Your Kaffarah or Fidyah can bring joy this Ramadan.

Fidyah is a donation type within the Islamic tradition paid by individuals who cannot fulfill the obligation of fasting due to illness or old age. Fidyah payments are meant to feed a miskeen (person in need) for each of the fasting days missed.

The estimated cost, on guidance from the Fiqh Council of North America, is $15 for each day missed or $450 for all of Ramadan. In addition, if the donor is from a low-income family, he or she should then care for the family’s needs first before considering giving a separate fidyah donation.

We advise that you consult with your local imam or scholar for more any fiqh (jurisprudence) questions you may have.

Kaffarah, within the Islamic tradition, provides individuals who deliberately miss or break a day of fast during the month of Ramadan without a valid reason an opportunity to recompense for it. According to Islamic guidelines, if a person misses a day of fasting unnecessarily, he or she should either fast for 60 consecutive days or feed 60 masakeen (underprivileged people) per day. The estimated cost, on guidance from the Fiqh Council of North America, is $15 per person for 60 people, which equals $900 a day for each missed or broken-fast day.

Beyond Ramadan, kaffarah may also be given to recompense for broken oaths or promises. In these cases, 10 masakeen (underprivileged people) should be fed for each occurrence. The estimated cost is $15 per person for 10 people, which equals $150 per broken promise.

If the donor is from a low-income family, and cannot afford the payment, it is recommended that he or she should fast for three days, and make sure to “protect your oath,” meaning he or she should stay true to his or her word going forward.

We advise that you consult with your local imam or scholar for more any fiqh (jurisprudence) questions you may have.