📜 الْكَفَّارَةُ وَالْفِدْيَة — Expiation and Ransom

"Can you free a slave? He said: No. He said: Can you fast two consecutive months?"
— Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim

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📜 Foundational Texts

Quran

﴿ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ ﴾
"And upon those who are able [to fast with hardship] - a ransom of feeding a poor person."
— Surah Al-Baqara, 2:184

Prophetic Hadiths

Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "I am ruined!" He said: "What has ruined you?" He said: "I had intercourse with my wife in Ramadan." He said: "Can you free a slave?" He said: "No." He said: "Can you fast two consecutive months?" He said: "No." He said: "Can you feed sixty poor people?"
— Al-Bukhari (1936) and Muslim (1111)

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🎓 Scholarly Statements

Imam Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 AH)

"Expiation is obligatory upon one who has intercourse deliberately during the day of Ramadan, and it is in order: freeing a slave, then fasting, then feeding."
— Al-Muwatta'

Ibn Al-Qasim (d. 191 AH)

"Malik said: Whoever eats or drinks deliberately in Ramadan must offer expiation along with making up."
— Al-Mudawwana

Ibn Rushd Al-Jadd (d. 520 AH)

"Expiation is recompense for violating the sanctity of the month, and fidya is a substitute for fasting for one who cannot fast."
— Al-Muqaddimat Al-Mumahhadat

Al-Qadi 'Iyad (d. 544 AH)

"Expiation is in order according to the majority, and fidya is one mudd for each day."
— Ikmal Al-Mu'lim

Ibn Juzayy Al-Kalbi (d. 741 AH)

"Expiation is obligatory for deliberate intercourse by consensus, and there is disagreement regarding deliberate eating and drinking."
— Al-Qawanin Al-Fiqhiyya

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🔍 Linguistic Analysis

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📚 Detailed Explanation

Expiation (Kaffara)

When is Expiation Required?

Levels of Expiation (In Order)

1. Freeing a believing slave — If able
2. Fasting two consecutive months — If unable
3. Feeding sixty poor people — If unable

Fidya (Ransom)

Who Must Pay Fidya?

Amount of Fidya

• Legal amount: One mudd per day
• Mudd: Two cupped handfuls of staple food
• Approximate weight: About 750 grams
• Contemporary value: 5-10 euros per day

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⚖️ Differences Between Schools

Expiation for Deliberate Eating and Drinking

Order vs Choice in Expiation

Expiation Upon the Woman

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🌍 Contemporary Applications

Calculating Fidya and Expiation

Fidya:

• 30 days × 750 grams = 22.5 kg of food
• Or: 30 × 7 euros = approximately 210 euros

Expiation by Feeding:

• 60 poor people × mudd = 45 kg of food
• Or: 60 × 7 euros = approximately 420 euros

Methods of Payment

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⚠️ Common Mistakes

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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🎯 Contemporary Cases

🚫 Case 1: Intentional Breaking Without Valid Excuse

Situation: Karim, 28 years old, in good health, intentionally broke his fast one day of Ramadan simply because he wanted to eat. He had no legal excuse.

❓ What expiation must he do?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Type of breaking	Eating intentionally
Valid excuse	None
School concerned	Maliki vs. others

According to the Malikis, eating intentionally without excuse is a grave sin but does not require kaffara (major expiation). Only intimate relations require kaffara.

School	Consequence
🟡 Maliki	Qada + sincere repentance
🟢 Hanafi	Kaffara (according to some)

💡 Rule: Karim must make up that day + make sincere repentance (tawba). No kaffara according to Malikis for eating.

👴 Case 2: Permanent Inability to Fast

Situation: Hajja Aicha, 85 years old, can no longer fast due to extreme weakness. She wants to know how to calculate her fidya for 30 days.

❓ How to calculate fidya in euros/dollars?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Age	85 years, permanent incapacity
Type of obligation	Permanent fidya
Calculation	1 mudd per day

To calculate fidya:

1. 1 mudd = approximately 750g of staple food
2. Value of one meal = 5-7 € depending on country
3. 30 days × 7 € = 210 € (high estimate)

Calculation	Amount
In food	30 × 750g = 22.5 kg of rice/wheat
In cash	30 × 6-7 € = 180-210 €

💡 Rule: Hajja Aicha can give 22.5 kg of food or its cash equivalent to the poor. Can be given to one poor person or distributed.

🔄 Case 3: Repeated Offenses in Same Ramadan

Situation: Omar had intimate relations with his wife on 3 different days of Ramadan. He asks how many kaffara he owes.

❓ Are multiple kaffara required for multiple days?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Type of offense	Intimate relations (kaffara required)
Days concerned	3 different days
School	Major disagreement

This is a question where schools diverge strongly:

School	Number of kaffara
🟡 Maliki	3 kaffara (1 per day)
🟢 Hanafi	1 single kaffara
🔵 Shafi'i	1 single kaffara
🟣 Hanbali	1 single kaffara

💡 Maliki Rule: Omar owes 3 kaffara + make up 3 days. Each kaffara = fast 60 consecutive days OR feed 60 poor people.

💸 Case 4: Unable to Afford Kaffara

Situation: Bilal committed a sin requiring kaffara but he is very poor. He cannot fast 60 days (exhausting physical labor) nor feed 60 poor people.

❓ What are the alternatives?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Financial capacity	Poor
Physical capacity	Cannot fast 60 days
Situation	Total incapacity

The hadith of the man who came to the Prophet ﷺ shows the solution:

Level	Option	Bilal's status
1	Free a slave	Impossible (no longer exists)
2	Fast 60 days	Incapable (work)
3	Feed 60 poor	Incapable (poor)

The Prophet ﷺ gave that man dates to distribute, then when the man said he was the poorest of his household, the Prophet allowed him to eat them.

💡 Rule: In case of total incapacity, the kaffara falls temporarily but remains a debt. When he becomes able, he must fulfill it.

⏰ Case 5: Delaying Makeup Beyond Next Ramadan

Situation: Salma had to make up 15 days from Ramadan 2023. She couldn't due to pregnancy then breastfeeding. Ramadan 2025 is coming and she still hasn't made them up.

❓ What does she owe now?

📜 View the answer

Analysis:

Criterion	Application
Delay duration	2 years
Reason for delay	Pregnancy then breastfeeding
Type of excuse	Valid continuous excuse

Delay due to valid excuse (illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding) does not generate additional fidya.

Situation	Consequence
Delay with valid excuse	Qada only
Delay without excuse (negligence)	Qada + Fidya per day of delay

For Salma:

• Pregnancy then breastfeeding = valid continuous excuse
• Therefore: 15 days of Qada only
• No fidya for the delay

💡 Rule: Salma must make up her 15 days as soon as possible. Since her excuse was valid, no fidya for the delay. Had the delay been due to negligence, she would owe 15 × fidya.

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💭 Reflection

Kaffara is not punishment but mercy. It allows the sinner to purify themselves and repair their fault. The hadith of the man who came to the Prophet ﷺ, distressed from breaking his fast through intimate relations, shows that the door of repentance always remains open. Allah accepts sincere repentance and has provided means of purification suited to every situation.

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🎯 Practical Action Plan

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📝 Supplication

O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for my sin, and I ask You to accept my repentance and my expiation. Indeed, You are the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.

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📚 Sources

• Al-Muwatta' — Imam Malik
• Al-Mudawwana Al-Kubra — Sahnoun
• Al-Qawanin Al-Fiqhiyya — Ibn Juzayy
• Sahih Al-Bukhari — Al-Bukhari
• Sahih Muslim — Muslim

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وَاللهُ أَعْلَم
And Allah knows best