Fatwa ID: 08018
Answered by: Mawlana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
I am a young Muslim sister, and I wanted to ask about a situation from my teenage years. I intentionally broke a fast during Ramadan, and I’m wondering if I need to fast for 60 consecutive days or if I can give Kaffārah instead and be exempt from fasting the 60 days.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Breaking a Ramadan Fast Intentionally Necessitates Expiation
Breaking a Ramadan fast intentionally necessitates make-up (Qadā’) and expiation (Kaffārah). Fatāwā Hindiyyah mentions in “The Book of Fasting” under the chapter “The Second Type: What Necessitates Qada and Kaffarah”:
If he intentionally eats something that is used for food or medicine, he must make expiation.[1]
Kaffarah of Intentionally Broken Ramadan Fasts
Intentionally breaking a Ramadan fast is one of the acts that necessitate Qadā’ and Kaffārah. Raddul Muhtar mentions:
Know that the obligatory fasts are thirteen, seven of which must be done consecutively. They are Ramadan, the expiation for murder, the expiation for zihar, the expiation for an oath, the expiation for breaking the fast in Ramadan, a specific vow, and the fast of a specific oath.[2]
Breaking The Sixty-Day Streak
If the fasting streak is broken without a valid Shar’i reason, it must be restarted. Fatāwā Hindiyyah states:
The meaning of expiation [Kaffarah] (his statement: like the expiation of the one who does Zihār) is connected to his statement: “and expiates” meaning like it in order. So he frees a slave first. If he does not find one, he fasts two consecutive months. If he is unable, he feeds sixty poor people, according to the well-known hadith of the Bedouin in the six books. So if he breaks the fast, even for an excuse, he starts over again, except for the excuse of menstruation.[3]
Therefore, you would need to fast for 60 consecutive days, excluding the days of menstruation, the two Eids, and the days of Tashreeq (the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah following Eid Al-Adha). These exceptions should be added consecutively at the end of your 60-day fast without any gaps.
Inability to Fast 60 Consecutive Days
If a person is unable to fast due to old age or a terminal illness, they are required to feed sixty poor people the equivalent of 1 Saa’ of dates or barley, or ½ Saa’ of wheat, either in kind or value.
There is no expiation for breaking a fast other than Ramadan. This is stated in Al-Kanz.
The expiation for breaking the fast and the expiation for zihar are one and the same (1) , which is freeing a believing or non-believing slave. If he is unable to free a slave, then he must fast for two consecutive months. If he is unable to do so, then he must feed sixty poor people, each poor person a Saa’ of dates or barley or half a Saa’ of wheat. The condition of the one who is expiating is taken into consideration in all cases. Expiations are due at the time of payment, not at the time of their obligation. If he is insolvent [bankrupt] at the time of payment, then fasting will suffice for him, even if he was well-off at the time of obligation [when he broke the fast], this is stated in Al-Khulasah.[4]
Multiple Ramadan Fasts Broken Intentionally
It is possible that multiple fasts are intentionally broken during one or more Ramadans. In such cases, the individual is required to perform Qadā’ (make up) for all the missed fasts, but only one Kaffārah is necessary. Radd al-Muhtār states:
If he breaks the fast repeatedly and does not make expiation for the first time, one is sufficient for him, even if it is in two Ramadans, according to [Imam] Muhammad[5]
Fatāwā Hindiyyah adds:
If he had intercourse repeatedly during the days of one Ramadan and did not make expiation, he would have to make one expiation. If he had intercourse, made expiation, and then had intercourse again, he would have to make another expiation, according to the apparent meaning of the narration. This is in Fath al-Qadir.[6]
Therefore, if someone intentionally breaks multiple fasts during Ramadan, for any reason, a single Kaffārah would suffice for all of them. However, if they intentionally break their fast again after performing the Kaffārah, they would be required to repeat it.
Breaking The Ramadan Fast Forgetfully Then Intentionally
If someone forgetfully breaks their fast during Ramadan, and, believing their fast is already broken, intentionally breaks it again, they would only need to make up that fast (Qadā’) and expiation (Kaffārah) would not be required.
If someone eats, drinks, or has sexual intercourse forgetfully and thinks that this breaks his fast, then he eats intentionally, he does not have to make expiation [Kaffārah], even if he knows that his fast is not invalidated by forgetfulness, according to Abu Hanifa (May Allah Ta’ālā have mercy on him). It [Kaffārah] is not necessary on him. This is the correct view. This is in Al-Khulasah.[7]
Only Allah (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ) knows best.
Written by Mawlana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1] إذَا أَكَلَ مُتَعَمِّدًا مَا يُتَغَذَّى بِهِ أَوْ يُتَدَاوَى بِهِ يَلْزَمُهُ الْكَفَّارَةُ
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 205, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[2] (٢) اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الصِّيَامَاتِ اللَّازِمَةِ فَرْضًا ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ سَبْعَةٌ مِنْهَا يَجِبُ فِيهَا التَّتَابُعُ، وَهِيَ رَمَضَانُ وَكَفَّارَةُ الْقَتْلِ، وَكَفَّارَةُ الظِّهَارِ وَكَفَّارَةُ الْيَمِينِ، وَكَفَّارَةُ الْإِفْطَارِ فِي رَمَضَانَ، وَالنَّذْرُ الْمُعَيَّنُ، وَصَوْمُ الْيَمِينِ الْمُعَيَّنِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 215, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[3] 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
(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 2, pg. 412, Darul Fikr Beirut)
[4] وَلَا كَفَّارَةَ بِإِفْسَادِ صَوْمِ غَيْرِ رَمَضَانَ كَذَا فِي الْكَنْزِ. كَفَّارَةُ الْفِطْرِ، وَكَفَّارَةُ الظِّهَارِ وَاحِدَةٌ (١) ، وَهِيَ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ أَوْ كَافِرَةٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى الْعِتْقِ فَعَلَيْهِ صِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ إطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا كُلَّ مِسْكِينٍ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَوْ شَعِيرٍ أَوْ نِصْفَ صَاعٍ مِنْ حِنْطَةٍ، وَإِنَّمَا يُعْتَبَرُ حَالُ الْمُكَفِّرِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْكَفَّارَاتِ وَقْتَ الْأَدَاءِ لَا وَقْتَ وُجُوبِهَا فَإِنْ كَانَ وَقْتَ الْأَدَاءِ مُعْسِرًا يُجْزِيهِ الصِّيَامُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مُوسِرًا وَقْتَ الْوُجُوبِ كَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 215, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[5] وَلَوْ تَكَرَّرَ فِطْرُهُ وَلَمْ يُكَفِّرْ لِلْأَوَّلِ يَكْفِيه وَاحِدَةٌ وَلَوْ فِي رَمَضَانَيْنِ عِنْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ
(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 2, pg. 413, Darul Fikr Beirut)
[6] وَلَوْ جَامَعَ مِرَارًا فِي أَيَّامٍ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ وَاحِدٍ، وَلَمْ يُكَفِّرْ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ، وَلَوْ جَامَعَ، وَكَفَّرَ ثُمَّ جَامَعَ عَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَةٌ أُخْرَى فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ كَذَا فِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 215, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[7] (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.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 206, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
