Does swallowing saliva break the fast?

Does swallowing saliva break the fast?

According to the scholars, swallowing saliva is not a problem at all and does not break the fast.

As for deliberately gathering saliva in the mouth and then swallowing it, the scholars differed in opinion regarding this. The majority held the view that it does not break the fast.

And as for saliva that has left the mouth and is then swallowed, this breaks the fast according to most scholars. For example, saliva on the edges of the mouth, or the saliva of another person.

[فَصْلُ مَا لَا يُمْكِنُ التَّحَرُّزُ مِنْهُ كَابْتِلَاعِ الرِّيق لَا يُفْطِرهُ]
(٢٠٢٢) فَصْلٌ: وَمَا لَا يُمْكِنُ التَّحَرُّزُ مِنْهُ، كَابْتِلَاعِ الرِّيقِ لَا يُفَطِّرُهُ، لِأَنَّ اتِّقَاءَ ذَلِكَ يَشُقُّ، فَأَشْبَهَ غُبَارَ الطَّرِيقِ، وَغَرْبَلَةَ الدَّقِيقِ. فَإِنْ جَمَعَهُ ثُمَّ ابْتَلَعَهُ قَصْدًا لَمْ يُفَطِّرْهُ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يَصِلُ إلَى جَوْفِهِ مِنْ مَعِدَتِهِ، أَشْبَهَ مَا إذَا لَمْ يَجْمَعْهُ. وَفِيهِ وَجْهٌ آخَرُ، أَنَّهُ يُفَطِّرُهُ؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَمْكَنَهُ التَّحَرُّزُ مِنْهُ، أَشْبَهَ مَا لَوْ قَصَدَ ابْتِلَاعَ غُبَارِ الطَّرِيقِ. وَالْأَوَّلُ أَصَحُّ؛ فَإِنَّ الرِّيقَ لَا يُفَطِّرُ إذَا لَمْ يَجْمَعْهُ، وَإِنْ قَصَدَ ابْتِلَاعَهُ، فَكَذَلِكَ إذَا جَمَعَهُ، بِخِلَافِ غُبَارِ الطَّرِيقِ
[المغني — الجزء ٣ — الصفحة ١٢٢]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Chapter: That which cannot be avoided, such as swallowing saliva, does not break the fast That which cannot be avoided, such as swallowing saliva, does not break the fast, because avoiding it is difficult. It is comparable to dust from the road or sifting flour (in terms of hardship). If a person deliberately gathers saliva and swallows it, it does not break the fast, because it reaches the stomach just as it would if it had not been deliberately gathered. There is, however, another opinion which states that it would break the fast (deliberately gathering saliva and then swallowing it), because it could have been avoided, similar to when a person deliberately swallows dust from the road. The first opinion is the most correct: saliva does not break the fast whether one gathers it deliberately or unintentionally and then swallows it." [Al-Mughni - Volume 3 - Page 122]

As for saliva from outside the mouth, the one who swallows it breaks his fast. But if it happens unintentionally, then there is of course no problem.

فَإِنْ خَرَجَ رِيقُهُ إلَى ثَوْبِهِ، أَوْ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ، أَوْ بَيْنَ شَفَتَيْهِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ فَابْتَلَعَهُ، أَوْ بَلَعَ رِيقَ غَيْرِهِ، أَفْطَرَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ ابْتَلَعَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ فَمِهِ، فَأَشْبَهَ مَا لَوْ بَلَعَ غَيْرَهُ. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: فَقَدْ رَوَتْ عَائِشَةُ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - «كَانَ يُقَبِّلُهَا وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ، وَيَمُصُّ لِسَانَهَا.» رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد. قُلْنَا: قَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُد أَنَّهُ قَالَ: هَذَا إسْنَادٌ لَيْسَ بِصَحِيحٍ.
[المغني — الجزء ٣ — الصفحة ١٢٢]

Ibn Qudamah said: "If saliva ends up on his clothing, between his fingers, or between his lips and he then swallows it, or he swallows the saliva of someone else, then it breaks the fast, because he has swallowed it from outside the mouth, just as if he were to swallow something else (from outside)." [Al-Mughni - Volume 3 - Page 122]