Fidya or Kaffarah for Breaking Fast 2022 2024

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Want to know the basics of Kaffarah for Breaking Fast? Yeah! We are heading towards this important matter so we can complete the sacred responsibility of fasting with more devotion and precision.

We already know that fasting in Ramadan is an obligation! What will happen if someone skips or break a fast deliberately? Definitely, he/she is responsible to pay the Kaffarah for Breaking Fast. Let’s take a step ahead to have an extensive view of Kaffara.

What does Kaffara mean in Islam

Kaffarah is a religious penalty that becomes applicable to someone who breaks or miss his fast intentionally. Mostly, kaffarah and fidyah are considered the same but both of these words have a slightly different origin.

A Hadith Sharif written in the six famous Islamic books Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Nasai, had explained the importance of offering the Kaffara. In that particular Hadith related to Kaffara, Hazrat Abu Huraira narrated that:

“A person came to our master the Prophet and said, ‘O the Messenger of Allah, I am ruined.’ Our master the Prophet asked what happened. He said that he had broken the Ramadan fast intentionally. Our master the Prophet told him to free a slave. When he said that he had no slave, he ordered him to fast for two months incessantly. When he said that he was unable to do so, he told him to feed poor people.”

Required Payment of Kaffrah

In context to the above mentioned Hadith Sharif, the possible ways to pay Kaffarah of illicit fast-breaking are mentioned below:

Free up a slave

Fast consecutively for two months

Feed sixty poor people to their fill for two meals

Feed one poor person two meals a day, for sixty days; or

Give to one poor person not less than 3 1/2 lbs. of wheat, rice or food grains, etc. to its value of cash for sixty days.

If someone is not able to fulfill any of the above-mentioned methods, then he should go for Sadqa. Pay the sadqa as you afford to pay to attain Allah’s mercy and help. Never forget to offer the Kaffarah for your mistake when you will be able to pay.

Things That Make Kaffarah Wajib

Breaking the fast without any valid reason such as intentional eating, drinking, and smoking.
Using Surma into eyes and oil rubbing with a thought in mind that the fast is broken. It will make the fast invalid.
To take any type of medicine intentionally during fast.

Precautions to offer Kaffarah

Any person who makes an intention of offering Kafarrah by fasting for two months continuously should observe fast regularly for one month and one day. After this, the continuity in observing the remaining fasts is not compulsory.
Don’t commence the Kaffarah fasting at a time period when you know that you will not be able to observe fast regularly for a month and one day, due to such days when observing fast is declared Haram. Such as fasting on Eid day is not allowed and it would be Haraam to fast on Eid day.
If someone who is observing fasts to offer Kafarrah does not fast without any valid and legitimate reasons then all his work will go in Vain as he has to commence the fasting from all over start.
A person who observes fasts for compensation of fast-breaking is not able to maintain the continuity due to some valid reasons such as Haidh, Nifas or traveling then all his sincere efforts to repent are saved as he is not obliged to start Kaffara fasting from the start. That person could continue to observe his remaining fasts when the excuse gets removed.

Difference b/w Kaffrah and Fidyah

Fidyah is applicable to a person who is not able to fast due to some valid reasons such as health issues, pregnancy, or any other situations when observing fasting might not be good for someone.

However, Kaffarah is obliged to pay when you break or leave a fast without legitimate reasons.

We have tried our best to make important things clear for you. To know this important topic in more detail you can read the Hadiths and Islamic Books of Famous scholars.