Fatwa ID: 07728
Answered by Aalimah Khadija Tarwala
Question:
My question relates to kaffarah for broken fasts. During my late teen years, I broke a few fasts by eating (I cannot remember the exact number but it was probably 4-5). I am now 30 years old and trying to rectify any errors I have made in my previous years.
I was not as practising at the time and did not understand the severity of breaking a fast. I would like to rectify my mistakes and seek forgiveness from Allah SWT but I am unsure of the correct process.
The online research I have done is conflicting. Some sources say you must fast for 60 consecutive days as kaffarah and then make up the broken fasts as qadha.
Other sources say fasting for 60 consecutive days is only for those who have broken their fasts through sexual intercourse (which I did not do), and that you only need to do qadha and seek forgiveness if you broke the fast through eating.
There are also sources that say you can pay for 60 meals to poor people as kaffarah (instead of 60 consecutive fasts) and do qadha.
I am worried about how I will manage to keep 60 consecutive fasts with work commitments so I wanted to check with a scholar what the correct process is. I would prefer to pay for 60 people as my kaffarah and make up the broken fasts, but if I must keep the 60 consecutive fasts then InshaAllah I will do that instead.
Please could you clarify which one I should do?
– Fast 60 consecutive days and make up the broken fasts
– Pay for 60 poor people and make up the broken fasts
JazakAllah Khayr.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
In the Hanafi school, if you deliberately broke your fast by eating, both qadha (making up the missed fasts) and kaffarah (expiation) are required. Kaffarah is required in this case, just as it is for breaking the fast through sexual intercourse.
The forms of kaffarah in the Hanafi school are fasting for 60 consecutive days or feeding 60 poor people.
If fasting for 60 consecutive days is difficult for you due to work commitments, you may fulfil kaffarah by feeding 60 poor people. After performing kaffarah, you must still make up the missed fasts.
May Allah (SWT) make it easy for you and accept your repentance.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Aalimah Khadija Tarwala.
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah.
Darul Ifta Birmingham.
وَلَو انه افطر بِالطَّعَامِ اَوْ بِالشرابِ وَنَحْوهمَا دون الْجِمَاع فَعَلَيهِ الْقَضَاء دون الْكَفَّارَة فِي قَول الشَّافِعِي، وَفِي قَول ابي حنيفَة واصحابه وابي عبد الله عَلَيْهِ بِالْكَفَّارَةِ فِيهَا كالافطار بِالْجِمَاعِ.
النتف في الفتاوى، السغدي، ج1، ص143.
أَحَدُهَا كَفَّارَة شَهْرِ رَمَضَان وَهُوَ أَنْ يُفْطِرَ يَوْمًا عَمْدًا بِالْجِمَاعِ مِنْ غَيْرِ عُذْرٍ، فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ رَقَبَةً أَوْ يَصُومَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ أَوْ يُطْعِمَ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا.
النتف في الفتاوى، السغدي، ج1، ص143.
