What Is the Expiation for Those Unable to Fast?

Answered By Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Question

What is the expiation for those unable to fast, and what is its amount?

Answer

In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow him.

Fasting as Obligation

Fasting is one of the obligations imposed by Allah (Most High) upon His Muslim servants. Its primary form is the obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadan, which constitutes one of the pillars of Islam. Therefore, it is essential for a Muslim to understand the rulings concerning this significant pillar and the consequences of not fulfilling its requirements, including expiation or atonement. These rulings pertain to obligatory fasting, while voluntary fasting has different rulings.

Fasting is obligatory only for those who are capable, as stated in the Quran:

“So whoever is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then (let them fast) an equal number of days (after Ramadan).” [Quran, 2:185]

The conditions for the obligation of fasting in Ramadan are sanity, puberty, and ability. It is permissible for the sick person to break the fast if they find it causing severe harm. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin]

Therefore, a sick person who cannot endure fasting should break their fast, and then we consider the possibility of making up the missed days. If they are able to make up for the missed days, then it becomes obligatory for them to do so when they are capable. However, if they are unable to do so due to chronic illness or old age, then making up the missed fasts is waived, and they must offer expiation (fidya).

Expiatory Charity (Fidya) 

The expiation for those unable to fast is to feed a needy person for each missed day, along with the recommendation of fasting on their behalf, according to the Imam Shafi‘i’s final view (jadid). As for the Imam Shafi’i’s previous view (qadim), it does not deem it valid, as stated by Imam Rafi‘i.

Imam Nawawi, on the other hand, favors the Imam Shafi‘i’s previous view (qadim). He stated:

“If someone misses fasting in Ramadan and dies before being able to make up for it, there is no atonement or sin for them. If they die after being able to make up for it, and their guardian did not fast on their behalf, according to the Imam Shafi‘i’s final view (jadid), they must provide food for each missed day. The Imam Shafi‘i’s previous view (qadim) seems more correct here. The guardian refers to anyone close to the deceased.” [Ibid.]

Then he said,

“It seems obligatory to feed for someone who breaks the fast due to old age, similar to someone who is chronically ill and not expected to recover. That is if they die without providing the food for their missed fasts during their lifetime because there was hope for their recovery and anticipation of their fasting, there is no difference in this whether someone fasted on their behalf or not.” [Ibid.]

Summary

This ruling applies to the fasting of the incapacitated. It is clear from the texts of the jurists that the expiation is obligatory for them, which is to feed a needy person for each missed day. As for fasting on behalf of the deceased by their guardian, it is permissible according to the Imam Shafi‘i’s previous view (qadim) of the Shafi‘i School, favored by Imam Nawawi, while the Imam Shafi‘i’s final view (jadid) does not permit it. Therefore, the guardians of the deceased may choose whichever opinion they prefer. This is part of facilitating the Sacred Law, and providing food is a simple matter that most people can manage. Allah is the Guide to success.

[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Shaykh Dr Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib is a prominent Islamic scholar from Yemen. He was born in Shibam, Hadhramaut, in 1976. He received his degree in Shari‘a from Al-Ahqaf University, a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Beirut, and a PhD in Usul al-Din from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

He studied under great scholars such as Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad, Shaykh Fadl Ba‘ fadl, Habib Salim al-Shatiri, Habib Ali Mashhur bin Hafeez, and others. He has served as the Director of Publications at Dar al-Fiqh, the former Deputy Director of Cultural Relations at Al-Ahqaf University, a former Assistant for Employee Affairs at Atiyah Iron Company, a researcher at the Sunna Center affiliated with the Dallah al-Baraka Foundation, and a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch.

Currently, he is a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch, teaches traditionally through the Ijaza system at Dar al-Fuqaha in Turkey, supervises the Arabic department at Nur al-Huda International Institute (SeekersGuidance), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Manuscript House in Istanbul.

His works include “The Efforts of Hadhramaut Jurists in Serving the Shafi‘i School,” “Contributions of Hadhramaut Scholars in Spreading Islam and its Sciences in India,” and “Hada’iq al-Na‘im in Shafi‘i Fiqh.” He has also verified several books in Fiqh, history, the art of biographies, and Asanid (chains of narration).