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Does the fast become invalidated if water reaches the throat unintentionally, yet with the knowledge of the possibility of that occurring despite taking precautions?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a fasting person rinses their mouth for purification and water accidentally enters their throat without exaggeration or negligence, their fast is not invalidated according to the Shafi'is and Hanbalis. If they rinse their mouth out of necessity, such as to wash their mouth from an impurity, their fast is not invalidated. However, if they exaggerate in rinsing or are excessive, and water enters their throat, scholars differ; the Hanbalis hold that their fast is not broken due to lack of intent, while the Shafi'is hold that it is broken. This difference of opinion applies also if they rinse their mouth without need or due to thirst. Some scholars are of the opinion that what the questioner did by putting water in their mouth due to thirst is disliked, and that the view of the fast not being invalidated is strong, because error is excused. However, making up the fast (qada') is more cautious and absolves one's responsibility.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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