Does Swallowing the Food That Amounts to the Size of a Chickpea Break My Fast?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

There were some very small food particles in my saliva. Does swallowing them break my fast?

I was unintentionally sucking on my teeth, but then I had a thought and went and spat out there was blood. Mostly white but with a streak. Was my fast broken?

Answer

Remnant particles of food in one’s mouth after eating, which, cumulatively, are smaller than a chickpea, do not break one’s fast if swallowed. Anything equal to or above the size of a chickpea would break the fast.

The small amount of blood would not break one’s fast either, only if there is more blood than saliva. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.