#586: Ruling in the Fast of the One who mistakenly taste or swallow Food
QUESTION
” Assalaamu ‘alaykum, Question : A Muslimah who is fasting mistakenly swallows food while preparing the iftaar. When she checked the time, it was already time to break the fast. Is she to repay such fast after Ramadan?”
ANSWER
Wa alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.
Alhamdulillāh.
There is nothing wrong with tasting food being cooked as long as this is done due to the need to ensure the food is well cooked and it is not swallowed.
As for swallowing by mistake, there is no harm on her also as long as it was not intentional or due to carelessness. This is due to the Hadīth recorded by both Imām Al-Bukhārī and Muslim that the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
من نسي وهو صائم ، فأكل أو شرب فليتم صومه ، فإنما أطعمه الله وسقاه
“Whosoever forgets that he was fasting and then eats or drinks by virtue of that forgetfulness, let him complete his fast and (there is no blame on him) Allāh has fed and gave him to drink.”
Based on this Hadīth, the majority of the Imams viz Abū Hanīfah, Ash-Shāfi’ī and Ahmad all consider nothing obligatory upon such a person. Imām Mālik disagreed. He held that there is no blame and he is forgiven but he must compensate for that day with another day after Ramadān. But the position of Mālik is weak.
From what has preceded, you would notice that there is no difference whether it was already time or not except that if it was time to break the fast, then she doesn’t need to continue the fast and if otherwise, she must continue the fast as is found in the Hadīth.
And Allah knows best
Bārakallāhu fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran
7th Ramadān, 1439A.H.
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