Making up Fasts Broken by Intercourse or Eating After Thinking the Fast Was Broken

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalamu alaikum,

 During Ramadan, a couple had sexual intercourse several times on several days while fasting.
 They also missed several Ramadan fast intentionally without a valid reason.
 Also a few times they thought that their fasting was broken due to bleeding and thus started eating.
 The couple realizes that they have to fast 60 days consecutively +1 day, but how many in total do they have to do?
 The husband is healthy and is capable, however the wife is very weak in health, occasionally faints, is low in iron, etc.
 Please give a detailed solution for both.

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.

[1] They should sincerely repent from their actions. See: A Reader on Tawba (Repentance)

[2] They need to perform one expiation (kaffarah) each. See: The Expiation (Kaffara) for Having Sex While Fasting

[3] And make up each day they invalidated their fast– by intercourse or eating after thinking their fast had been invalidated– or any day they simply did not fast. See also: Is Expiation (kaffara) Necessary For Not Fasting in Ramadan?

If they cannot remember the exact number of days they invalidated their fast, they should make a reasonable, yet safe estimate, and make up that number.

And also see: Years of Missed Fasts and Expiation (kaffara) and: How Many Expiations Are Required For Multiple Broken Fasts?

And Allah alone gives success.

wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani