Fasting, Toothpaste and Miswaak

by Asma bint Shameem

QUESTION

Can I brush my teeth using toothpaste while fasting ?

ANSWER

Yes it is allowed to use toothpaste while fasting. However just be careful that you don't swallow any of it.

Otherwise that will break the fast.

🍃 Shaikh Ibn Baaz said regarding using toothpaste while fasting:

“There is nothing wrong with that so long as one is careful to avoid swallowing any of it.”

(Fatawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baz, 4/247) 

🔹Want to earn double benefits?

Use the siwaak instead.

This way you get rewards for following the Sunnah AND also get to clean your teeth at the same time!

🔹The Prophet ﷺ LOVED to use the siwaak and would would use it all the time during his day and nights.

In fact he ﷺ loved it so much that he said:

“Were it not that it would cause hardship to my ummah, I would have commanded them to use the siwaak for every prayer.”

(al-Bukhaari 887)

🔹And he said:

“The siwaak purifies the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord.” (al-Nasaa’i- saheeh by al-Albaani)

🍃 Shaykh Ibn Baaz said:

“Likewise, it is legislated for the fasting person to use the tooth stick (miswaak) at the beginning of the day and its end.

Some of the people of knowledge held the view that using the tooth stick is disliked after midday, but this is an incorrect view.

The correct view is that it is not disliked due to the generality of the Prophet's statement:

“The siwaak is cleansing for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord.”

(An-Nasa'i with an authentic chain of narration from A'ishah radhi Allaahu anhaa)

It is also due to his statement ﷺ:

“Were I not placing a hardship upon my Ummah, I would have ordered them to use the tooth stick for every prayer.”

(al-Bukhaari 887 and Muslim 252) and this includes the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, which are both after midday.

And Allaah is the Giver of success.”

(Fatawa Islamiyah Page 262 Vol: 2)

🔺 Many scholars say that the Sunnah isn’t about the siwaak itself, it is about the act of cleaning the mouth.

The purpose of siwaak is to make the mouth clean and smell fresh, so technically the toothbrush serves the same purpose.

And by doing so, you can achieve the Sunnah.

But you must have the “intention” to be following the Sunnah in order to be rewarded for it in general.

🍃 Someone asked Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen:

"Is using toothpaste sufficient instead of Siwaak, and will the person who uses it with the intention of purifying his mouth be rewarded?

Meaning, will it be equal in reward to the use of Siwaak which the Prophet ﷺ encouraged us to use when cleaning our teeth?"

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

"Yes, the use of a toothbrush and toothpaste suffices instead of Siwaak; rather, it cleans and purifies more.

Therefore, if a person does so, he will have acted in accord with the Sunnah, because what is important is not the tool but the act and the result.

Using a toothbrush and toothpaste gives a better result than using the Siwaak alone."

(Fataawa Noorun ‘ala Ad-Darb)

🔺 Bad breath during Fasting?!

Some people mistakenly think that the bad breath of the fasting person is a good thing, and they quote the Hadeeth:

"The smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allaah than the smell of musk." (al-Bukhaari 5297)

But that is NOT what the hadeeth is talking about.

The hadeeth is referring to the odor that is the natural result of an empty stomach.

The hadeeth is NOT encouraging a LACK of HYGIENE by not brushing your teeth.

🍃 A man said to Mu'adh Ibn Jabal radhi Allaahu anhu:

"𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 (𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗵) 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 ﷺ 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 Allaah 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗸!"

So Mu’aadh radhi Allaahu anhu said:

"Subhaan Allaah! 𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸! 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆!

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗱, except for the one who is tested and tried and can’t find any escape."

(at-Tabarani" 20/133 - Ibn Hajar said the chain is good)

🔹Recommendation:

So how about using both, toothbrush AND siwaak?

Clean your mouth using the toothbrush and toothpaste after Sahoor and before you go to bed.

Use the siwaak with every wudhu. And throughout the day and night, whenever you need it.

This way you get to earn the pleasure of your Rabb

And also get your teeth clean, your mouth fresh.

Alhamdulillaah the best of both.

And Allaah knows best.