What is kaffarah?
Kaffarah is a penalty for fasts that are unlawfully broken.
Paying kaffarah also benefits members of the community who live in impoverished conditions.
WF-AID is facilitating kaffarah payments in Africa and South Asia this Ramadan.
Some of the things that break a fast are:
- Eating
- Drinking
- Sexual intercourse
- Masturbation
- Staying in the state of janabah until the time for fajr
- Vomiting intentionally
Invalidating a fast without a valid reason must be recompensed with kaffarah and qada (making up the fast).
What is the kaffarah for breaking a fast unlawfully?
The kaffarah for breaking a fast unlawfully in the month of Ramadan is:
- Freeing a slave (which does not apply in our times),
- or fasting for two consecutive months,
- or feeding 60 poor people / giving each one of them a mudd (approximately 750 grams) of staple food such as wheat, barley, and bread.
If none of these are possible, the person must seek forgiveness from Allah. And the obligatory precaution is that kaffarah must be given whenever the person is able to.
How much do I need to pay for kaffarah?
For feeding 60 people / giving each one of them 750 grams of staple food, the amount is £90 / $125 USD for each fast.
When must kaffarah be paid?
Whilst it is not necessary to pay kaffarah immediately, one should not delay it negligently. And the recommendation precaution is to pay it promptly.
Please note that the above rules are only an overview of the rulings on kaffarah according to His Eminence al-Sayyid al-Sistani (may Allah protect him). For more information, please see Islamic Laws.
For specific questions about your situation, please visit Ask An Alim, where you can submit a question and get a response from an Alim, or view similar questions which may apply to you.