Kaffarah is the expiation prescribed in Islamic law for specific violations — including breaking an oath or deliberately breaking a Ramadan fast. It is a structured obligation defined by the Quran and Sunnah.

How do I pay kaffarah for breaking the Ramadan fast?

Kaffarah for deliberately breaking the Ramadan fast follows a sequential order: free a slave (not applicable today), fast sixty consecutive days, or feed sixty poor people. Each person receives one meal or its monetary equivalent.

Is the order of kaffarah al-yamin fixed?

The schools differ. The Hanafi school says the three options (feeding, clothing, fasting) are interchangeable. The Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools say fasting is only for those who cannot afford the others.

Can kaffarah be paid years later?

Yes. A kaffarah obligation from years past remains valid and can be fulfilled at any time. There is no scholarly position that the obligation expires.

How to Pay Kaffarah: Ruling, Amount, and How to Give

Q: How much is kaffarah?

The amount is tied to the cost of a meal in the donor's own household. For kaffarah for a broken oath, this applies to ten people. For breaking the Ramadan fast, it applies to sixty people.

There are moments in a Muslim’s life when an obligation is broken — an oath not kept, a fast not completed, a vow left unfulfilled. Islamic law does not leave these moments without a path forward. Kaffarah — the expiation prescribed for specific violations — is that path: a defined act of worship that acknowledges the breach and restores the obligation.

What Is Kaffarah?

Kaffarah is an Arabic term derived from the root k-f-r, meaning to cover or conceal — in the religious sense, to expiate or atone for wrongdoing. It is a structured obligation — not a voluntary gesture — whose form and amount are defined by the Quran and Sunnah. The most commonly encountered types are:

Kaffarah for breaking an oath (kaffarah al-yamin) — prescribed when a person swears by Allah to do something and then breaks that oath.

Kaffarah for breaking the Ramadan fast (kaffarah al-iftar) — prescribed when a fast in Ramadan is deliberately broken through specific acts.

Kaffarah for zihar — prescribed when a man makes a specific statement comparing his wife to his mother’s back. Surah Al-Mujadila (58:3-4) prescribes freeing a slave, then fasting two consecutive months, then feeding sixty poor people.

The Quranic and Scholarly Basis for Kaffarah

Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:89) addresses kaffarah for breaking an oath: “Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for breaking your deliberate oaths — so its kaffarah is the feeding of ten poor persons from the average of what you feed your own families, or clothing them, or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find the means — then fasting for three days.” This verse establishes the three-tier structure: feeding, clothing, or — if neither is possible — fasting.

For kaffarah for breaking the Ramadan fast deliberately, a hadith records a man who came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said he had ruined himself by having relations with his wife during the day in Ramadan. The Prophet (PBUH) instructed him to free a slave, then fast two consecutive months, then feed sixty poor people — in that order of priority.

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Kaffarah for Ramadan

Understanding how to pay kaffarah requires knowing which tier applies to the type of violation and the individual’s circumstances.

Kaffarah for breaking an oath: The three options — feeding ten poor people, clothing ten poor people, or fasting three consecutive days — are presented in Surah Al-Ma’idah as alternatives. A person may choose any of the three.

Kaffarah for deliberately breaking the Ramadan fast: The three tiers here are sequential, not optional: freeing a slave (not applicable today); fasting sixty consecutive days; or feeding sixty poor people — available only if the person genuinely cannot fast sixty consecutive days. Each of the sixty people receives one meal or its monetary equivalent.

How Much Is Kaffarah?

The Quran ties the amount of kaffarah al-yamin to “the average of what you feed your own family” — meaning the calculation is personal and contextual rather than a fixed universal amount. For kaffarah for breaking the Ramadan fast, the same per-meal calculation applies across sixty people rather than ten.

A Genuine Scholarly Disagreement: Is the Order Fixed?

On kaffarah al-yamin, the Hanafi school holds that the three options — feeding, clothing, and fasting — are genuinely interchangeable: a person may choose any of the three regardless of financial situation. The Maliki, Shafi‘i, and Hanbali schools hold that fasting is only permitted as a substitute when a person genuinely cannot afford the other two. If you are unsure which applies to you, consult your local scholar or imam.

Giving Kaffarah Through Human Appeal

Human Appeal accepts kaffarah payments and distributes them as food to families in genuine need across its countries of operation — including Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, and Pakistan — where recipients qualify under the standard Islamic criteria for the poor (fuqara’). A kaffarah obligation from years past remains valid and can be fulfilled at any time.

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Sources

Quran: Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:89) — basis for kaffarah al-yamin
Quran: Surah Al-Mujadila (58:3-4) — basis for zihar kaffarah
Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 1936 — the man who broke his Ramadan fast
Sahih Muslim, hadith 1111 — corroborating narration on kaffarah for breaking the Ramadan fast
Human Appeal: Internal programme report, 2023–2026