This is a series of articles covering various topics related to fasting, selected from the Explanation of ‘Umdatul Ahkam’ by Shaykh ‘Abdul-Aziz ibn Bāz. Read the other articles in the series here.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضى الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: «مَنْ نَسِيَ وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ، فَأَكَلَ أَوْ شَرِبَ، فَلْيُتِمَّ صَوْمَهُ، فَإِنَّمَا أَطْعَمَهُ اللَّهُ وَسَقَاهُ»

Abū Hurayrah narrated that Allāh’s Messenger said:

Whoever forgets that he is fasting and eats or drinks [as a result], then let him complete his fast for, verily, it was Allāh who fed him and gave him something to drink.^[1]

Explanation of Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azīz ibn Bāz:

This is from Allāh’s blessings upon us. Humans are affected by forgetfulness, as the Prophet said:

«إنَّمَا أنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ، أنْسَى كَمَا تَنْسَوْنَ»

“I am a human like you, I forget as you forget.”^[2]

Thus, it is from the nature of humans that they forget. So, if a person sexual intercourse, eats, drinks, performs ḥijāmah, or any other thing that breaks the fast out of forgetfulness, then their fasting is valid, and they do not have to expiate, free a slave or make up the day- due to this authentic ḥadīth.

In another wording reported by al-Ḥākim, the Prophet said:

«مَنْ أَفْطَرَ فِي رَمَضَانَ نَاسِيًا، فَلَا قَضَاءَ عَلَيْهِ وَلَا كَفَّارَةَ»

 “Whoever breaks his fast during Ramaḍān forgetfully then he does not need to make up the day nor expiate.”^[3]

As for if a person is lying about forgetting, then his affair is to Allāh, and a fatwá (verdict) from a shaykh will not benefit him. And if a person has sexual intercourse intentionally while fasting then they must expiate.

Source: Explanation of Shaykh Ibn Bāz, Dār al-Riyādah (pgs. 243-244)

Footnotes:

[1] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (no. 1933) and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (no. 1155)

[2] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (no. 401) and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (no. 572)

[3] Mustadrak al-Ḥākim (no. 1569)