Riyad as-Salihin · Chapter 231

The Merit of Providing something to the Person Observing Saum (Fasting) for breaking the Fast

باب فضل من فطر صائمًا، وفضل الصائم الذي يؤكل عنده ودعاء الآكل للمأكول عنده‏:

This chapter shifts the focus from the one who fasts to the one who feeds them. Its heart is a striking promise: helping another person break their fast earns you a reward like theirs, without lessening their own. Generosity here is not a transaction but a doorway into someone else's worship.

Notice how the rewards stack up across these hadith: a share in the faster's reward, the angels seeking forgiveness for you, and the Prophet's own prayer of blessing over a host. The thread to carry away is that hospitality offered for Allah's sake draws down mercy on the giver.

Hadith 1265

Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

عن زيد بن خالد الجهني، رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏ "‏من فطر صائمًا، كان له مثل أجره غير أنه لا ينقص من أجر الصائم شيء‏" ‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه الترمذي وقال‏:‏ حديث حسن صحيح‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who provides a fasting person something with which to break his fast, will earn the same reward as the one who was observing the fast, without diminishing in any way the reward of the latter." [At-Tirmidhi].

In plain words

Whoever helps a fasting person break their fast gains a reward like theirs, and the faster loses nothing. Generosity here lets you share in another's worship without taking anything from them.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1265 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 275

Hadith 1266

Umm 'Umarah Al-Ansariyah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

وعن أم عمارة الأنصارية، رضي الله عنها أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم دخل عليها فقدمت إليه طعامًا فقال ‏"‏ كلي‏"‏ فقالت‏:‏ إني صائمة، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏"‏إن الصائم تصلي عليه الملائكة إذا أكل عنده حتى يفرغوا‏"‏ وربما قال‏:‏ ‏"‏حتى يشبعوا‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه الترمذي وقال‏:‏ حديث حسن‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

Once the Prophet (ﷺ) visited us and I served him some food. He (ﷺ) asked me to eat. I replied that I was observing (optional) fast. He (ﷺ) said, "When people eat by a person observing fast, the angels keep asking Allah's forgiveness for that person until they have had their fill." [At-Tirmidhi].

In plain words

When people eat in the presence of someone fasting, the angels keep asking forgiveness for that faster until the eaters are full. It shows how the faster is blessed even while hosting others.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1266 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 276

Hadith 1267

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

وعن أنس رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم جاء إلى سعد بن عبادة رضي الله عنه فجاء بخبز وزيت، فأكل ثم قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏ "‏أفطر عندكم الصائمون وأكل طعامكم الأبرار وصلت عليكم الملائكة‏" ‏‏.‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) came to visit Sa'd bin 'Ubadah (May Allah be pleased with him) who presented bread and olive oil to him. The Prophet (ﷺ) ate it and said, "The observers of fast have broken their fast with you (this is the literal translation, but the meaning is: 'May Allah reward you for providing a fasting people with food to break their fast'); the pious people have eat your food and the angels invoked blessings on you." [Abu Dawud].

In plain words

The Prophet ate a host's simple food and prayed that fasting and pious people had eaten there and that angels blessed him. It teaches us that feeding others for Allah's sake draws prayers and blessings upon the giver.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1267 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 277