Some people don’t have the chance to brush their teeth before the dawn (Fajr) call to prayer, so they have to brush their teeth after the call to prayer. For more information, stay with SaedNews.
In Islam, brushing teeth is highly recommended. Brushing helps maintain human health and prevents unpleasant and unbearable issues like gum infections and bad breath. During Ramadan, most people brush their teeth before the dawn (Fajr) prayer; however, if there is no opportunity to brush before dawn, does brushing after the call to prayer invalidate the fast or not?
Eating, drinking, or swallowing anything that enters the mouth from outside invalidates the fast. Swallowing saliva does not invalidate the fast. But if saliva leaves the mouth and then returns and is swallowed, it invalidates the fast. Swallowing phlegm from the head or chest is, according to precaution, not allowed; if phlegm comes out of the mouth and is swallowed, the fast is invalidated.
Ayatollah Khamenei:
Question: Is brushing with toothpaste invalidating the fast?
Answer: It does not invalidate the fast; however, one must prevent swallowing saliva mixed with toothpaste and water.
Ayatollah Bahjat:
Question: Is brushing with toothpaste during fasting problematic?
Answer: If nothing reaches the throat, there is no problem.
Ayatollah Tabrizi:
Question: If a fasting person is sure that the toothpaste will not reach the throat, can they use toothpaste with the toothbrush?
Answer: In the name of God, there is no obstacle. God knows best.
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi:
Question: Is it permissible to brush teeth while fasting? If the toothbrush becomes wet by contact with saliva and is reused for cleaning teeth, what is the ruling?
Answer: Brushing teeth while fasting is not problematic; but if the moisture remains on the brush and it is taken out and reinserted without the moisture being consumed by saliva, it is not allowed. If brushing with toothpaste, the mouth must be thoroughly rinsed afterward.
Brushing after dawn with available toothpaste:
Answer: It is not forbidden, but the moisture should not be swallowed.
Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani:
Question: What is the ruling on using nasal drops to open airways and treat conditions that certainly reach the throat?
Answer: If it reaches the throat, it invalidates the fast.
Question: Does brushing teeth during Ramadan invalidate the fast?
Answer: If water from toothpaste or external water does not enter the throat and is spat out, there is no problem. God knows best.
Ayatollah Alavi Gorgani:
Question: Can a fasting person brush their teeth?
Answer: Brushing teeth is permissible, but care must be taken that water or toothpaste liquid does not enter the throat.
Swallowing food stuck between teeth (Leader of the Revolution):
If someone fasts but does not brush teeth, and food stuck between teeth is swallowed unintentionally, is fasting invalid?
Answer: If one was unaware of the food remaining or did not know it reached the throat, and swallowing was not deliberate, the fast is not invalid.
Using toothpicks (Leader of the Revolution):
Using a toothpick after eating for someone who intends to fast the next day—is it allowed?
Answer: It is not obligatory; even if one suspects that not using it would cause food to reach the throat, accidental swallowing after is not invalidating. But if one is sure that not using it will cause food to enter the throat, they must use it. If not used, the fast is invalid by precaution.
Using dental floss (Leader of the Revolution):
Is using dental floss with fluoride and mint flavor allowed during fasting?
Answer: If saliva is not swallowed, it is allowed.
Brushing with toothpaste (Leader of the Revolution):
Is brushing teeth with toothpaste while fasting problematic?
Answer: It is not problematic, but one must prevent swallowing saliva mixed with toothpaste and water.
Brushing teeth during Ramadan fasting is generally allowed and even recommended for hygiene, provided care is taken not to swallow water, saliva mixed with toothpaste, or any substance that enters the throat. Using toothpaste is permitted if one avoids swallowing it. Nasal drops that reach the throat invalidate the fast. Swallowing food unintentionally from the teeth does not invalidate the fast unless it is done knowingly and deliberately.
