharges Mathy and not sperm by kissing, then his fasting is not invalidated according to the view we adopt here in Islamweb. Imaam An-Nawawi said: “If one kisses a woman [i.e. his wife] with desire and he discharges Mathy but not sperm, then this does not invalidate his fast according to our School of jurisprudence without any difference of opinion. This is what Ibn Al-Munthir quoted from Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ash-Sha’bi, Al-Awzaa’i, Abu Haneefah and Abu Thawr, and he said: “And this is my view.” However, Maalik and Ahmad are of the view that it breaks the fast, but our evidence is that it is a discharge that does not necessitate Ghusl (ritual bath), so it is like urine.

Allaah Knows best.

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