Abu Dawud

Benefits and Issues:
If one eats or drinks out of forgetfulness, it is excused.
There is no effect on the fast; one should complete the fast without any doubt or hesitation.
And this is the grace and mercy of Allah, that this state has been described in such a way that Allah has fed and given you drink.

Chapter of Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith Number: 6669: «بَابُ إِذَا حَنِثَ نَاسِيًا فِي الأَيْمَانِ:»
Relationship between the chapter and the hadith:
Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has clarified in the chapter heading regarding the expiation (kaffarah) for breaking an oath out of forgetfulness, whether expiation becomes obligatory or not. Under this chapter, he has narrated the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As radi Allahu anhu. From this hadith, Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has made it clear that in the acts of Hajj, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not command any expiation or ransom (fidyah) for mistakes or forgetfulness. By analogy to this issue, Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah wants to highlight the ruling that if an oath is broken due to forgetfulness, then no expiation is required.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani rahimahullah has discussed in detail the relationship between the chapter and the hadith. Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned eleven ahadith under this chapter, and in one way or another, each hadith is connected to the chapter heading either implicitly or explicitly. Thus, while discussing all these ahadith in detail, Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes:
«قال المهلب: حاول البخاري فى إثبات العزر بالجهل و النسيان يسقط الكفارة، و الذى يلائم مقصوده من أحاديث الباب الأول و حديث ”من أكل ناسيًا“ و حديث نسيان تشهد الأول و قصة موسى فان الخضر . . . . . و أما بقية أحاديث ففي مساعدتها على مراده نظر قلت: قد يساعده أيضا حديث عبدالله بن عمرو و حديث ابن عباس فى تقديم بعض النسك على بعض فانه لم يأمر فيه بالاعادة بل عذر فاعله بجهل الحكم.» (2)
"Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has attempted to establish an excuse due to ignorance and forgetfulness, so that expiation is waived. Among the ahadith of the chapter, the first and this hadith are most relevant to his objective: «من أكل ناسيًا». Similarly, the hadith mentioning forgetting the first tashahhud and the narration about the story of Musa alayhis salam, in which Khidr alayhis salam excused him due to forgetfulness. Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has narrated various ahadith under this chapter to indicate the principles of evidence for both sides. The precedence of some rites over others in the narrations of Ibn Amr and Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhum is also supportive, because he did not command repetition, but rather considered the doer excused due to ignorance of the ruling."

From the quotations of Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah and Imam Muhallab rahimahullah, it becomes clear that in the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Amr radi Allahu anhu and the hadith of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma, the questioner was considered excused due to forgetfulness. From this, it is evident that if someone breaks an oath out of forgetfulness, then no expiation is required.

Allamah Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah has also written that Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah did not intend to clarify any specific ruling in the chapter heading, but rather intended to convey the benefit of those principles upon which analogy is correct and possible, so that the reader may have the opportunity to reflect and ponder. Thus, he writes:
«أورد الأحاديث المتجازبة ليفيد الناظر مظان النظر، ومن ثم لم يذكر الحكم فى الترجمة بل أفاد مراد الحكم والأصول التى تصلح أن يقاس عليها.» (1)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah states that Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah is an absolute proponent of non-obligation of expiation. Thus, he writes:
«و الذى يظهر لي أن البخاري يقول بعدم الكفارة مطلقًا، و توجيه الدلالة من الأحاديث التى ساقها.» (2)
"In my view, it is apparent that Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah is an absolute proponent of non-obligation of expiation, and it is possible to interpret the evidence from the narrated ahadith."

That is, all the ahadith that Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has presented under this chapter are applied to the chapter heading in such a way that whether it is ignorance or forgetfulness, under this excuse, expiation is waived. Thus, this is where the conformity between the chapter heading and the ahadith under the chapter is established.

Hadith Commentary:
The correspondence of this hadith is as follows: just as eating or drinking forgetfully does not break the fast, by analogy, breaking an oath forgetfully will also not invalidate the oath.

Hadith Commentary:
Eating and drinking out of forgetfulness does not break the fast. By analogy with this, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has adopted the position that actions contrary to an oath, if done out of error, forgetfulness, or inadvertence, are not blameworthy, nor does any expiation (kaffarah) become obligatory for them.

Hadith Commentary:
The narration from Imam Hasan al-Basri and Mujahid has been connected by ‘Abd al-Razzaq, who said: Ibn Jurayj informed us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, who said: If a man, during Ramadan, forgetfully has intercourse with his wife, then there is no harm. And al-Thawri narrated from a man, from Hasan al-Basri, who said: Forgetful intercourse is equivalent to forgetful eating and drinking (Wahidi).

This fatwa is for the clarification of a legal issue; otherwise, it is extremely rare for a fasting person to forgetfully do such a thing. At the very least, if he forgets, the woman will surely remember and remind him. That is why deliberately having intercourse while fasting is considered an extremely grave sin, which breaks the fast, and its expiation (kaffarah) is to fast consecutively for two months, and so on.

Hadith Commentary:
All the hadith scholars except Imam Malik have given the ruling according to this hadith that eating or drinking forgetfully does not break the fast, nor is it necessary to make up (qada) for it. In fact, this is what the ease and removal of hardship for the ummah also require.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
From this hadith, it is understood that eating or drinking forgetfully does not break the fast.
Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, Imam Shafi'i rahimahullah, and Ahmad rahimahullah hold this same position.
Imam Nawawi rahimahullah has made an analogy (qiyas) to include sexual intercourse (jima') in this ruling, and this is the position of the majority.
However, according to Imam Malik rahimahullah, in all three cases (eating, drinking, and intercourse forgetfully), making up the fast (qada) is required, but there is no expiation (kaffarah).
According to Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, it is not possible to engage in sexual relations forgetfully;
therefore, in this case, both making up the fast (qada) and expiation (kaffarah) are required.
According to 'Ata', Layth, and Awza'i rahimahullah, in the case of intercourse, only making up the fast (qada) is required,
but there is no expiation (kaffarah).

Urdu Footnote:
1:
It is narrated in al-Bukhari: ((Indeed, Allah has fed him and given him drink)).

Benefits and Issues:
➊ In the rulings of Islam, human natural weakness has been taken into consideration. Forgetfulness is part of human nature. Therefore, Allah, the Exalted, has not counted actions done out of forgetfulness among sins. Regarding fasting, He has shown even more mercy: despite eating or drinking forgetfully, the fast is still considered valid. This is the meaning of “Allah’s feeding and giving drink.”

➋ One should not think that eating or drinking forgetfully is a sin or not, but that the fast is no longer valid, because fasting is the name of abstaining from eating and drinking, and that abstention has been broken. The fasting person should spend the remainder of the day in the same way as he would under the normal restrictions of fasting. This fast will be valid according to the Shari‘ah. Therefore, making up (qada) is not obligatory, nor is any expiation (kaffarah) required.