Is it necessary to remind someone who is eating something by forgetting that he is fasting?
If we see a person who is fasting eating or drinking something, should we warn him?
Dear Brother / Sister,
Fasting is not invalidated if a person eats, drinks or has a sexual intercourse by forgetting that he is fasting. There is no difference between fard, wajib and nafilah fasting regarding the issue. For, deeds that are done by forgetting and by mistake are forgiven.
According to Malikis, a fard fasting is invalidated if one of the deeds mentioned above is done because imsak, which is a part of fasting, is lost.
What should we do we if see a person who is fasting eating or drinking something?
When we see a person who is fasting or eating something, it is makruh, according to the preferred view, not to remind him of fasting if he looks strong enough to fast. It is necessary to remind him that he is fasting. However, if we see an old and weak person, we should not remind him that he is fasting so that he can do other deeds of worshipping healthily.
As a matter of fact, it is a duty to awaken somebody for prayer before the time period for that prayer ends: The person who is sleeping is regarded as excused but the person who does not awaken him is not regarded as excused; therefore, he is regarded to have committed a sin. (Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen, Büyük İslam İlmihali, Oruç Kitabı)
Questions on Islam
- What a fasting person should do as a Kaffarah (Atonement) when he/she does one of the things that invalidate the fast?
- How did people determine the time of imsak in the past? I heard from old people that they determined the time of imsak when it became bright enough to distinguish black thread from white thread. However, it is very dark at the time of imsak.
- Will you explain the statement "eat and drink, until the white thread appears to you distinct from the black thread..." mentioned in verse 187 of the chapter of al-Baqara? How will people living at the poles perform fasting?
- Does eating and drinking forgetfully invalidate fasting?
- What are the things that invalidate fasting according to Shafii madhhab? Does eating deliberately while fasting necessitate kaffarah?
- What is the decree on breaking a qada fasting?
- Frequently Asked Questions on Fasting
- Is it permissible to perform the fasting of Shawwal and the fasting of Qada together?
- What is perfect fast like? How should a fasting person behave?
- Is it permissible for a person who does hard manual labor not to perform fasting? What are the excuses that makes it permissible for a person not to fast?
