Cook Tasting Food While Fasting

Here are four authentic Aḥādīth that allows for a cooking person who is fasting to taste the food they are making. There is an authentic ḥadīth[1] where the Imām (عليه السلام) denies a person from tasting the food, but scholars interpret that ḥadīth as it being makrūh (undesirable) to taste the food without a reason (i.e. to check for salt, etc.).

The ḥadīth regarding a mother chewing the food for her child, if she happens to swallow it, she will have to spit three times.[2]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ الصَّائِمَةِ تَطْبُخُ الْقِدْرَ فَتَذُوقُ الْمَرَقَةَ تَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ قَالَ وَ سُئِلَ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ يَكُونُ لَهَا الصَّبِيُّ وَ هِيَ صَائِمَةٌ فَتَمْضَغُ الْخُبْزَ وَ تُطْعِمُهُ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ وَ الطَّيْرَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهَا

From al-Ḥalabī from Abī `Abd Allāh that he was asked about a women cooking and she is fasting and she tastes the broth in the pot. He (عليه السلام) said: ‘No problem’. He (al-Ḥalabī) said that he (عليه السلام) was asked about a women who has a child, and she is fasting, can she chew up the bread and feed him (the child)? So he (عليه السلام) said: ‘No problem, (also is the case) for a bird she has’[3]

وَ عَنْهُ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ سَأَلَ ابْنُ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- وَ أَنَا أَسْمَعُ عَنِ الصَّائِمِ يَصُبُّ الدَّوَاءَ فِي أُذُنِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ يَذُوقُ الْمَرَقَ وَ يَزُقُّ الْفَرْخَ

From Hammād b. `Uthmān said, Ibn Abī Ya`fūr asked Abā `Abd Allāh (عليه السلام), that I heard a fasting person can pour medicine in his hears. He (عليه السلام) said, ‘Yes, and he can taste broth and he can chew for fledgling’[4]

الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَذُوقَ الرَّجُلُ الصَّائِمُ الْقِدْرَ

From Muḥammad b. Muslim from Abī Ja`far (عليه السلام) said, ‘There is no problem if a fasting person tastes (what is in) the pot’[5]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى ع قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الصَّائِمِ يَذُوقُ الشَّرَابَ وَ الطَّعَامَ يَجِدُ طَعْمَهُ فِي حَلْقِهِ قَالَ لَا يَفْعَلُ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ فَعَلَ فَمَا عَلَيْهِ قَالَ لَا شَيْ‏ءَ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا يَعُودُ

`Alī b. Ja`far from his brother Mūsa (عليه السلام) said, ‘I asked him about a fasting person tasting the drink and food until he finds the food in his throat’. He (عليه السلام) said: ‘Do not do that’ I said: ‘And if he does (that), what is upon?’ He (عليه السلام) said: ‘There is nothing upon him, nor does he have to repeat (his fasts)’[6] 

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[1] al-Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 4, pg. 115, ḥadīth # 4; al-Majlisī said this ḥadīth is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic)(See: al-Majlisī, Mir’āt al-`Uqūl, vol. 16, pg. 298):

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْأَعْرَجِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الصَّائِمِ يَذُوقُ الشَّيْ‏ءَ وَ لَا يَبْلَعُهُ قَالَ لَا
From Sa`īd al-A`raj said, ‘I asked Abā `Abd Allāh about a fasting person who tastes something and does not swallow it?’ He (عليه السلام) said: ‘No’

[2] This is based off of the ḥadīth narrated by al-Mufīd in his al-Muqni`ah, ch. 38, pg. 380

[3] al-Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 4, pg. 115, ḥadīth # 4; al-Majlisī said this ḥadīth is Ḥasan (Good) (See: al-Majlisī, Mir’āt al-`Uqūl, vol. 16, pg. 297)

[4] al-Ṭūsī, Tahdīb al-Aḥkām, vol. 4, pg. 311, ḥadīth # 9; al-Majlisī said this ḥadīth is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic) (See: al-Majlisī, Milādh al-Akhyār, vol. 7, pg. 139)

[5] al-Ṭūsī, Tahdīb al-Aḥkām, vol. 4, pg. 311, ḥadīth # 8; al-Majlisī said this ḥadīth is Kal-Ṣaḥīḥ (Like Authentic) (See: al-Majlisī, Milādh al-Akhyār, vol. 7, pg. 139)

[6] al-Ṭūsī, Tahdīb al-Aḥkām, vol. 4, pg. 325, ḥadīth # 72; al-Majlisī said this ḥadīth is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic) (See: al-Majlisī, Milādh al-Akhyār, vol. 7, pg. 162)

Bibliography

al-Kulaynī. al-Kāfī. Ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī. 3rd. 8 vols. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1388.

al-Majlisī. Milādh al-Akhyār. 1st. 16 vols. Qum: Maktabah Ayatollah al-Mar`ashī al-Najafī, 1406.

—. Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl. 26 vols. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410.

al-Mufīd. al-Muqni`ah. 1st ed. 1 vols. Qum: al-Mu’tamir al-`Ālamī lil-Alfiyyah al-Shaykh al-Mufīd, 1413.

al-Ṭūsī. Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām. 4th. 10 vols. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1407.