If some one is forced to break the fast, is it permissible to break the fast?
Answer By Dr Zakir Naik,As a rule, whether the fast breaks or not, or is it permissible, if someone is forced to break it out of ignorance, out of mistake.Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Nahl, Chapter No. 16, Verse No. 106, that,”After you have believed and then if you go to unbelief unless it is out of compulsion…”
That means even if you do Shirk out of compulsion, as long as in your heart there is Taqwa, fear of Allah, then it’s permissible. So if someone forces you something which is not allowed and breaks the fast then you’re not responsible for the fast.
As far as the general ruling is concerned, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw), he said, it’s mentioned in (Sahih) Ibn Maajah, Volume No. 3, (Book of Divorce) Hadith No. 2043 as well as 2045, he said that,
“Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) has excused my Ummah from mistakes, from forgetfulness and from that which is forced on them.”
So besides force even if it’s a mistake or if it is due to forgetfulness Allah excuses that and that’s mentioned in the
Qur’an in Surah Ahzaab, Chapter No. 33, Verse No. 5 that,
“If you do it out of mistake and don’t intend doing it then Allah will forgive you”
And Allah also mentions in Surah Baqarah, Chapter No. 2, Verse No. 286, where we pray to Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala),”Our Lord, please do not hold us responsible for our mistakes and forgetfulness” So basically the things that break the fast whether it be eating, drinking, intercourse etc all these, there are four criteria to be looked into.
If it’s done by force, under compulsion then you’re not responsible. If someone forces something on you aren’t responsible. Intentionally, Allah won’t hold responsible.
Number two, if it is done out of mistake, for example a person, he has Suhur and he thinks yet dawn hasn’t come and he continues eating, it’s a mistake.. moment he realizes he stops eating. So that’s a mistake which Allah will forgive Or someone does something out of forgetfulness, like a person eats or drinks water while fasting unintentionally or of forgetfulness then Allah forgives you and the fast is yet valid. And the fourth thing is that if he does out of ignorance, because he was not aware of it, for example if a person doesn’t know that vomiting deliberately, vomiting intentionally breaks the fast and because he has uneasiness and he puts a finger in his throat and vomits out then it is out of ignorance of the ruling, even that Allah will forgive InshaAllah.
So these four categories, because Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) does not want to overburden us and our Prophet said that if these are the case out of ignorance, out of mistake, out of forgetfulness, if someone does under compulsion all these things Insha Allah, Allah will forgive you and that’s the mercy of Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala).
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