Dr. Zakir: As far as swallowing the Saliva is concerned it is a normal act, it's a natural act and today science tells us that there are several liters of Saliva being secreted by the Salivary Gland everyday. And it is normal; it's natural that the Saliva, a human being gulps it down. He swallows it and this can't be avoided.
And Allah says in the Qur'an in Surah Baqarah, Chapter No. 2, Verse No. 185, when it tells you that you should fast for the full month of Ramadhaan and those who are ill or on a journey they can make up it later on, then it says Allah (Subhana wa Ta'ala) wants to make it easy for you and does not want you to put in a difficulty."
Allah says in Surah Hajj, Chapter No. 22, Verse No. 78,
"Allah (Subhana wa Ta'ala) does not want to give you hardship in your Deen, in your religion."
So but natural since swallowing Saliva is a normal act and I know that some people keep on frequently spitting out and I have some of my friends they do that thinking it's Haraam to swallow and they keep on spitting and imagine if you have to do it the full day, you cannot even offer your Salaah properly. Because when you offer Salaah it takes a few minutes and in few minutes also Saliva gets gathered so will you be concentrating on spitting the Saliva or on Allah (Subhana wa Ta'ala)? If you are reading the Qur'an, we'll have to keep on spitting outside always. And I know some people who always keep... may be a container always spitting out not knowing the ruling.
So if a person swallows the saliva, normal saliva which comes in the mouth, it cannot be avoided at all. Same way a person when he breathes the dust, which a person goes to a city which is polluted and there's dust particles and you breathe that and some of it goes in your lungs and it goes... So all this is permissible because this is a normal day to day act and these do not violate your fast at all.
