Fatwa ID: 08082

Answered by: Mawlana Abdurrahman Mohammad

Question:

When I was younger (unsure if I was a child or mature as a young teenager at this time), I was performing a fast during the month of Ramadan. At one point, I was quite thirsty and had forgotten that I was fasting, so I drank some water. At that time, I didn’t know that eating or drinking mistakenly while fasting does not invalidate one’s fast. So, thinking that my fast had been broken, I drank water again. When I got home, I was informed by my parents that my fast, in fact, was intact and that I could have continued my fast.

From my understanding, intentionally breaking one’s fast during Ramadan by eating, drinking, or having intercourse necessitates Kaffarah of 60 days. My question is, do I owe Kaffarah or Qadha on this fast?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

You would only need to make up your fast (Qadā’) and expiation (Kaffārah) would not be necessary.

According to the Hanafi school, if someone eats, drinks, or has sexual intercourse forgetfully and thinks that this breaks their fast, then they eat or drink intentionally based on that mistaken belief, they do not have to make expiation (Kaffārah), even if they later learn that their fast is not invalidated by forgetfulness. This is the view of Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), and it is considered the correct opinion within the Hanafi school. This is stated in Al-Khulasah.

References:

«(وَمِمَّا يَتَّصِلُ بِذَلِكَ مَسَائِلُ) لَوْ أَكَلَ أَوْ شَرِبَ أَوْ جَامَعَ نَاسِيًا وَظَنَّ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ فَطَّرَهُ فَأَكَلَ مُتَعَمِّدًا لَا كَفَّارَةَ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ صَوْمَهُ لَا يَفْسُدُ بِالنِّسْيَانِ عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – لَا تَلْزَمُهُ هُوَ الصَّحِيحُ هَكَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ.»

“(And among the related issues): If someone ate, drank, or had intercourse forgetfully and thought that this broke his fast, so he ate intentionally, there is no Kaffārah upon him. Even if he knew that his fast is not invalidated by forgetfulness, according to Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), it [Kaffārah] is not necessary upon him. This is the correct view, as mentioned in Al-Khulasah.” (Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 206, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)

Therefore, in your situation, as you drank the second time based on the mistaken belief that your fast was already broken due to forgetful drinking, you are only required to make up that one fast (Qadā’). Kaffārah is not necessary.

Only Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) knows best.

Written by Mawlana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham