A man who habitually eats his fingernails was in the state of ihram and ate some of his nails without realizing it; does he owe an expiation?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: A man has the habit of eating his fingernails, and sometimes he does this habit without realizing it. If this man is in the state of ihram, he might eat his nails without feeling it or being aware of it. Does he owe an expiation? And what is the amount?

Answer:
Yes, he owes a fidyah (ransom payment) if he eats his nails while in the state of ihram. He owes a fidyah, and he has a choice: if he wishes, he fasts for three days; if he wishes, he feeds six poor people, giving each poor person half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg); or if he wishes, he slaughters a sheep in Makkah and distributes it to the poor, or he feeds six poor people in Makkah. As for fasting, he fasts for three days in any place. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you. That concludes it. And Allah the Exalted knows best, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and his Companions.