Question:

Is the following hadeeth authentic?

On the authority of Umm Umarah who said that the Messenger of Allah came to us and we brought food for him. Some of those who were with him were fasting, and the Messenger of Allah said: ‘If food is eaten in the presence of one who is fasting, the angels send blessing upon him.’”

Answer:

Shaykh Albany states it to be weak in some of his books. However, Ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen, rahimahullah, was asked the following question:

هل للصائم أجر إذا كان أمامه أناس يأكلون؟ وهل ورد في السنة ما يبين ذلك إذا كان هناك أجر لأن بعض الإخوة يقول: إن الملائكة تترحم عليه؟

Question:

Is the fasting person rewarded if there are people in front of him eating?  And has anything come in the Sunnah which clarifies there being some type of reward [for it] since some of the brothers say that the angels make du’a of mercy for him?

الجواب: هذا لا أعلم فيه نصاً عن الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام أن فيه أجراً أو أن الملائكة تترحم عليه، لكن بعض السلف ولا سيما في التابعين كان يرى أن ذلك من الصبر، يعني من زيادة الصبر، يعني كون الإنسان يصبر على الصيام مع أن الناس يأكلون حوله يزداد بذلك أجراً، لا سيما مع توقان النفس إلى الأكل والشرب فإنه يزداد أجره لأنه سوف يزداد صبره.

Answer:

I am unaware of any texts from the Messenger sallahu alayhi wa salam that there is a reward [for it] or that the angels make du’a of mercy for him. However, some of the Salaf, especially during the time of the Tabi’een would see it to be from patience. Meaning, to be an increase of patience. Meaning, the fact the person is patient upon fasting while people are eating in front of him is an increase of the reward by that. [And this is] especially if his inner self is desiring food and drink for verily he will have an increase of reward since he will obtain by it an increase of patience.

[al-Fataawaa Athulaathiyyah (1-2-3)]

Translated by

AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr