What is the expiation for breaking your fast in Ramadhaan?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

🔹If someone does something that invalidates their fast, they should refrain from eating or drinking until maghrib.

And make the day up after Ramadhaan.

🔹Keep in mind that if someone eats or drinks forgetfully or has a wet dream while sleeping or vomits involuntarily etc then the fast is STILL VALID.

🔹And if he has deliberately broken his fast, due to a valid shar’ee reason like he gets sick or has severe pain somewhere or anything happens to him that is harmful to him if he continues to fast, then there’s NO SIN on him.

And he should simply make up the day later.

🔹However if someone deliberately broke his fast by having marital relationship with his wife while fasting, then that’s EXTREME sin.

He must make taubah to Allaah and pay the expiation of deliberately breaking the fast.

When a person has intercourse during the day in Ramadhaan, five things result from that:

1. He is guilty of a major sin.

2. His fast is broken.

3. He has to refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day.

4. He has to make that day up.

5. He has to offer expiation (kafaarah).

🔹 The kafaarah is to free a slave.

If that is not possible then the person must fast for two consecutive months.

And whoever is not able to do that must feed sixty poor persons.

📌 Proof:

🍃 Abu Hurayrah radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“Whilst we were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ a man came to him and said,

“O Messenger of Allaah, I am doomed!”

He said, “What happened?” He said, “I had intercourse with my wife when I was fasting [in Ramadaan].”

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ

said,

“Are you able to free a slave?”

He said, “No.”

He said, “Are you able to fast for two consecutive months?”

He said, “No.”

He said, “Can you feed sixty poor persons?”

He said, “No.”

Then the Prophet ﷺ remained silent for a while, and whilst we were like that, a large vessel of dates was brought to the Prophet ﷺ and he said:

“Where is the one who was asking?”

He said, “Here I am.”

He said, “Take these and give them in charity.”

The man said, “Is there anyone more poor than me, O Messenger of Allaah?

For there is no household between the two harrahs (lava fields – i.e., in Madeenah) that is poorer than my household.”

The Messenger of Allaah

‎ﷺ smiled until his eyeteeth could be seen, then he said:

“Feed it to your family.”

(al-Bukhaari, 1834, 1835; Muslim, 1111)

🔹 But if a person breaks his fast deliberately during Ramadhaan for ANY OTHER reason besides intercourse, he is sinful but he or she is NOT required to fast sixty days or do any of the above, according to the correct scholarly opinion.

📌 Proof:

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever makes himself vomit deliberately, let him make up that day.”

(at-Tirmidhi 720; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi)

Here the Prophet ﷺ told the person who broke his fast by deliberately vomiting, to “make up that day” only.

He ﷺ did not tell him to fast sixty days etc.

That’s because the basic principle is that no expiation or compensation is required EXCEPT in cases mentioned in the Sharee’ah, and there is nothing in the religious texts to suggest that expiation is required in any case other than intercourse.

And we cannot draw an analogy between eating and drinking, and intercourse.

🍃 The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“If the fast in Ramadhaan was broken by doing something other than having intercourse, then no expiation is required for that according to the correct view.

Rather what is required is to repent and to make up the (ONE) day on which the fast was broken.”

(Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah 9/221)

🍃 Shaykh ibn Baaz said:

“As for breaking the fast by eating, drinking, or by any other means, then he does not have to pay a kaffaarah, but he has to make tawbah, have remorse for intentionally breaking his fast, be determined not to return to that, make Istighfaar abundantly, and make up that day.

As for the Ḥadīth: “Whoever intentionally breaks his fast during Ramadhaan would never be able to make up for it, even if he fasts for an eternity,” then it is weak, as viewed by the people of knowledge.

It is not authentic; therefore, what is correct is for him to make up one day of fast [i.e. the day he intentionally broke his fast] and to make tawbah.

If the fast was broken by doing something other than having intercourse – rather it was by drinking water, or eating something, and the like – then he does not have to offer expiation; rather he has to make up that day.”

(Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb)

And Allaah knows best