If a person is fasting to make up a missed fast and guests are brought to him, is it permissible for him to break his fast with them?
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The questioner : The second question: You said that one of your friends told you that she was fasting to make up a missed fast, and she was surprised by guests in her home. Out of courtesy, she wanted to break her fast to share in eating and drinking with them. So she asked you about it, and you answered her that it is permissible, and that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to come to one of his wives while he was fasting and ask her if she had any food; if she did, he would break his fast and eat with her, and if not, he would continue his fast. Is this correct? And is it permissible for one who is fasting to make up a missed fast, if something happens that would cause him to break his fast, to break it or not?
The Shaykh : If this making up is for an obligatory fast, such as making up a fast from Ramadan, then it is not permissible for anyone to break it except out of dire necessity. As for breaking it because of the arrival of guests, it is forbidden and not permissible, because the legal principle is that whoever begins an obligatory act must complete it. However, if it is making up a voluntary fast, she is not required to complete it, because the original act was not obligatory, so the making up is not obligatory. On this basis, if a person is fasting a voluntary fast and something occurs that necessitates breaking the fast, he breaks it. This is what was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he came to the Mother of the Believers, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), and said, "Do you have anything?" She said, "We were given a gift of hais." He said, "Show it to me, for I have started the day fasting." So he ate from it (peace and blessings be upon him). This is regarding the voluntary fast, not the obligatory one. But I advise you not to issue a ruling on anything unless you know it, because issuing a ruling means speaking about Allah, and speaking about Allah without knowledge is forbidden, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Isra 17:36] And He the Exalted and Majestic said: [Al-A'raf 7:33] So it is not permissible for anyone to issue a ruling for others except based on knowledge.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Dear brothers, in today's session, we reviewed the brothers' letters...
The Shaykh : If this making up is for an obligatory fast, such as making up a fast from Ramadan, then it is not permissible for anyone to break it except out of dire necessity. As for breaking it because of the arrival of guests, it is forbidden and not permissible, because the legal principle is that whoever begins an obligatory act must complete it. However, if it is making up a voluntary fast, she is not required to complete it, because the original act was not obligatory, so the making up is not obligatory. On this basis, if a person is fasting a voluntary fast and something occurs that necessitates breaking the fast, he breaks it. This is what was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he came to the Mother of the Believers, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), and said, "Do you have anything?" She said, "We were given a gift of hais." He said, "Show it to me, for I have started the day fasting." So he ate from it (peace and blessings be upon him). This is regarding the voluntary fast, not the obligatory one. But I advise you not to issue a ruling on anything unless you know it, because issuing a ruling means speaking about Allah, and speaking about Allah without knowledge is forbidden, as Allah the Exalted said:
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
ولا تقْف ما ليس لك به علم إن السمع والبصر والفؤاد كل أولئك كان عنه مسؤولاًSay, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."
قل إنما حرم ربي الفواحش ما ظهر منها وما بطن والإثم والبغي بغير الحق وأن تشركوا بالله ما لم ينزل به سلطاناً وأن تقولوا على الله ما لا تعلمونThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Dear brothers, in today's session, we reviewed the brothers' letters...