If you deliberately ate during a Ramadan fast, Kaffarah may be required. The ruling depends on intent. Eating by choice triggers Kaffarah. Eating by mistake does not.
Does Eating During a Ramadan Fast Require Kaffarah
Kaffarah applies when a person deliberately eats during daylight hours of Ramadan without a valid Islamic excuse. Intent matters. Choice matters. Scholars agree on this ruling based on established sources.
If you knowingly ate food or drank while fasting, Kaffarah is required. This applies even if the amount was small. The fast was broken by intent.
Kaffarah for one deliberately broken fast requires feeding 60 poor people. In the UK, this is fulfilled by paying £300 per fast. Food is distributed as meals or essential food items.
If you ate by accident, Kaffarah does not apply. Forgetting that you were fasting removes the penalty. In that case, you only need to continue fasting and make up the fast later according to scholarly opinion.
Kaffarah does not apply if eating occurred due to illness, coercion, or necessity. These situations remove blame. You may still need to make up the fast later.
Each deliberately broken fast must be counted separately. One day equals one Kaffarah. Two days equal two Kaffarah payments. There is no reduced rate.
Understanding the difference between deliberate and accidental eating protects your obligation. It prevents overpayment. It prevents underpayment.
Â
Recent Donation
Donations
FAQ's
FAQs that cover the most common questions about donating to this project
Kaffarah is the required expiation when a Ramadan fast is deliberately broken without a valid excuse.
The Kaffarah amount is £300 for each fast deliberately broken. This feeds 60 poor people.
Fasting 60 consecutive days is the original ruling. Feeding 60 people applies if this is not possible.
No. Missed fasts due to valid reasons require making up the fast or paying Fidyah, not Kaffarah.
Yes. Kaffarah must be paid separately for each fast that was intentionally broken.
Yes. You can pay Kaffarah online in the UK through a trusted charity that distributes food to the poor.
