Does Swallowing Back Saliva or a Burp Break My Fast?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

In the Hanafi school, if phlegm from one’s throat enters the mouth and is swallowed, the fast is not considered invalid.

Is this ruling applicable to saliva as well? Is my fast still valid in the Hanafi school if, for example, I pronounce the letter (خ) or clear my throat and saliva from beyond my throat enters my mouth, and I consciously swallow this saliva?

Also, if I burp and the gas remains in my mouth, does this break my fast?

Answer

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

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Saliva

You don’t have to spit your saliva while fasting because swallowing saliva inside your mouth won’t break your fast. Nonetheless, it remains disliked for someone fasting to gather his saliva in his mouth and swallow it. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

Phlegm

Swallowing mucus that has reached one’s mouth through one’s nose or throat does not invalidate one’s fast. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

This is because by doing so, one is not entering anything into the body cavity, which would break the fast.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: “The fast is broken from what enters (the body).” [Musnad Abu Ya’la by way of Nasb al-Raya]

Burping

According to the Hanafi school, if you were to vomit less than a mouthful and swallow it intentionally, you would not break your fast. Burping is undoubtedly akin to vomiting less than a mouthful, as only gas has entered the mouth cavity. Thus swallowing back this gas won’t invalidate your fast. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani