What is the ruling on someone who unintentionally plucked several hairs from his beard and bit a fingernail from his finger with his teeth, while wearing ihram garments at Jeddah airport to perform Umrah?

The majority of scholars hold that the expiatory sacrifice (fidyah) is obligatory for a pilgrim in a state of ihram if he cuts his hair or nails out of forgetfulness, because this falls under the category of destruction, in which intention and forgetfulness are treated equally, though there is a point of contention regarding this view.

Another group of scholars, a view preferred by Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, holds that the expiatory sacrifice (fidyah) is not obligatory for someone who acts out of forgetfulness, based on the generality of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: "Indeed, Allah has forgiven for my nation mistakes, forgetfulness, and what they are coerced into." This latter view is the more prominent one.