29th June 2014
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: Due to gum disease you have constant bleeding gums, while you are fasting you wake up with the taste of blood in your throat is your fast valid?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
If one is able to taste the blood in the throat then this will invalidate the fast if the blood has travelled down the throat into the stomach. However, if a person somehow drew out the blood from the throat without it reaching to the stomach then the fast will not break. This is because for the fast to break, it is conditional that the blood reaches the stomach. If the blood was mixed with one’s saliva then there are two possible scenarios;
1: If the blood is either equal or more than the saliva then the fast will break. At this point, one is now able to taste the blood in the throat.
2: If the saliva dominates the blood then the fast will not break.
Allamah Haskafi rahimahullah (a renown Hanafi Jurist) states;
“…or blood came out between his teeth and entered his throat and did not reach to his stomach (then it will not nullify the fast). But if it did reach (the stomach) and the blood dominated (the saliva) or equal amount to it then it will break otherwise not unless he feels the taste.” (p 145)
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department