What Is the Reward of Feeding a Fasting Person?

Reward of feeding a fasting person

Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives iftar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the reward of the fasting person in the slightest.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 807; Ibn Majah, 1746. Classed as sahih by Ibn Hiban, 8/216 and by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami’, 6415) 

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said: “What is meant by giving him iftar is giving him enough to satisfy him.” (Al-Ikhtiyarat, p. 194) 

The righteous salaf were keen to provide food for others and they thought that this was one of the best of righteous deeds. 

One of the salaf said:  “For me to invite ten of my companions and feed them food that they like is dearer to me than freeing ten of the sons of Isma’il from slavery.” 

Many of the salaf used to give up their iftar for others, such as ‘Abd-Allah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Dawud al-Tai, Malik ibn Dinar and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Ibn ‘Umar used to break his fast with orphans and the poor and needy. 

There were among the salaf those who used to offer food to their brothers whilst fasting, and they would sit and serve them, such as al-Hasan and Ibn al-Mubarak. 

Abu al-Siwar al-‘Adawi said: “Men from the tribe of Banu ‘Adiyy used to pray in this mosque and not one of them would break his fast on his own; if they found someone to join them they would eat with him, otherwise they would take their food out to the mosque and eat with the people, and the people would eat with them. 

Virtues of feeding people 

From the ‘ibadah of providing food for people stem many other acts of worship such as creating love and friendship towards those who are given the food, which is a means of entering Paradise, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “You will not enter Paradise until you truly believe, and you will not truly believe until you love one another.” Narrated by Muslim, 54. It also fosters the practice of sitting with righteous people and seeking reward by helping them to do acts of worship for which they gain strength by eating your food.

And Allah knows best.