Question

Salam-alaykum

Is it permissible to brush your teeth with toothpaste whilst fasting?

Answer

Wa alaykumussalam.

It is Makruh (disliked) for one to brush his teeth with toothpaste whilst fasting in Ramadan. This is the case if he does not swallow the toothpaste whilst brushing. If he does swallow the toothpaste, the fast will break and it will be necessary upon such a person to make up for this fast after Ramadan.

It is stated in Bahar e Shariah:

“For a fasting individual, without a valid excuse, it is Makruh to taste or chew something [al-Durr al-Mukhtar].”

It is further stated:

“Sugar and other things that dissolve when placed in the mouth; if an individual places such an item in his mouth and swallows the saliva, his fast will break… and if it was really less that the taste could not be sensed, then it is not broken [al-Durr al-Mukhtar].”

It is clear that when one uses toothpaste, its taste is sensed in the mouth whilst brushing. If he swallows the saliva at that moment, his fast will break. If he does not swallow the saliva or the toothpaste was very little that the taste could not be sensed (which is highly unlikely), then in such a case the fast will not break. Nevertheless, it is disliked to brush using toothpaste.

There is no harm in brushing the teeth without the paste. It is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) to use the miswak. By using the miswaak, one will gain the reward for acting upon the Sunnah. It is stated in Nihayah,

“It (Siwaak) is Sunnah for the fasting person as it is for a person who is not fasting.”

 Using the miswaak in Ramadan brings plenty of additional reward. Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (Allah is pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 

“Every action an individual does (in Ramadan) is multiplied: a good action by ten times its value up to seven hundred times.”[Bukhari & Muslim]

And Allah knows best.

Muhammad Kalim
9th Ramadan Al-Mubaarak 1436 AH

The answer is correct and Allah knows best.

Zahid Hussain Al-Qadiri
Beggar at the doorstep of Scholars