[Fast a] prescribed number of days. But whoever of you is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days [after Ramaḍan]. For those who can only fast with extreme difficulty, compensation can be made by feeding a needy person [for every day not fasted]. But whoever volunteers to give more, it is better for them. And to fast is better for you, if only you knew. (Quran 2:184)
Fidya, is a compulsory charitable donation which must be made if you are unable to fast during Ramadan for a valid health-related reason.
$12 – Fidya: provides two meals for missing one fast with a valid reason.
$60 – Fidya five days: provides ten meals. Choose this option if you missed five days of fasting in Ramadan.
$360 – Fidya whole month: provides sixty meals. Choose this option if you were unable to fast for the entire month of Ramadan.
$720 – Kaffarah: provides a meal to 60 people to compensate for one deliberately broken fast.
Your Fidya donation can make a huge difference to the most vulnerable people in the world, those whose hunger never ends. Even if you’re not been able to fast, the blessing of Fidya is that you’re still help a vulnerable person in Pakistan or Syria to fast this Ramadan, knowing that they have a filling meal to nourish them at Maghrib. From just $12 a day or $360 for the entire month.
The option to give Fidya and Kaffarah is a beautiful mercy from Allah – a mercy to those who are unable to fast or have broken their fast, and a mercy to the ummah by providing relief from the hardships of the dunya.
Fidya is obligatory upon the person who cannot fast for a valid reason, such as a long-term illness. Fidya provides two meals to a fasting person. This year, we’re delivering your Fidya to day laborers and travelers in Pakistan, and to displaced families in Idlib, Syria.
Fidya or Kaffarah?
For people with a valid reason not to fast–such as, pregnancy, nursing, illness or travel, it is encouraged that you make your fasts up after the month of Ramadan. If you’re unable to make up the fasting days that you’ve missed, then you can pay Fidya.
If you skip a day of fasting on purpose, without a valid excuse, then you are required to fast 60 consecutive days. If you can’t fast for 60 days straight, then you can pay Kaffarah, which feeds 60 hungry people. You must do this for every day that you missed.
Fidya – Pay this if you missed a day of fasting but had a valid reason. A Fidya donation will provide two meals to a poor person and you can fulfil this duty quickly and easily though Human Appeal for just $12.
Kaffarah – Pay this if you miss or break your fast without a valid reason. You must either fast for 60 consecutive days or feed 60 poor people, at a cost of $12 per person, for a total of $720 per fasting day missed.
Giving your Fidya or Kaffarah with provide nutritious meals, making all the difference to someone in need by providing energy, strength and improving their health.
When you give now, your Fidya will be distributed this Ramadan, providing joy, hope, and comfort to someone who would otherwise fear how they will afford food each day.
After a year of such devastating crises, providing nutritious meals helps the most vulnerable people to survive terrible hardship.
Pay your Fidya or Kaffarah.
Give mercy now.
Fidya is a donation that is used to make up for any missed obligatory days of fasting for a valid reason such as; extreme illness, traveling, elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, traveling, etc.
Kaffarah must be done to make up for deliberately missing any obligatory days of fasting without a valid reason.
Yes. As one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting is compulsory for all capable Muslims above the age of puberty. That makes it obligatory for a Muslim to compensate for any missed days fasting even if they have a valid reason, and especially if they do not have one.
Fasting is for a fixed number of days, and if one of you be sick, or if one of you be on a journey, you will fast the same number of other days later on. For those who are capable of fasting (but still do not fast) there is a redemption: feeding a needy man for each day missed. Whoever voluntarily does more good than is required, will find it better for him; and that you should fast is better for you, if you only know. (Qur’an 2:184)
With Human Appeal, you can easily pay Fidya at just $12 per missed day, or Kaffarah at $720 per missed day. While there is no set price for paying Fidya or Kaffarah, the average amount is the cost of a meal for a vulnerable person.
Fidya can be paid at any time of the year.
You can pay Fidya by feeding a vulnerable person per each day missed. This can be done by donating the cost for a meal or by preparing the meal yourself.
Kaffarah can be performed by fasting a specific number of days in a row. To calculate the number of days required to fast, multiply the number of missed days by 60. For example, if you deliberately missed 1 day of fasting, you would have to fast for 60 consecutive days (if you missed 2 days, you would fast 120 consecutive days, etc.).
Alternatively, you could feed 60 vulnerable people, or free an enslaved Muslim, for each day of fasting missed.
Your Fidya or Kaffarah payments will go to those who are eligible to receive it, and Kaffarah payments going to support our Feed the Fasting campaign this Ramadan.
It is important to uphold our Islamic obligations. Fasting is an obligatory act and one of the 5 pillars of Islam. If we are unable to fast, it is important to compensate for this by paying Fidya.
Any capable individual who is accountable for their deeds is required to pay if they have missed or broken their fast.
If you miss a fast without a valid reason, you must pay Kaffarah.
We have been carrying out your Fidya and Kaffarah compensations for 32 years. When it comes to matters as important as compensation for missed fasts, experience is absolutely key. We have a number of longstanding, but regularly updated and assessed, systems in place to make sure that your Fidya or Kaffarah is carried out in a timely and efficient manner, while providing nutritious food to those who need it most - especially in this time of fragile need.
Fasting is for a fixed number of days, and if one of you be sick, or if one of you be on a journey, you will fast the same number of other days later on. For those who are capable of fasting (but still do not fast) there is a redemption: feeding a needy man for each day missed. Whoever voluntarily does more good than is required, will find it better for him; and that you should fast is better for you, if you only know.
Source - Qur’an 2:184
Human Appeal is committed to providing aid in the country or program that you select. In the event we complete the program, exceed the required funds, or are denied access to a particular country for reasons beyond our control, Human Appeal reserves the right to reallocate your donation to another program where it is needed most. Please note that items in Gaza are subject to change regularly; in the event that we cannot secure specific items, we will instruct for items that are very similar. The implementation timeline for Gaza is uncertain; the project may not be fully realized during Ramadan.
