He tasted the food and swallowed it by mistake

Dear Brothers & Sisters,
As-Salaamu-Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:
My wife asked me to help her make iftaar, and whilst I was helping her I checked the food for salt, forgetting that I was fasting. Did I break my fast by doing that? Because I was doing something that was not obligatory upon me according to sharee’ah or according to custom?
(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
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Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. 

There is nothing wrong with a fasting person tasting the food if he needs to, if he does that by testing it with the tip of his tongue, then he spits it out without swallowing anything, whether the one who is fasting is a man or a woman. 

But if the fasting person forgets and swallows it by mistake, there is no sin on him, and he should complete his fast. This is because of the general meaning of the evidence which indicates that according to sharee’ah, the person who forgets is excused. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets that he is fasting and eats or drinks something, let him complete his fast, for it is Allaah Who has fed him and given him to drink.” (Agreed upon. Al-Bukhaari, 1399; Muslim 1155).

 And Allaah knows best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah's Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam

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