Dear respected Shaykh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. What is the ruling of using toothpaste during the day in Ramadan? ما حكم استعمال معجون الأسنان في نهار رمضان؟

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.   Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.   As to what follows:   In response to your question, we say:       As for cleaning the teeth with a toothbrush or miswak; the principle is that a thing is not considered to be a nullifier of fasting until a proof establishes that it is so. There is no proof that prohibits the use of a toothbrush or miswak during fasting and there is no proof that states that these things are nullifiers of fasting. Therefore, it is permissible for a fasting person to use a miswak clean his teeth. Likewise, he may use a toothbrush with toothpaste to clean his teeth. However, if the miswak is wet and has water, and the toothpaste is permeative and strong, care should be taken that nothing reaches the throat.  Using a miswak or toothpaste in and of itself does not break the fast. However, if a person tastes and swallows what has gathered in his saliva, or the substances that have dissolved into his saliva, then he would have broken his fast, not because he used a toothbrush, toothpaste or miswak but because he swallowed what he was not supposed to swallow. Therefore, it is permissible for a fasting person to use a toothbrush, toothpaste and the rest of the substances which clean the mouth.