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Swallowing one’s saliva while fasting; i’tikaaf or jamaat

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

Does swallowing one’s saliva break fast?

for the last ten days of ramadan, being on the path of Allah or having itikaf in a mosque, which is preferable?

Answer

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

The answers to your queries are as follows:

1.      Swallowing one’s own saliva does not break one’s fast[1].

2.      At the outset, it is important to understand a sunnah act is far better than a mandoob or mustahabb act.

Performing i’tikaaf in the last ten days and nights of Ramadhaan is a great sunnah of Rasulullaah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) which is specific to the last ten days of Ramadhaan.

عن عائشة رضي الله عنها، زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، كان يعتكف العشر الأواخر من رمضان حتى توفاه الله[2]

Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (Radhiyallaahu ‘anhaa) narrates that Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) used to perform i’tikaaf in the last ten (nights) of Ramadhaan until Allaah called him back (i.e. he passed away). (Muslim 2026)

عن أبى بن كعب رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يعتكف العشر الأواخر من رمضان، فلم يعتكف عاما، فلما كان العام المقبل اعتكف عشرين ليلة[3]

Sayyiduna Ubayy ibn Ka’b (Radhiyallaahu ‘anh) narrates that Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) used to perform i’tikaaf in the last ten (nights) of Ramadhaan. However, one year he did not perform i’tikaaf. When the next year came, he performed i’tikaaf for twenty nights (to make up for what was missed the previous year). (Abu Dawood 2463)

It is apparent from the above that this was a sunnah of great value to Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) that he even made up for missing one year. Moreover, one performing i’tikaaf is also in the path of Allaah Ta’aala.

Going out for khurooj in the path of Allaah Ta’aala– a mandoob or mustahabb act at most- is indeed a great act. However, it cannot be given precedence to the sunnah i’tikaaf of Ramadhaan. Unlike i’tikaaf, one has the chance of going out for khurooj in the remaining days of the year, including the first twenty days of Ramadhaan.

One is at liberty to go for whichever he wishes or finds suitable for himself but it is incorrect to regard a mandoob act to be better than a sunnah act.

And Allaah Ta’aala Knows Best.

Muajul I. Chowdhury

Student, Darul Iftaa

Astoria, New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

______


[1] الأصل للشيباني (2/ 203)

الحسن بن زياد عن أبي حنيفة: وإذا كان بين أسنانه لحم فتلمظه فدخل حلقه، أو اجتمع من ريقه على لسانه فدخل حلقه، فهو على صيامه.

 

[2] صحيح البخاري (3/ 47)

2026 – حدثنا عبد الله بن يوسف، حدثنا الليث، عن عقيل، عن ابن شهاب، عن عروة بن الزبير، عن عائشة [ص:48] رضي الله عنها، – زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم -: «أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، كان يعتكف العشر الأواخر من رمضان حتى توفاه الله، ثم اعتكف أزواجه من بعده»

 

[3] سنن أبي داود (4/ 122)

2463 – حدثنا موسى بن إسماعيل، حدثنا حماد، أخبرنا ثابت، عن أبي رافع عن أبى بن كعب: أن النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- كان يعتكف العشر الأواخر من رمضان، فلم يعتكف عاما، فلما كان العام المقبل اعتكف عشرين ليلة

 

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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