Does chewing sugary gum invalidate fasting?

- If it does, is qada (performing one day fasting for each day) or kaffarah (performing sixty-one-day fasting for each day)?
- Every hodja I ask gives a different answer; which one should I follow?

Dear Brother / Sister,

In principle, what does not go down from the mouth to the stomach does not invalidate fasting. Chewing gum does not invalidate fasting ether since it does not go down the throat into the stomach. However, there is something/sugar in the gum that goes down into the stomach. Therefore, chewing something that has a taste (sweet, salty, bitter, etc.) in the mouth invalidates fasting because the taste has a substance and that substance goes down into the stomach...

However, in order for something eaten to necessitate both qada and kaffarah, it must serve as food or a therapeutic purpose. Fasting is invalidated by eating and drinking things that do not mean nourishment in our lives, and that are not customary to eat and drink, i.e., things that human nature does not desire or tend to eat and drink, but only qada is necessary for this fast; no kaffarah is necessary. According to Hanafi scholars, if one swallows something that does not serve the purpose of food or treatment, he must make up for the fast as one day, but no kaffarah is necessary.

Swallowing something left between the teeth that is the size of a lentil grain, eating raw rice, raw dough or flour that is not polluted with any substance that enhances the taste, such as honey, molasses, etc., swallowing a large amount of salt at once, which is quite disgusting, eating raw fruit, swallowing hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts with their shells are among the items that invalidate fasting but do not necessitate kaffarah. (see W. Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami, 2/652)

The difference of opinion among hodjas is due to the different evaluation of the criterion we have presented above. According to those who consider the sugar in chewing gum to be among the substances mentioned above - which have no food or medicinal value - it invalidates fasting, but does not necessitate kaffarah. According to those who consider sugary chewing gum to be among the substances that people enjoy and that have a food value regard it something like “dough mixed with honey or a little salt”, chewing sugary gum necessitates both qada and kaffarah. Accordingly, it is best not to chew gum at all while fasting.

In our opinion, chewing sugary gum does not necessitate kaffarah but qada. The reason for this preference is that sugary chewing gum does not really have any food value.

However, we should state that what is essential in servitude is to act according to the level of respect one should have for Allah and according to the honor of servitude, not according to whether one will be punished or not.

Therefore, it is imperative to refrain from doing things that will invalidate fasting, even if there is no kaffarah. It does not fit worshipping Allah to disobey Allah by breaking a deed of worship and by hiding behind some extenuating excuses and to harm the respect to be shown to Him.

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