Question
I have waswas and Iโve been overthinking little things that could possibly break my fast as well as other things. My question is does blood because of dried lips invalidate fast if you lick it? I canโt remember if I intentionally did it or not but I think there may have been a trace of blood. Also what if Iโve licked my lips with Vaseline and I remember when I placed my tongue in my mouth and tried to avoid swallowing but because someone was speaking to me I swallowed - is this intentionally swallowing (as I tried to not swallow but had to in order to speak) and does this break fast? I think Iโm so focussed on the idea that if you intentionally swallow whatever is in your mouth whether itโs leftover water or what is left on the lips, I think it invalidates the fast - some websites say it does. Do I have to make qada? Also if I think thereโs impurity on my bed but itโs not visible and I touch the bed with wet hands does impurity transfer? Iโm not sure if impurity was there and I didnโt see it affected but itโs the principle that something impure touched it. Iโm not sure about it leaving a trace but either way would the bed not be impure? For example, if something was spoiled with madhi but Iโm not sure if it transferred to my blankets but my blanket touched the area where madhi would have been - should I treat the blanket as impure even though I canโt recall where it would have touched and if there was a trace? Things like madhi donโt really leave a trace when dried so how would I know if impurity transferred? If I wake up with no dream but I see something on the tissue I leave there for cases like this, is ghusl necessary - lately Iโve been waking up with anxiety if anything came out and I had done ghusl for 2-3 days straight when I wake up. The liquid I saw didnโt smell and when it slightly dried it didnโt crust over and it was watery but there was some places that were sticky - I was leaning towards vaginal discharge however I read somewhere that if youโre not sure, you should do ghusl, the thing is I have waswas so how and when do I ignore these thoughts as it will affect my future acts of worship - because what if ghusl was obligatory and then I didnโt do it and now my prayers donโt count (this is my thought process when it comes with ghusl). Sorry if this seems all over the place. I follow the hanafi madhab, im not sure if that changes the response. And thank you in advance.
Islamic Ruling & Answer
VerifiedWalekumussalam,
(1) If someone in the state of fasting passes their tongue over blood that is on the lips, and the blood comes onto the tongue but does not go down the throat, then the fast does not break โ whether the blood is a small amount or a large amount.
However, if the blood reaches the stomach and its taste is clearly felt, then the fast will break.
If it goes into the stomach but the taste is not felt, then the ruling depends on the amount:
If the blood is very little and is overpowered (mixed and insignificant), the fast does not break.
But if the blood is equal to or more dominant (noticeable in amount), then the fast will break.
(2) While fasting, it is permissible to apply Vaseline or any other lip balm on the outer part of the lips if they are cracked, as long as nothing from it goes inside the mouth.
However, if there is a strong chance that it may go into the mouth, then it is disliked (makruh).
And if it actually goes down the throat, then the fast will become invalid.
Important point:
If there is only doubt (or waswas) that something might have gone down the throat, but you are not certain, then the fast is not considered broken.
In Islamic law, the principle is: Certainty is not removed by doubt.
So unless you are sure that something actually went down the throat, your fast remains valid and no qada is required.
(3) If impurity is not clearly visible and you are not certain that it transferred, then the item is not considered impure.
The basic rule in Islamic law is that everything is pure unless there is clear and certain evidence of impurity. Mere doubt or possibility does not make something impure.
So if there is no visible trace and no certainty of transfer, you should treat the item as pure and ignore the doubt.
(4) If there is no clear sign and no specific smell, then ghusl is not obligatory.
Ghusl only becomes required when there is certainty that sexual fluid (mani) was discharged with its known signs. Mere doubt, anxiety, or โmaybe something came outโ does not make ghusl compulsory.
So without clear evidence, you do not have to perform ghusl.
(You said, โI read somewhere that if youโre not sure, you should do ghusl.โ
That advice is general and applies to someone who has normal doubt. But in your case, where there is ongoing waswas and anxiety, the rule is different.
Ghusl only becomes obligatory when there is clear and certain evidence. Mere uncertainty or โmaybeโ is not enough.
So if there are no clear signs, you should ignore the doubt โ ghusl is not required.)
For waswas (whispers and anxiety), you can regularly recite:
Surah Al-Falaq
Surah An-Nas
Read both three times in the morning and three times in the evening.
May Allah grant you peace in your heart, remove every whisper and anxiety from you, and make your worship easy, accepted, and full of tranquility. Ameen.
Answered by
Mufti Tosif Qasmi
February 28, 2026
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