Does a person who has fainted break his fast if water is poured into his mouth?

The questioner : A questioner says: A man fainted, and while he was unconscious, he was moving his head and saliva was coming out of his mouth. A person dug a hole for him and sprinkled water on it, and injected water into his mouth. Does he break his fast or not?

The Shaykh : It is well known that the one who has fainted and had water poured into his throat is not aware of it. But does it break the fast or not? The well-known position in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad is that he does not break his fast by this, because it happened without his choice, and one of the conditions of the things that break the fast is that the fasting person consumes them by his own choice. This person has no choice in the matter. Some scholars said that he breaks his fast, and some of them said that if he is accustomed to being pleased with that, he breaks his fast, and if he is not pleased with it, he does not break his fast. The apparent view is the first one, that he does not break his fast. Accordingly, his fast is valid, because this matter happened without his choice. If he makes up a day in place of this day, that is better. If it is obligatory for him, then he has discharged a debt from his liability, and if it is not obligatory for him, then he has done it as a voluntary act.