Fatwa ID: 09255
Answered by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Question:
Asalamualykum,
A sister reverted a few years ago, and only found out now that intentionally breaking a fast results having to do kaffarah of 60 days consecutive fasting.
When she converted, it was long summer fasts in the UK and some days she really struggled with the fast so would break her fast, now question is:
1) Would kaffarah rule still apply to her bring a new muslim at that time and unaware of ruling?
2) Does she have to keep 60 fasts for every fast broken? She’s not sure how many she broke.
3) Does she have to fast 60 days or does she have option to feed 60 people instead? Even though she is healthy and well. But the thought of fasting 60 days consecutively seems very difficult, especially with summer now approaching.
4) If she does have option to feed 60 poor people instead, does she pay according to cost of feeding a meal to a person in the UK or can it be according to whichever country she sends the kaffarah to?
JazakAllah
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
An individual who intentionally breaks their fast without a Shar’i reason is required to perform both Qadha and Kaffarah. There would be no change to this ruling for a new Muslim unaware of the ruling. However, in the case where an individual has intentionally broken multiple fasts of Ramadhan by eating or drinking, even if this occurred across several Ramadhans, only one Kaffarah will be due for all the previously broken fasts. Although, if a fast was broken due to intercourse, then each fast broken for this reason will require a separate Kaffarah.[1]
An individual who is healthy and physically able to perform the 60 consecutive fasts would not be permitted to feed 60 needy persons, as this concession is only for those who are unable to perform these fasts due to severe illness or old age.[2]
In conclusion, the sister will first be required to estimate how many fasts she had intentionally broken to the best of her ability and perform Qadha’ for each of these fasts. She will then be required to perform only one Kaffarah of 60 consecutive fasts for all the fasts broken due to eating or drinking. If the sister still finds fasting difficult, she may wish to delay the Kaffarah until the winter months, where the fasts are shorter.[3]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
وَلَوْ تَكَرَّرَ فِطْرُهُ وَلَمْ يُكَفِّرْ لِلْأَوَّلِ يَكْفِيه وَاحِدَةٌ وَلَوْ فِي رَمَضَانَيْنِ عِنْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَيْهِ الِاعْتِمَادُ بَزَّازِيَّةٌ وَمُجْتَبَى وَغَيْرُهُمَا وَاخْتَارَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِلْفَتْوَى أَنَّ الْفِطْرَ بِغَيْرِ الْجِمَاعِ تَدَاخَلَ وَإِلَّا لَا
–
قَوْلُهُ: وَلَمْ يُكَفِّرْ لِلْأَوَّلِ) أَمَّا لَوْ كَفَّرَ فَعَلَيْهِ أُخْرَى فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ لِلْعِلْمِ بِأَنَّ الزَّجْرَ لَمْ يَحْصُلْ بِالْأُولَى بَحْرٌ (قَوْلُهُ: وَعَلَيْهِ الِاعْتِمَادُ) نَقَلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ عَنْ الْأَسْرَارِ وَنَقَلَ قَبْلَهُ عَنْ الْجَوْهَرَةِ لَوْ جَامَعَ فِي رَمَضَانَيْنِ فَعَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَتَانِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يُكَفِّرْ لِلْأُولَى فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ وَهُوَ الصَّحِيحُ. اهـ
قُلْت: فَقَدْ اخْتَلَفَ التَّرْجِيحُ كَمَا تَرَى وَيَتَقَوَّى الثَّانِي بِأَنَّهُ ظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ (قَوْلُهُ: إنْ الْفِطْرُ) إنْ شَرْطِيَّةٌ ح (قَوْلُهُ: وَإِلَّا لَا) أَيْ وَإِنْ كَانَ الْفِطْرُ الْمُتَكَرِّرُ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ بِجِمَاعٍ لَا تَتَدَاخَلُ الْكَفَّارَةُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُكَفِّرْ لِلْأَوَّلِ لِعِظَمِ الْجِنَايَةِ وَلِذَا أَوْجَبَ الشَّافِعِيُّ الْكَفَّارَةَ بِهِ دُونَ الْأَكْلِ وَالشُّرْبِ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.2, pg.413, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[2]
مَطْلَبٌ فِي الْكَفَّارَةِ (قَوْلُهُ: كَكَفَّارَةِ الْمُظَاهِرِ) مُرْتَبِطٌ بِقَوْلِهِ وَكَفَّرَ أَيْ مِثْلُهَا فِي التَّرْتِيبِ فَيَعْتِقُ أَوَّلًا فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ صَامَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَطْعَمَ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا لِحَدِيثِ الْأَعْرَابِيِّ الْمَعْرُوفِ فِي الْكُتُبِ السِّتَّةِ فَلَوْ أَفْطَرَ وَلَوْ لِعُذْرٍ اسْتَأْنَفَ إلَّا لِعُذْرِ الْحَيْضِ…
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.2, pg.412, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[3]
قَوْلُهُ: فِي الصُّوَرِ كُلِّهَا) أَيْ الْمَذْكُورَةِ فِي قَوْلِهِ وَإِنْ جَامَعَ إلَخْ (قَوْلُهُ وَكَفَّرَ) تَرَكَ بَيَانَ وَقْتِ وُجُوبِ الْقَضَاءِ وَالْكَفَّارَةِ إشْعَارًا بِأَنَّهُ عَلَى التَّرَاخِي كَمَا قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ وَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ إنَّهُ عَلَى الْفَوْرِ، وَعَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ رِوَايَتَانِ كَمَا فِي التُّمُرْتَاشِيِّ وَقِيلَ بَيْنَ رَمَضَانَيْنِ وَقَالَ الْكَرْخِيُّ وَالْأَوَّلُ الصَّحِيحُ، وَكَذَا لَا يُكْرَهُ نَفْلُهُ كَمَا فِي الزَّاهِدِيِّ وَإِنَّمَا قَدَّمَ الْقَضَاءَ إشْعَارًا بِأَنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُقَدِّمَهُ عَلَى الْكَفَّارَةِ وَيُسْتَحَبُّ التَّتَابُعُ كَمَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ قُهُسْتَانِيٌّ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.2, pg.411, Dār Al-Fiqr)