Waswas (Obsessive Doubts) About Breaking the Fast in Ramadan
Question
I have extreme waswas and in ramadhan everyday I think I broke my fast and asked for forgiveness a lot . Most of the things I thought broke my fast didn't after I searched , so I started ignoring each single one of them until now I am certain , I am breaking my fast deliberately. I don't know if this is waswas or not I was not aware that you don't have to spit water again and again after wudhu , so I used to stuff cloth inside my mouth to make it dry even in that , if my lips moved I would think , now water is transferred to this part of lip. If I use that same cloth to dry my lips , which smells because if saliva and if I lick my lips will my fast break? Today , before suhoor could end . I drank water and swallowed it and after a while I get a taste if water in mouth but I swallowed accidently and tried to bring it back from my throat , but most likely after some times I thought , didn't I swallowed water before and one minute has passed , most likely but I got a taste , so I thought no but there was a taste . And if you spit one time and there is still some saliva left in your mouth , do you have to spit that too , if I don't would my fast break If I wash my face , I don't need to dry it but if my lips moved a bit , which I think only moves after I wash my face or do anything that would wet my lips , and some water gets Inside , is my fast broken If one feels a feeling in throat , dryness or other that feels like piercing or burning sensation , so the person swallows saliva , will it break his fast . If one , saw dust particles , small white particles in the wind and opened his/her mouth accidentally while saying something and those particles got into the mouth but but it has no taste , so the person spits one time and thinks are you sure it's went but is not sure but thinks but I spitted because they went , now checking for certainty is not right . I don't recall what happened yesterday, that I thought I broke my fast but it was so certain, but these things happen , and everyday Do you have some advice from me ? Thank you for your time .
Islamic Ruling & Answer
Verified(1) Is it necessary to spit water again and again after wudhu?
No. It is normal for slight moisture to remain in the mouth after wudhu. Repeatedly spitting is not required. Putting a cloth inside the mouth was also unnecessary. Your fasts were completely valid.
(2) If I used a cloth that smells of saliva to dry my lips and then licked my lips, would my fast break?
No. If it was your own saliva, swallowing it does not break the fast, even if there was a smell. Your fast remains valid.
(3) After suhoor, I tasted water in my mouth and accidentally swallowed it. Did my fast break?
No. If you drank water before the end of suhoor time, the taste afterward is only a remaining trace, not new water. A fast is not broken based on doubt.
(4) If I spit once but some saliva remains in my mouth and I swallow it, does it break the fast?
Swallowing your own saliva does not break the fast. There is no need to keep spitting it out.
(5) If while washing my face my lips move and I doubt that some water may have gone inside, is the fast broken?
Doubt alone does not break the fast. Unless you are certain that water reached the throat and was swallowed deliberately, the fast remains valid.
(6) If there is dryness or a burning sensation in the throat and I swallow saliva, does it break the fast?
Swallowing your own saliva is permissible and does not break the fast.
(7) If dust particles accidentally enter the mouth, does it break the fast?
If dust or small particles enter unintentionally, the fast does not break. Spitting once is sufficient; repeated checking is unnecessary.
(8) If one day I strongly felt that my fast had broken but now I do not clearly remember, what is the ruling?
Unless you are absolutely certain that you deliberately swallowed something, the fast is considered valid. In waswas (obsessive doubts), there can be a โfeeling of certainty,โ but that is not real legal certainty.
Your real issue is not a fiqh (legal) problem, but waswas (obsessive doubts). The treatment is this:
Make a rule for yourself regarding your fast:
โUnless I am 100% certain that I deliberately swallowed something, my fast is valid.โ
Stop checking, repeating, and overthinking immediately.
When the thought comes that your fast has broken, say in your heart:
โThis is waswas. My fast is valid.โ โ and end the matter there.
May Allah grant you peace and free you from these doubts. Ameen.
Answered by
Mufti Tosif Qasmi
March 02, 2026
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