Kaffarah for a Deliberately Broken Fast — Qaza, Expiation, and the Graded Atonement

Two Different Outcomes — Qaza Only, or Qaza Plus Kaffarah

When a Ramadan fast is not completed, the first thing to settle is why. The consequence depends entirely on whether there was a lawful excuse.

1. Qaza only. A fast missed for a valid reason — genuine illness, travel under the conditions that lift the fast, haid or nifas for women, or another accepted excuse — carries no penalty. You simply owe qaza: make up the day later, fasting one day for each Ramadan day missed. Likewise, a fast broken by genuine forgetfulness (you ate while having forgotten you were fasting) is, by the merciful provision, not a deliberate breach.

2. Qaza plus kaffarah. A person who deliberately invalidates a valid Ramadan fast, while remembering they are fasting and without any lawful excuse, owes more. They must make up the day (qaza) and perform kaffarah — the graded expiation described below. Kaffarah is not an alternative to qaza; it is in addition to it.

The breaches most clearly carrying the full kaffarah are deliberate marital intercourse during the fasting day and, in the established view, deliberately eating or drinking without excuse. The precise scope of what triggers kaffarah is set out in Da’a’im al-Islam and the community Mansak.

The Graded Expiation (Kaffarah)

The kaffarah for a deliberately broken fast is classically framed as an ordered sequence — you move to the next option only if the one before it is genuinely beyond you:

1. Freeing a believing slave (itq raqaba). This was the first prescribed option.
2. If unable, fasting for two consecutive months. These must be kept unbroken; an interruption without excuse generally means restarting the count. This is a serious, sustained commitment, distinct from the single qaza day still owed.
3. If unable to fast, feeding a fixed number of poor persons (it’am al-masakin) — giving the needy a set measure of food, or its equivalent.

Because slavery no longer exists, the practically available options today are the consecutive two-month fast and the feeding of the poor. The exact number of persons to be fed, the measure of food per person, and whether a monetary equivalent may be given are details fixed by the Mansak — do not assume a count or amount on your own. Note also that the heavier kaffarah of the fast is its own category; it should not be confused with the lighter expiations owed for other matters such as a broken oath, which the law treats separately.

Confirm the Details With Your Aamil

This guide is a study aid to help you understand the shape of the ruling: that a deliberate, unexcused breaking of a valid Ramadan fast brings both qaza and the graded kaffarah, while an excused or forgetful miss brings qaza alone. It is not a substitute for a precise personal ruling. The authoritative method for the Dawoodi Bohra community is the community Mansak, and the specific counts, food amounts, the exact list of breaches that trigger full kaffarah, and how to handle borderline cases should always be confirmed with your aamil saheb. If you are unsure whether your situation calls for qaza only or qaza plus kaffarah, ask before acting — getting the category right is the whole point.

See also: What Breaks The Fast, Niyyat For Fasting, Fiqh Al Kaffarah, Ramadan Guide