A holy time for Muslims around the world, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, beginning and ending with the appearance of the crescent moon. The period is a time for members of the religion to practice self-restraint in all forms, following one of the five pillars of Islam, ṣawm. As even many non-Muslims may know, a core part of this practice involves fasting from dawn until dusk. After refraining from food or drink during the day, observers gather with friends and family to break their fast with a celebratory feast known as iftar, a meal full of yummy dishes traditionally enjoyed during Ramadan.
For those unfamiliar with the Islamic religion and the observance of ṣawm, it may spark some curiosity into the more distinct details of the practice. One common question is whether or not observers can chew gum during the day without breaking their fast. After all, you’re not technically consuming anything if you don’t swallow, right? Well, not quite.
The fact is that many store-bought gums have sugars and other ingredients that will enter the throat and stomach through the act of chewing, as well as calories, meaning that officially, it does indeed break one’s fast — and is thus generally not advisable before dusk during the month of Ramadan. However, some practitioners and religious leaders have slightly different stances on the matter, particularly when it comes to completely flavorless and additive-free gums that do not crumble or break down for consumption.
If in doubt, don’t chew it out
The gum question has indeed been addressed by multiple Muslim authorities to various ends. Prominant Shia Islamic leader Ayatollah Sistani, for one, has written on his website that “There is no problem in chewing a gum though he might feel the flavor insofar as the gum does not have particles to be swallowed,” although he does note that if there is any chance of “particles” from the gum entering one’s saliva, it should be avoided.
A post on IslamWeb.net, a website run by the Qatari Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, similarly states that a flavorless gum that does not crumble may technically be permissible for a fasting person to chew, but does go on to add that it is “strongly disliked by scholars.” The post also points out that even being seen in the act of chewing, by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, may lead to undesirable questions about the person’s religious observance. Meanwhile, the Islamic Association of Raleigh suggests that even if sugar-free and flavorless, all gum should be avoided “as it stimulates the saliva unnecessarily” and can be seen as intentionally breaking one’s fast.
Although the technicalities may differ slightly, many Muslims would agree that when in doubt, it’s best not to chew it out. After all, one need only to wait until the sundown prayers to properly break fast with dates, the popular Ramadan fruit that is said to have been enjoyed by the prophet Muhammed himself, along with plenty of other Ramadan dishes.
