❖ Question:
Is it permissible for a fasting person to brush their teeth with toothpaste after ṣubḥ ṣādiq (true dawn)? If it is allowed, what is the ruling if a small amount of blood comes out from the gums while brushing—does it invalidate the fast?❖ Answer:
After ṣubḥ ṣādiq, there is no harm in cleaning the teeth using water, miswak, or a toothbrush. Some scholars have considered using the miswak after midday (zawāl) as disliked (makrūh) for a fasting person. However, the correct opinion is that using miswak is recommended (mustaḥabb) throughout the day, whether at the beginning or the end of the fast.Miswak does not eliminate the natural odor of the fasting person's mouth. Instead, it cleans the teeth and mouth from unpleasant smells, vapors, and food remnants.
As for the use of toothpaste (manjan), it is apparently discouraged (makrūh) during fasting because it has a taste and a smell, and there is a risk of it mixing with saliva and being swallowed. Therefore, if someone needs to use a toothbrush with toothpaste, they should preferably do so after suḥūr but before ṣubḥ ṣādiq.
However, if brushing is done during the day and the person avoids swallowing anything, then due to necessity, there is no harm in using it.
If a small amount of blood emerges from the gums while using miswak or a toothbrush, the fast remains valid and is not broken.
— Shaykh Ibn Jibreen رحمه الله
