It is not permissible to begin fasting when one is able to feed others
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
If I swore not to do something, and then the day came and I did it, am I allowed to fast for three days and then continue with that thing, or must I stop doing it?
Answer:
If a person swears not to do something and then does it, he owes an oath expiation; just as if he said, "By Allah, I will not talk to so-and-so," or "I will not eat his food," and then he talked to him or ate his food, he owes an oath expiation; because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah: 89].
He, the Exalted, clarified in this verse the expiation for an oath, and He made it clear that fasting is only for the one who is unable to feed, clothe, or free a slave. The scholars differed regarding the amount of food obligatory for each poor person, and the most correct view is that it is half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) from any of the types of food a person feeds his family, such as rice, dates, or others. The weight of this amount is approximately one and a half kilograms.
If he feeds ten poor people breakfast or dinner, or clothes them with a garment that suffices them for prayer, that is sufficient. If he frees a believing slave, male or female, that is sufficient. If he is unable to do any of these, he fasts for three days. And success is from Allah.
If I swore not to do something, and then the day came and I did it, am I allowed to fast for three days and then continue with that thing, or must I stop doing it?
Answer:
If a person swears not to do something and then does it, he owes an oath expiation; just as if he said, "By Allah, I will not talk to so-and-so," or "I will not eat his food," and then he talked to him or ate his food, he owes an oath expiation; because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [or afford it] - then a fast of three days [is required]. That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn. But guard your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be grateful.
لاَ يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ الأَيْمَانَ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ وَاحْفَظُواْ أَيْمَانَكُمْ كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَHe, the Exalted, clarified in this verse the expiation for an oath, and He made it clear that fasting is only for the one who is unable to feed, clothe, or free a slave. The scholars differed regarding the amount of food obligatory for each poor person, and the most correct view is that it is half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) from any of the types of food a person feeds his family, such as rice, dates, or others. The weight of this amount is approximately one and a half kilograms.
If he feeds ten poor people breakfast or dinner, or clothes them with a garment that suffices them for prayer, that is sufficient. If he frees a believing slave, male or female, that is sufficient. If he is unable to do any of these, he fasts for three days. And success is from Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.
