Broken Fasts and Expiation

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: I am 20 years old and I just remembered that I had broken many fasts. Once in 2005 I gave into temptations as I was a beginner at fasting back then. Once in 2006 when traveling form Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. After the trip I decided to break my fast because I was really tired and drank water. And there were at least 3 other times I broke my fast.  How much kafarrah must I do?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that you are well, insha’Allah.

You simply need to make up the fasts you broke, and then perform a single expiation. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah; `Ala al-Din `Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

The expiation is sixty consecutive days of fasting which don’t contain: [1] Ramadan, [2] Eid al-Fitr, or [3] Eid al-Adha and the three days after it. [ibid.]

Seek repentance for your past remissness, and then trust in Allah — realizing that sins are wiped out by sincere repentance.

There are three conditions for repentance, that one leave the sin, regret having done it, and then resolve never to return to it. See: A Reader on Tawba and Repentance

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said in a hadith qudsi, “O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as its.” [Bukhari]

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani