Jakarta –
Fasting is an activity of holding back hunger, thirst, and other things that cancel it. Apart from that, during fasting, we must also avoid anything from outside entering the body through any part.
Then, what about brush your teeth while fasting? Can brushing your teeth break your fast? Here’s the information.
Gargling and brushing your teeth are the activities of putting something in your mouth. Reported by the NU online page, these two things are a concern for some people because they are afraid that it could break their fast.
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Sheikh Muhammad Nawawi Al-Bantani in Nihayatuz Zain, explains that gargling and brushing your teeth when fasting is makruh.
The things that are disliked about fasting are thirteen: one should cleanse oneself after noon
Meaning: There are thirteen things that are makruh in fasting. One of them is siwak after zuhur. (See Nihayatuz Zein fi Irsyadil Mubtadi’in, Print Al-Maarif, Bandung, Page 195).
Then, Imam Nawawi in al-Majmu’, syarah al-Muhadzdzab also gave another explanation regarding the law on brushing teeth while fasting. You must be careful and pay attention to brushing your teeth, because if any material gets into your throat, whether water, toothpaste or toothbrush bristles, then your fast will be broken, even if you do it accidentally.
If he cleans himself with a wet siwak and some of its moisture or split wood separates from it and he swallows it, his fast is broken, without disagreement, as was stated by Al-Furani and others.
Meaning: If someone uses wet miswak. Then the water separates from the siwak he is using, or the branches (feathers) of the wood come off and are swallowed, then the fast is broken without any difference of opinion from the scholars. This is explained by al-Faurani and others. (Abi Zakriya Muhyiddin bin Syaraf an-Nawawi, al-Majmu’, Maktabah al-Irsyad, Jeddah, juz 6, page 343)
Therefore, people who fast should brush their teeth before Imsak time arrives. If it’s midday, just brush your teeth with siwak wood (arok) or with a toothbrush without using paste.
Thus, brush your teeth while fasting permitted, but do not swallow any water because it will break the fast.
(kny/imk)